Sunday, November 13, 2011
The schools we have. The schools we need.
This week I read Allington's article which takes a look at some "confusions" about successful literacy teaching and the changes that need to be made to our schools in order to better meet the needs of all our students. One of the things that I found most interesting in this article was a proposed idea that instead of having short blocks of reading instruction every day, we should instead consider spending Monday and Tuesday only doing reading. With that schedule, children would be able to really dive into books with extended periods of time for independent reading. The hour or so that schools have allotted for reading everyday is a short time to cover everything that children need in order to develop good literacy skills. In that time it is even more difficult to find time for children to read books of their choosing. I know it would be nearly impossible for any school to switch to a schedule that allowed 2 days of solid literacy instruction and practice, but it could be very benificial to those who struggle with reading. What do you think of this idea? how could having two days soley for reading help and hurt your students?
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I was surprised by this idea as well. It sounds like a great thought if intentionally used effectively. Other areas of studies could be incorporated during this time such as spending a day on literacy while using literature that teaches science topics which needed to be covered. The only thing that worried me about this idea is the fear of burning children out on reading. A whole day spent on literacy could lose certain students attention and interest.
ReplyDeleteI mean literacy is really the foundation for learning so it makes sense to incorporate it into most every activity. Spending two full days could become a bit overwhelming for the children, but if used wisely, many could benefit. Reading isn't just sitting at desks nose deep into text. There are ways to get children engaged in discussions about the readings (promoting comprehension)and games that could be played to help enhance the experience. I think if thoughtfully instructed, the two days could be a good idea, especially if other content areas are represented in the readings as Danielle said.
ReplyDeleteby instructed I meant constructed***
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how I feel about the idea of two full days of literacy instruction and then that is it until next week.... I think that for it to work there would have to be some way to incorporate what they are learning in those two days so they are continuing to practice throughout the week (and not forgetting about it until the next week) however there has to be a balance so the other subjects do not suffer or loose any more time... It would be interesting to see a school implement this and see how it works; what grade it should start with, if it should be done with all grades, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think by dedicating two entire days to reading, the students would get very bored with reading and you would also lose SO much time for the instruction of other subjects that are still very important to the children's learning! Instead of having two whole days, maybe on these days they could just adopt a block schedule like some high schools have, where certain subjects are taught for 2 hours instead of 50 minutes. This way, not only reading would have a longer time to be instructed, but all of the other subjects as well!
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