Readicide
It is not assigning students reading that is killing reading but the thing that is killing reading is instead the lens at which we instruct students to read through. A quote from the book on the first page is that "we are developing test-takers at the expense of readers." As for how this text was constructed I really appreciated that the author got right to the heart of the problem with reading and then went into depth of the main problem.
As teachers we are almost setting our students up for failure when it comes to reading but how are we supposed to fix the problem? I am hoping that the answer comes from this book as I continue reading. The students right now in my class are learning about the Holocaust and are reading Holocaust texts at the same time. In order for the students to completely understand the significance of this event I must also teach them about the Holocaust. In connection to this unit I really liked the connection that Gallagher made to the history class and the standards that history teachers are required to teach.
One of the solutions to the problem of putting a higher emphasis on the test is that we need to teach students that there is value in informational texts as well as texts for enjoyment.
When finding the "sweet spot" it is necessary to frame a difficult text in an engaging way. There are not "lousy classics" because there is something of value in a text if it has been called a "classic." I also really enjoyed the "small chunks" piece advice in the book because it is necessary to look at smaller pieces of a text to truly analyze what the book is saying. Our students are suffering from a "curriculum that is too thin and broad" for them to fully digest the information. Our education system is very much focused on quantity of information instead of the quality of information.
I absolutely LOVED the book list at the of this text and it will be something that I pull from all the time. We have a problem with reading but I am not sure if this text solved the problem; because is there really a way to solve the readicide?
As teachers we are almost setting our students up for failure when it comes to reading but how are we supposed to fix the problem? I am hoping that the answer comes from this book as I continue reading. The students right now in my class are learning about the Holocaust and are reading Holocaust texts at the same time. In order for the students to completely understand the significance of this event I must also teach them about the Holocaust. In connection to this unit I really liked the connection that Gallagher made to the history class and the standards that history teachers are required to teach.
One of the solutions to the problem of putting a higher emphasis on the test is that we need to teach students that there is value in informational texts as well as texts for enjoyment.
When finding the "sweet spot" it is necessary to frame a difficult text in an engaging way. There are not "lousy classics" because there is something of value in a text if it has been called a "classic." I also really enjoyed the "small chunks" piece advice in the book because it is necessary to look at smaller pieces of a text to truly analyze what the book is saying. Our students are suffering from a "curriculum that is too thin and broad" for them to fully digest the information. Our education system is very much focused on quantity of information instead of the quality of information.
I absolutely LOVED the book list at the of this text and it will be something that I pull from all the time. We have a problem with reading but I am not sure if this text solved the problem; because is there really a way to solve the readicide?
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