Tuesday, December 18, 2012
English Language Arts Made Simple
I thought it was interesting when he said "Let's face it: reading is the most important subject in school. It's more important than all the other subjects combined." I am struggling with this idea not because I disagree but because I am starting to see it more and more. My struggling reading students struggle in math not because they can't do the work but because they can not read and understand the problem or read and understand the different strategies. They are struggling in writing because they lack sentence structure, grammar, and vocabulary that they are exposed to in reading. There are definitely ways to go about teaching these students math, writing and other subjects but I worry about when they are expected to do it on their own if they will really be able to. They are the students that need the most exposure to reading yet they are not getting it at home, there is only a certain amount of hours in the day and all the other students who need you as well.
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So true. I was just discussing homework and how its' purpose is to reinforce the skills previously taught for practice... but the kids that need the most practice, often don't do their homework (even when you know they are capable), and are not getting the support they need from home. Obviously this is due to many different circumstances but it can definitely feel frustrating.
ReplyDeleteLack of support at home has been a major frustration for me as well. The students who need it most aren't getting it at home. Then there are the kids who are way ahead, and it's so obvious that they have families at home that are supportive and involved in their learning. I wish I could take credit for my students who are doing really well, but a lot of that comes from home, and kids starting out with a leg up because they learned their ABCs at home and were read to each night since they were young.
ReplyDeleteSo, I wonder.... if all kids did all day in school for the first three years was read and do math, what would the rest of the grades look like academically? Any theories? I certainly am not sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they would do better in other subjects once they could actually read the texts that are put in front of them....
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great question! Totally made me wonder as well! What would happen if we really built a solid foundation (or as solid as we could when we had them at school), how that would impact the rest of their school career?