Chapter 9

1. Page 150 “…readers engage with a text to see whether the stories the author tells ring true in their own lives. This engagement becomes an inner conversation between the author and the reader. Thus, chapter books are often used in literature discussion groups so that students can share their experiences and interpretations, creating shared understanding of the world.”
I am always asking the students to give me a connection that they can make with something that they read. We call them text to self connections. We also have the students tell us text to world or text to text connections. I like when they connect what they are reading to something else that they know whether it is another book, or something that they know about the world, or the best one being a connection to something in their own life.

2. Page 151 “…many sing along videos or compact discs can provide support for the beginning reader. Using these forms of technology, young students can sing along and learn the words and the sounds in words.”
At West Street School, the kindergarten teachers there use a song to teach the alphabet that gives the student the letter and the sound that it makes. The progress I seen in those students in reading and writing in the short time I was with them was so great. I have used song to teach a lot of different things to my students. It makes it so much easier for them when it is sung.

3. Page 152 “Series books are often easier for readers because the authors use the same characters and same language structures in each book. … The chapters provide the predictability that the patterned language of predictable books did for the younger readers. Many adults remember reading books in the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series. These series books helped them gain fluency in reading.
I agree with that statement. Students who have a series of books that they read are more into what they are reading and will read more. That helps them gain the fluency that they need. I always encourage students to try new series of books when they are choosing their own library or personal reading book.

4. Page 159-160 “Interest is crucial in selecting books. If the topic and/or story line is interesting and engaging, then the book is usually easier to read. Students can be drawn into a text when characters are interesting and readily befriended … One of the best ways to determine interest is by letting the student choose the book. When students believe they can make choices about the books the read, they are more likely to be interested in the books and activities surrounding them. “
When I give a DRA I always let the student choose the story that they have to read to me. Giving them a choice is the first step to helping them be successful in their DRA test.

5. Page 160 “Closely tied to both choice and interest is the background knowledge of the reader. A reader’s interest in a particular textual selection may show a growing knowledge about a topic … The attention span of many struggling readers is relatively short; therefore as the diagnostic teacher selects books, she looks for texts, such as chapter books that are short. Reading two short books instead of one long book will be more appealing to the struggling reader.”
I agree with both of these ideas. We need to give the student choices that will be something that they have a background knowledge on, and if they are struggling I always try to make sure the chapter book is not too long, so they will not be discouraged.