From this article, lot of interesting and concrning information I received from it. It discusses the importance of the need of the content area of literacy instruction to be taught in the younger grades such as beginning with kindergarten. Students are being tested on the basis of understanding what they are reading, and teachers are being pressured for improving the standardized testing performance.
Even from the blog that you that was email to us about this article said, and I agree with Connie, that as I was growing up I could not recall of being exposed to expository text as a child. Reading was not something I did for pleasure, which is what cripples me now, all texts I recall was just because "I had to read!"
The article really focuses on "Reading to Learn" oppose to learning how to read, because in the early grades that is the main focus. Exposing students to informational texts at a young age will not only expand their minds, but perhaps make students about reading to learn. It is especially critical in this information age, because students need to develop the ability to understand the languages of other subjects. This by which will motivate students. All reading should be made fun in some kind of way or another.
What other ways can we help encouraged young students to read to learn?
Does reading to learn improve the standardized test scores?
Rachel I totally agree with you. I think it is so important for us to make opportunities for children to be exposed to reading expository text in early grades. Something you mentioned in your blog post that I found very interesting was how you can not remember ever reading expository / informational text in early grades. I can never remember being exposed to this either. I wonder why people our age were never exposed to informational text in elementary school?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about not getting so caught up in all the material that is "tested." I feel like this is one of the reasons we have not taught informational text in early grades.