I wanted to share a few thoughts on Lifelong Learning before diving into Tompkins’ Language Arts text. In this way I can show how out of touch I am, and then consequently spend a few paragraphs having to change my way of thinking (hopefully not though)!
Lifelong learning is a goal that educators may have difficulty imposing on others because – I believe for the most part – we have an innate drive to continue developing ourselves and bettering ourselves as teachers, communicators, and in a perfect world bettering ourselves as people. This innate drive is not carried by everyone, including many students that live in the moment and may not see the benefits of working hard in the classroom, let alone putting themselves in positions to learn outside of it. Therefore, I believe that it is our job to provide students with transferable learning strategies that can be engrained (and retained). As a result these strategies become – in essence – skills that can be kept in their “toolboxes” for future use. All that being said, if students aren’t interested in things the desire to learn is suppressed. Generally, people take part in activities, seek employment in, and surround themselves with things that interest them. Thus, our secondary goal must be to create interest in a wide variety of subject areas and topics. Not artificial interest either, rather genuine interest in exploring topics that are both familiar and foreign. Perhaps the single most important avenue to create this interest is to encourage, create a passion for reading: lifelong reading.
Guided reading is one strategy – that when used effectively and with purpose – has been found to instill a strong reading desire and positive reading skills for/to students. Guided reading brings readers with similar reading ability together to help “meet the varied needs of all students” (Tompkins p. 122). Texts that are slightly above student’s ability to read independently are used with guided instructional support designed to build reading strategies and increase independence. Through this approach teachers are able to more close monitor and assess students’ progress. In smaller groups with students working at or near the same level, they have opportunities to more clearly demonstrate their reading strategies, and teachers can more easily (and effectively) clarify misunderstandings, point out key words, and provide a stronger foundation for students to improve reading and grow their passion for language arts. In the text, a six step process is revealed.
1. Teachers choose a book or selection for a group based on their reading abilities.
2. Books are introduced with pre-reading strategies (more on this). These strategies are designed to set a purpose for reading. Predictions are made.
3. Guided reading is beneficial because teachers can more easily observe students’ reading. Anecdotal notes are written to pave the way for more direct instructional teaching later.
4. Assistance is given while students are reading to aid in comprehension and word identification.
5. Students talk about the selection. In smaller groups students can investigate the text – and what they have learned – with (ideally) a stronger urge to share and explore what has been found.
6. Teachers continue to instruct after reading. Minilessons are used to review/practice/introduce skills and strategies. These lessons can be developed and introduced prior to reading or be developed following the observations made during reading.
The text suggests that Guided Reading is best used when students are learning to read or when developing new reading strategies. However I believe that guided reading is important at all levels and in a variety of settings. I have experienced forms of guided reading (perhaps the strategy component was not explicit focused on) during university, in work related sessions, and in the 90+ division in the nursing home (I wish!). More importantly I have observed and attempted to introduce Guided Reading at the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior levels. I found smaller groups worked quite effectively while teaching grade eleven university preparation English. The Great Gatsby is a difficult text – especially for ESL learners. In smaller groups though I could more easily teach strategies designed to battle the difficult words that F. Scott Fitzgerald used to paint his work. While students still found it difficult to wrap their heads around the novel – I found some improvement by the end of the novel (crazy Daisy Buchanan).
One aspect of Guided Reading that I can focus on more closely to in the future is providing activities during the pre-reading stage that excite students prior to reading. Here are some strategies that I have discovered and some activities that can encourage each.
1. Activate prior knowledge –
Mind Maps, as individual or group activities, can be used to help trigger prior knowledge concerning ideas that the text will present. This might work better in groups because students combine their knowledge. In instances where one student knows something that others do not (prior to reading), that student can teach the other what he or she knows. As the students begin reading, the mind map can be continued.
2. Make Predictions –
Anticipation Guides can be used to encourage students to make predictions about what they are about to read. Students can anticipate based on the text’s cover, title, a small passage, or even a few keywords.
Book Boxes can be used as a form of Anticipation Guide (Tompkins p. 131). Teachers select a group of objects that relate to the text’s characters and themes. Students can explore the box and predict what the objects have in common and how they might come together in the text.
3. Preview the text –
Students can read reviews of the text or supporting texts that allude specifically to the one being used for Guided Reading. Obviously positive reviews or works that paint the text in an encouraging light are imperative.
4. Connect to prior personal and literary experience –
Think-Pair-Share activities combine other strategies (including writing strategies) to encourage students to make connections. Teachers must provide texts leading up to the one being used for Guided Reading, that have similar themes, or like-minded characters in order for students to be able to attach to. Teachers can prompt students to think about these literary connections, and perhaps even personal experiences by means of some type of a thinking exercise. After students have the opportunity to find their connections (genuine or not), they pair with another student to share their findings.
5. Set purposes for reading –
The KWL strategy can be used to set purposes for learning (it should be used throughout the reading process). Students are informed about topics and themes the text presents. They make notes about what they already Know about the topics and What they Want to learn about them. In this way they take ownership of their learning and it encourages them to seek answers that the text may not address. When this occurs they can go outside the text to get the information.
Guided Reading and guided viewing are necessary in the classroom as an aid to help develop the skills students need to perform lifelong reading and lifelong learning.
Thank you
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