Blog #3 Module 4
Lori Roberts
As I read chapter 2 of Catching Readers Before They Fall, I began to really think about the question, "how do children learn to read?" The last section of this chapter, What's Your Theory of How Reading Works?, opens with "Having read this chapter, has your vision of how reading works shifted or changed? How do you understand beginning reading? Do you have a theory of how children learn to read?" At this point, I had to stop and really think. My answer to the first question would be, yes, my vision of how reading works has changed. Before reading, I would have been like the teacher quoted in this section, "I'm not really sure how the kids in my class start reading, but they do. Sometimes it seems like magic." After reading and studying this chapter, I understand that reading is a process and that children develop. This process includes a network of strategies working together in a students brain to help him/her understand reading.
This section talked about two contrasting theories, "the simple and the complex." Before reading, rereading, and going back through this chapter my thinking about children learning to read was more of the simple theory. "The simple theory proposes that the teaching of letters and their sounds, sight vocabulary, parts f speech, and other such visible items are paramount." This is not to say that children do not learn to read with this type of learning or teaching, most will and do. However, as it has been mentioned, it is the struggling readers who need more. This chapter described the complex theory of reading. "The complex theory proposes that as the reader is learning various letters, sounds, words, and other items, he or she is also developing neural networks in the brain (the invisible part of reading), which help him or her perform strategic actions to make meaning of text.
As I continue to read this book, I hope to better understand reading process so that I can help my struggling readers build their reading process system. I want my children to enjoy reading and become lifelong learners.
I love the comment you made about the students just coming to you reading ..like magic. It does sort of seem that way some times.It is so complex of a process to learn to read I sometimes am in fear that I am all alone with this HUGE task to help the students be successful as readers. Of course they have many wonderful teachers helping as well. JUST SCARY
ReplyDeleteHi Lori,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the time and thought you put into this post and into thinking about what you learned about reading from the chapter you read this week. I appreciate the honesty in which the authors explained the complex, cognitive process learning to read is. It isn't a cut and dry, step by step sequential process. You shared how you're learning that reading is a process that involves multiple strategies that students process simultaneously as they build meaning. I am glad that this book and the class are helpful as you consider your beliefs about reading but also possibilities for your practice.