Both MJ and I have been struggling with students and the concept of reading. We live in a non-reading culture. It is only now becoming apparent as to what all this means.
Up through grade 4, students are not capable of reading in English. Today I took grade five and they attempted reading a simple story. It did not go well. Some basics of reading a story are assumed by all readers. First, one page of information leads to the next. Secondly, any well written story will build to some kind of a conclusion. I found the concept of following a storyline totally lacking at the fifth grade level.
Textbooks donated by the Allamakee School District in Waukon, IA were in excellent condition after seven years of use. We had to explain to students how to turn pages and basically how to handle a book. Even with this, fifth and sixth graders wrinkle pages and turn the pages in a very rough manner.
Everyone wants to flip through a new book. However, we had to lay down the law about sticking to the page we were reading from. After our experience with the first class, we opened all books to the designated page and handed it to the student with the demand that they not turn pages. Students in grades 7 through 10 began to grasp the reading of a story and storyline very quickly. They stuck to the designated page more easily. They were disappointed when the class hour was over.
Today was a real education for us. Where "reading" will go in the future remain to be seen. Assumptions only make fools of the teachers. Hopefully, reading assumptions in the future will be at a minimum. Our goal is that student will clamor for the days when they read from a book.
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5 comments:
This is really a response from a couple of blogs ago but we were wondering what job the teacher left for. What is the supply and demand for teachers? Do teachers seem to stay for a life time career or is it more short term? What types of professions are represented in the area? How about a pic or two of the bus and the cafe you eat at in the pm. We read your blog daily and look forward to your daily commentary and adventures.
Phil and Jo
Hey, so good to read your blogs. If you get used to the schedule changing you are a better man then I am, Omer. Living there for 37 years I never got to be very flexible. Or if I flexed it was with considerable resistance. Obviously you are going to do okay. I can tell by the way you tell the story. Love, from your old school mates. Eldon and Phyllis
Hey, I guess we wish everybody liked to read as much as we do! The last two evenings I have been reading a Western while watching the Indians stomp the Yankees - 12 to 3, last night and then win a dinger in the 11th - 2 to 1, tonight, Hafner drove in Kenny Lofton, and the Indians are up 2 games to Zip in the American League Central. That is what you have been missing without TV.
Good luck in your English instruction,
Dorothy and Duane
Do the children through grade 5 not have books in their own language so that they might have learned to follow a story line and to properly care for their books? You must be getting very fluent in the Spanish language yourself to be able to control a classroom and to teach English. Enjoy you blogs and look forward to reading them every day. Don
Jenny and I have sent a couple of emails since you arrived in Ecuador. Have you not received any other them - or just nothing recently? Just curious if our email is blocked.
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