Reading Today
"Good morning! I'm Mrs. Berns, the substitute for your regular teacher. What's your name?"
"Theo," answers a tall teenager, and sits down. He immediately searches for his ear buds, unwinds them and plugs them into a device, I assume to listen to music. All the classes run by ear buds or earphones and MP3 players. The teachers have found that students listening to music tend to be more peaceful and likely to do their work.
I wait for the remaining students, greeting them, asking their names, and then asking them to get their books out for independent reading. "Your teacher asks you to read for 20 minutes. " I see that students would rather talk, annoy each other, or debate about this with me.
Theo has no book. "I finished my book."
"I think you need to start another one," I suggest.
"I don't like to read."
"It is important to read to get a good job."
"I have a job already. Don't need to read."
"To get driver's license, read signs, get ahead in the world."
"I'm fine. Got those. Got ahead. Don't need to read. "
"Teacher said to read. Find a book." He opens a book.
"What page are you on?" I ask for the record.
"Page 89. Don't like reading."
"You are talking, please read."
"You keep talking to me, so I can't read!"
Such was the productive interchange this morning in reading class. I sat and read "The Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Giff, preparing for the second part of the class. We were writing about a character or setting of choice, and making a web or list of ten details about that chosen topic. I decided to read as much of the book as I could, so I could be more involved in the class discussion. The book is fascinating. The main character, Hollis Woods, is a foster child moved continually from home to home, searching for a family and misunderstood.
I record each student's reading progress. "Page 81," announces Theo.
By noon I have finished the book.
The later classes are amazed that I just started this morning and have finished it the same day. They do not know what reading is all about.
Some people read for information.
Some read with a purpose.
Some read for fun and enjoyment.
Some people never get beyond the deciphering skill, where they are decoding words, sounding them out. It is the slow and painful part of reading that takes forever. It is neither fun, nor can you get into the flow of the information. I have found you have to move along the pages a certain speed to feel like you are in the lives of your characters. Otherwise it is like playing a movie at slow motion. It never achieves reality within your mind or soul.
I pity these young men and women that are wasting their time not reading, not learning, not expanding their knowledge because they are judgmental and have the "know it all" complex. It makes me want to cry.
"Theo," answers a tall teenager, and sits down. He immediately searches for his ear buds, unwinds them and plugs them into a device, I assume to listen to music. All the classes run by ear buds or earphones and MP3 players. The teachers have found that students listening to music tend to be more peaceful and likely to do their work.
I wait for the remaining students, greeting them, asking their names, and then asking them to get their books out for independent reading. "Your teacher asks you to read for 20 minutes. " I see that students would rather talk, annoy each other, or debate about this with me.
Theo has no book. "I finished my book."
"I think you need to start another one," I suggest.
"I don't like to read."
"It is important to read to get a good job."
"I have a job already. Don't need to read."
"To get driver's license, read signs, get ahead in the world."
"I'm fine. Got those. Got ahead. Don't need to read. "
"Teacher said to read. Find a book." He opens a book.
"What page are you on?" I ask for the record.
"Page 89. Don't like reading."
"You are talking, please read."
"You keep talking to me, so I can't read!"
Such was the productive interchange this morning in reading class. I sat and read "The Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Giff, preparing for the second part of the class. We were writing about a character or setting of choice, and making a web or list of ten details about that chosen topic. I decided to read as much of the book as I could, so I could be more involved in the class discussion. The book is fascinating. The main character, Hollis Woods, is a foster child moved continually from home to home, searching for a family and misunderstood.
I record each student's reading progress. "Page 81," announces Theo.
By noon I have finished the book.
The later classes are amazed that I just started this morning and have finished it the same day. They do not know what reading is all about.
Some people read for information.
Some read with a purpose.
Some read for fun and enjoyment.
Some people never get beyond the deciphering skill, where they are decoding words, sounding them out. It is the slow and painful part of reading that takes forever. It is neither fun, nor can you get into the flow of the information. I have found you have to move along the pages a certain speed to feel like you are in the lives of your characters. Otherwise it is like playing a movie at slow motion. It never achieves reality within your mind or soul.
I pity these young men and women that are wasting their time not reading, not learning, not expanding their knowledge because they are judgmental and have the "know it all" complex. It makes me want to cry.
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