Greetings to all members of the Book Study,
We kicked off our first week of the book study with quite a very lively discussion covering chapters 1 and 2 of Reading Apprenticeship. For the week of January 12 through the 16, we will cover chapters 3 and 4. Here are the questions from the LINCS Study Guide for the second week.
In your post, be sure to indicate which question you are responding to.
Please remember that these questions are general and can be applied to any of the chapters.
- How did the ideas in this chapter speak to your experience as a teacher?
- What in this chapter particularly caught your attention? Cite a specific phrase, sentence or group of sentences that grabbed you and explain why.
- Were there ideas or sections in this chapter you had questions about; things you wanted to know more about?
Chapter 3: The Social and Personal Dimensions: Building a Foundation for Engaged Learning
9. What elements of “building relationships and norms for classroom collaboration” (pages 59-69) are similar to things you do with your students? What ideas strike you as interesting to explore further, and how do you imagine trying them out with your students?
10. In the section on “building reader identity” and “building agency, confidence, and dispositions for learning” (pages 76-85), what phrases, sentences, ideas are most striking to you? Are there ideas you would be interested in trying in your teaching?
Chapter 4: Metacognitive Conversations: Making Thinking Visible
11. Ruth Schoenbach writes: “I suggest you read this chapter twice, since it is the most important—and integrative—element of the Reading Apprenticeship framework (even if it means you’ll have to miss one of the next chapters). Be sure to read the “Classroom Close-ups” too. On this first reading, just make notes on what strikes you as most interesting to discuss with others.
12. On pages 92-94, the text describes a few non text-based activities that can be done with students to introduce the concept of metacognition. What activities might be most effective with adult learners?
13. From Ruth Schoenbach: “When you read this chapter a second time, try to imagine what it would be like to carry our some of these “metacognitive routines” in your classroom. Make notes about what questions come up as you imagine this.”
Susan Finn Miller and I want to welcome you to the second week of our conversation. Happy reading!
Meryl Becker-Prezocki
Comments
10. In the section on “building reader identity” and “building agency, confidence, and dispositions for learning” (pages 76-85), what phrases, sentences, ideas are most striking to you? Are there ideas you would be interested in trying in your teaching?
I REALLY liked the criterion “Will this encourage or discourage this student from investing himself in the learning process.” for determining instruction activities. It is so important to focus on the student and too often we just think they have to do something (like medicine), and we grimace as they grimace as we make them do it. Theres got to be a better way! And there usually is. I think that this can be applied to program structure/retention issues as well on a larger scale. I would definitely say that the way reading is taught would discourage in the current class that I am looking at modifying using RA so great that I am going through this process.
Thanks for sharing how you hope to change your reading instruciton, Jennette! I'm joining you on this journey!
Cheers, Susan
Hello friends, We are nearing the end of week 2, and I'm wishing we had more time! The things that stand out most to me in chapter 4 are the Think Aloud process and Talking to the Text. When I look over my RA book, I see all the places I have made notes and highlighted and circled and underlined, etc. the things I want to remember in this book. I have definitely been "Talking to this Text." Talking to the Text is the strategy that I most want my students to learn to do. In fact, the authors indicate that Talking to the Text may be more feasible as a strategy for ELLs than Think Aloud. I had some success with this last semester with the English learners I teach, and I'm eager to start working on it again when class begins in another week.
I'm wondering what others think about the Think Aloud and Talking to the Text strategies.
Cheers, Susan
Moderator, Assessment CoP
Hi Susan,
I found these ideas intriguing, but in order to really wrap my head around them, I think I may have experientially try them myself! This might be good practice for explaining the thinking/reading process for students that was mentioned in another thread. I'll keep you updated on how it goes.
Jen
My text is marked up and dog-eared on the Metacognitive Chapter - lots of good ideas going through my head. I felt as if I were falling behind and then realized that is how students feel every day. I felt better when I reread the statements that Schoenbach made about this chapter - yep, I have reread many parts of this chapter but now need to reread the whole thing.
I love Think Alouds and Talking to the Text, especially when I bring new materials into the classroom. With the increase in academic-style reading and text complexity, I have an abundance of new materials that I have not yet read. Therefore, many times when a student is reading from the new material, it may be new to me also. The only way I can approach it successfully is to do a Think Aloud for myself. As I model it, I have begun asking students to point out questions I am asking. When I make a mistake in understanding, then together we talk through where I maybe made a mistake - what did I miss, what vocabulary did I not understand, etc. This is a starting point for them to see that it is a method I must use to understand my reading. Many of them still have the perception, "but you are the teacher, you have to know the answer." Think Alouds allow me to demonstrate that I must use strategies to understand new reading materials. Not to worry, the students are modeling them, but they just love seeing me be confused also. How else can you build community if you are not willing to take a risk and fail? I appreciate it when the students are there to "pick me up."
Norene, Jen and all, I agree that having a good understanding of our own metacognitive processes when reading is the first step to supporting students to get in touch and enhance their own processes. Looking over the notes I've taken and the markings I've made in this book is helping me to understand how "Talking to the Text" works for me. Norene, your modeling of the Think Aloud process seems right on target.
Cheers, Susan
Moderator, Assessment CoP
I understand why this chapter should be read twice! There are a lot of very practical teaching ideas to use in the classroom. Some of the ideas I have used previously like the Think- Pair -Share and other ideas are new to me and I would like to try in the classroom. I particularly liked the "Talking to the Text." P.110 "Because talking to the text documents students' internal metacognitive conversations, it makes their thinking easily available for their own reflection or review...." I also liked the metacognitive double entry journals and reading logs on p.112-113, 116-117.
I think an important quote is on p. 127 "While metacognitive conversation is about making thinking visible, its ultimate goal is not simply to make students aware of their thinking, but to foster their ability to use insights about reading processes, strategies, and motivations to interact with, comprehend, and make use of a variety of academic texts." It's important to give our students the skills and strategies that they need to be successful when they are in an academic classroom which may not necessarily be a reading apprenticeship classroom.
Hi Aimee and all, I agree that the ideas in chapter 4 are incredibly valuable. I've read this chapter several times already, and I plan to read it even more. Each time I deepen my understanding. Implementing one or more of these activities is the next step.
As I've indicated, I am working to refine the "Talking to the Text" activity. My new class begins next week. If anyone in the book group has been working on this strategy -- or any other RA techniques, please share your experience with us here. We have the opportunity to learn from one another as we try out some of these fresh ideas.
Cheers, Susan
Moderator, Assessment CoP
I like that you pointed out that quote about metacognition and the idea of building some of these metacognitive strategies into the classroom. Being able to actively think about what is being read as you are reading is very important in building connections. As text is read mechanically, the brain is actively building connections between the words and meaning of the passage or text and then there becomes an awareness of comprehension processing which leads to understanding of text in a variety of settings. I agree, Talking to the Text was a great idea.
I believe that this book is going to be constantly reread. Even now, I keep on going back to things I read earlier and jot some more notes. I am finding so many golden nuggets. I especially like the information in all of the boxes and the Classroom Close- Ups. Are you doing that also? What a wonderful book!
Meryl, SME
Hi Monica, Not to worry about being in a different place in the book. Your comments are most welcome! I appreciate your saying that perseverance is often what students need when comprehension breaks down. Talking to the Text can help students stick with the task and as you suggest, the technique also enhances their note-taking skills.
Cheers, Susan
Moderator, Assessment CoP