Chapter 7

Key Point #1: For this student, a text that was read near frustration without teacher direction could be read at independent reading level with instruction by the teacher.

Reflection: I think this goes to show that proper instruction can result in improvement in reading achievement. Struggling readers can make great strides in reading when they are given the proper tools and instruction to succeed. I have seen situations in which students try to complete a task or assignment independently, but give up or fail when they become frustrated. When they are offered some suggestions and guidance on how to approach the task or how to rethink their approach, they are able to complete the task or assignment independently. I think this helps students feel better about themselves and makes them more willing to approach challenging tasks in the future.

Key Point #2: She decides whether the reading task will be silent or oral and whether the story will be read as a whole or in segments. She decides whether she will introduce new vocabulary words and how to do it.

Reflection: The approach a teacher takes to reading can impact how the student performs on the reading task. I think vocabulary instruction is very helpful, especially when introducing text on an unfamiliar topic or subject. Students will struggle less while reading the text if they have been introduced to some of the challenging vocabulary ahead of time. Student will be able to read with greater ease and understanding because they will understand the meaning of these new words and concepts. Students may also notice that some words are used differently depending on the context in which they are used. I like to introduce students to multiple meanings of a word and the different ways the word can be used. The students see how the meaning of the word changes when used in different situations.

Key Point #3: The teacher demonstrated the next segment of the text. Terry was asked to follow the example, but he again read the words without thinking.

Reflection: I think this just goes to show that even with explanation and demonstration (modeling), not every student will use every reading strategy. Some students may just need more practice, but some may never use this strategy successfully. Those students will need to be given additional options to use for similar reading tasks. This could also show that this teacher does not have an accurate understanding of what the student's reading needs are. The teacher may be using strategies that do not support the student's needs and reading difficulties.

Key Point #4: She (the diagnostic teacher) focuses on teaching rather than testing to reveal those instructional adjustments that produce reading change for a particular student.

Reflection: Sometimes I think teachers forget that their are other ways (rather than testing) to determine if change or improvement has been made. I think observations are much more helpful than any written test. I also find open discussion to be more helpful than oral tests. I think tests can intimidate students and induce unnecessary panic and anxiety. I believe students read with more ease and greater accuracy when they are reading comfortably (under comfortable conditions) and casually. I also do not think tests can accurately measure all aspects of the reading process. I think each test measures one or two aspects of the reading process so students have to be put through several tests to test the entire process. I just think this is so frustrating and stressful for these poor kids.

Key Point #5: Whenever the diagnostic teacher can conduct a series of diagnostic lessons to compare the effectiveness of several techniques, she increases her ability to confirm the diagnostic hypotheses and select the best possible instructional approach for the reader.

Reflection: I think it is very important to introduce a variety of strategies and techniques to help students. There are teachers that will stop looking for possibilities when they find one technique or strategy that works. I think this will hurt the student in the long run because his/her options are limited to one. They do not have the option to choose which works best in a given situation or context. The more options and strategies you can offer a student, the better off they will be. Not every student will excel with every strategy-some work better than others for each student. If teachers can incorporate several strategies in their diagnostic lessons, they can see which strategies are most effective and helpful for the student. This can help them modify their instructional approach when needed using other techniques that they have seen success with.

Chapter 4

Key Point #1: Allowing the reader to choose what she will read increases engagement.

Reflection: I completely agree with this and believe this idea holds true for most activities and assignments. Allowing students a choice in reading and assignments gives them a sense of independence and ownership about their learning. They are more engaged in the reading because it is something they are interested in and can relate to. I know that when I have to read for my classes, I am much less focused and interested in the reading if I am uninterested in the topic being discussed. The same holds true for assignments and projects. When I am allowed to choose what I want to do for an assignment or project, I take much more pride and ownership in it. I like the freedom to bring in my own ideas and be creative with whatever I decide to do.

Key Point #2: Personalized reading and writing offer students time of quiet reflection to respond personally using the language arts.

Reflection: I think this quiet reflection time is extremely helpful for many students. Not all questions are answered in class and not all students feel comfortable asking questions or expressing their opinions in class. Journal writing is a great way to get those questions answered and voice those opinions. It is another time in which students have the freedom to write about what they are interested in or concerned with. I think it can open up communication between teachers and their students; and make students feel more comfortable about approaching the teacher with questions or concerns.

Key Point #3: Open-ended questions need to focus on predictions that will engage the student in active reading through the entire length of the story.

Reflection: The author mentions that good predictions cannot be answered within the first few minutes of reading. Effective questioning can help guide students to make valuable predictions that require reading most or all of the text to prove or disprove the prediction. Students will lose interest and desire to read if they find the answer to their questions or predictions right off the bat. However, if they are constantly looking and waiting to find those answers as they read, they are more engaged and pay closer attention to the text.

Key Point #4: Initially, students are informed of their inefficient strategies and shown the efficient counterpart.

Reflection: I do think it is important to identify and correct inefficient strategies, however, I think this can be a sensitive issue for some students. Not all students can take criticism, even if it is followed up with suggestions for improvement. Pointing out a student's poor reading habits may hurt their sense of self-esteem and confidence. After all, you are telling them that what they have been doing all along is wrong and ineffective. On the other hand, pointing out a student's poor reading habits may offer a sense of relief, especially if the student has been struggling with reading. The student may welcome criticism and alternative strategies. I think teachers need to be careful and sensitive when addressing the issue.

Key Point #5: Students are taught to match the book to their reading level by using the rule of thumb.

Reflection: I had never heard of this rule before and found it quite helpful. It goes back to the idea of allowing students choice and independence when selecting reading materials. Teaching students easy ways of selecting appropriate texts helps reduce or eliminate the problem of frustration level reading materials being selected. Students are given a tool that will help them choose reading materials that will best meet their needs and reading level. As a result, they have a greater chance of seeing success when reading.

Chapters 5 and 6

Key Point #1: Diagnostic teachers use both oral and silent reading to assess students' reading processes.

Reflection: I do not think all teachers are aware of this. I'm sure reading and literacy specialists are aware, but not many content area and general education teachers. I think so many teachers try to determine a student's reading strengths and weaknesses based on how they hear the student read. They pay little attention to the student's silent reading skills. I think this is partially due to the fact that silent reading skills are not as easy to observe and measure as oral reading skills. However, I also do not think most teachers are aware of the additional skills that are required when reading out loud. It takes some of the student's focus away from the actual reading process and puts more stress on the student to properly and fluently pronounce and articulate each word and sound. There are many students that appear to have poor reading skills during oral reading, but in fact have outstanding silent reading skills.

Key Point #2: When students read within their borderline region (between frustration and acceptable instructional level), tailored instruction that is sensitive to their particular reading profile might result in increased student learning.

Reflection: Proper instruction and materials have a lot to do with which side of the borderline the student will end up on. Students can easily fall back into the frustration level if the reading materials are too advanced for their skills and abilities; or if the if the reading instruction is poor. On the other hand, students can easily be pushed forward into the acceptable instructional level if the reading materials are appropriate and the reading instruction is of high quality. The book suggests one-to-one tutoring and reading materials of moderate difficulty to help students improve to an appropriate instructional level of reading. I think reading instruction for students within their borderline region must be designed with the students' specific needs in mind. Text and strategies must be selected on an individual basis and customized for each student based on his/her strengths, weaknesses, and needs. I think a lot of the students' success is determined by the teacher's ability and willingness to personalize instruction for each student.

Key Point #3: The diagnostic teacher evaluates whether the student is effectively using the system she has been taught. If so, he plans a program to help her refine this system and integrate it with other suing systems.

Reflection: I really like the fact that the author encourages building upon whatever system the student was taught; not what the teacher prefers. I have seen teachers try to get students to stop using previously learned strategies, systems, and processes because the teacher does not particularly like them or agree with them. I have found it much easier and more effective to work with what students already know and to introduce additional strategies they can use if they choose. For example, when I was teaching math, students had several different strategies and techniques for solving problems depending on what teachers they had the year or two before. I always allowed students to use whatever solving strategy and method they were most comfortable with when no specific method was specified. Some students used traditional multiplication while others preferred lattice multiplication. Some students drew out algebra tiles when combining like terms, others circled like terms, and others showed no work at all. As long as the method of solving was accurate, they could use it. If I was not familiar with a method, I'd find another teacher that was. I never told the students they could not use a strategy because it wasn't my favorite or preferred way of doing a problem. I found students were interested in learning new ways to do the same problem, but they always reverted back to what was most comfortable for them.

Key Point #4: The diagnostic teacher uses data to formulate hypotheses about the most advantageous instructional design for the student.

Reflection: Again, I like that the focus here is on the student. I have heard in previous courses that many teachers choose instructional designs that are easiest and most comfortable for them to use. Often times, these strategies are not effective or appropriate for the students' needs and learning styles. I see many older teachers using older teaching techniques and instructional styles. These teachers incorporate a lot of lecture and drill; and allow little time for exploration, discussion, and discovery. Newer teachers, however, seem to incorporate multiple teaching strategies and instructional styles that address a diverse population of student' needs and learning styles. As a newer teacher, I know that these more creative and diverse lessons take much more time to plan and prepare. I also know, however, that the time and energy is well worth it because the lessons are much more interactive, fun, and effective. Students seem to gain more from these types of lessons and they are the ones that matter most. The focus of planning and preparing lessons should always be on the students' needs and what they will benefit from.

Key Point #5: Often poor readers do not organize textual information as they read.

Reflection: The author describes the randomness that may occur when a poor reader summarizes text. I notice that poor readers tend to leave out important characters, information, themes, and events while summarizing. The reader may jump from one topic or event to another that has nothing to do with the previous one. I also notice this lack of organization in poor readers' writing. They do not gather, organize, and relate information in a logical order. They do not always list or discuss events in sequential order. Before taking this class and reading this book, I liked to think that students who summarized and wrote in this manner read differently, not poorly. I just thought that they found different things more important or interesting; and those were the things they remembered from the text. I can definitely see, however, that these tendencies could indicate a reading comprehension problem. The author described this as changing the meaning of the text. I had never thought of it that way, but that truly is what is happening. These readers aren't retaining the intended meaning of the text because they are reading and interpreting the text incorrectly.