Reading 4

What I liked the most about this article was the practical ideas section as I thought the ideas suggested would be effective in a second language classroom.  However, in the Introduction, Tennant talks about how in some classes students are asked to read out loud turning the activity from a private, receptive activity into a more production-orientated one.  For me, reading out loud in my classroom has always been voluntary.  I do not believe in putting students on the spot.   My suggestion would be to find other types of activities that are production-oriented  that do not involve the students reading out loud.   He goes on to say that in real life we do read things out to each other such as bedtime stories to children, reading a menu at a restaurant etc… but I do believe we make a choice in the items we read out aloud.  I think it is important we offer students a choice, too.   

In Anchor point:2 Tennant talks about the basic level reading is the recognition of words. While this is important, I do think it is imperative not to lose sight of  the need to build the student’s vocabulary.  How often do we see students who can decode a text beautifully but have no clue as to what they have read?  

He does , however, go on to say understanding what we are reading is key.   I do agree it is a complex issue.  I quite like Adrienne Gear ‘s work as she offers some practical ideas in this area.

If I would have asked my students anchor point #3 Why do we read?  I know I would have some students who would say because our parents or teachers make us.  How do you get those students interested in reading?  This can be challenging task. For those struggling readers, how do you make them see there is a purpose in what they are reading?   

 I was interested in Tennant’s comment, “why we are reading something will make a difference to how we read it, and in what depth.  What I took away from this was the idea to offer a variety of material for students to read.  I could include a postcard, letter, tv timetable or set of instructions for making cookies for instance into a guided reading activity instead of relying on fiction and non-fiction books from the book room. Maybe this will give those reluctant readers a purpose for reading? 

In Anchor point:6, I thought Tennant’s point about predicting an important one.  Sometimes students do stop predicting and start reading every word.  This not only slows them down by they often lose sight of the meaning of what they are reading.  I do believe that presenting and practicing predicting skills can help the student become a more confident reader.  You need to also provide a comfortable environment so they are willing to take those risks.