Read Ch. 4 - 6

Wells week 2

Wells week 2

by Peggy Wells -
Number of replies: 5

The inferences section in Ch. 6 stuck out to me.  What made an impact on you in these chapters?

The inferences section really stuck out to me as well.  I had no idea there were so many ways to make an inference.  It was very eye opening to read all the ways and to read how to help students who struggle with inferences.  

How do you respond to students “who don’t get it”? After this reading how will that shift?

Taking the time to understand what my student means when they say "I don't get it" by asking more questions to help me understand their struggle.  I think often times, due to limited time (in resource room) or just trying to get through material in a timely manner, I frequently try to explain what I think the student didn't get rather than take the time to help them figure out what they don't understand and help them gain an understanding.  

Comprehension, understanding, and change is the goal of any reading.  What will you do differently in your teaching after reading this section?

After reading this chapter, I have a better understanding of comprehension and understanding.  I really liked the author's quote "Comprehension is so much more than a thing to test and score.  Comprehension of a text is an experience that, if we read well enough, can change us."  I have never thought of comprehension as an experience.  Going forward, I want to view comprehension as more of an experience than just trying to score a student on how well they understood what they read and to take the time to teach them how to better understand what they read by making connections to the text.  

In reply to Peggy Wells

Re: Wells week 2

by Kara Newtown -
Peggy,

The Inferences Section really stood out to me too! One of the inferencing categories that I was most astonished with was Inferences Based on Knowing Multiple Meanings of Words. After the examples that the author gave, I was hit with a "light bulb" moment that this could be a huge reason students struggle with some texts whereas a more expereienced reader will do this seemlessly while they are reading, maybe without even knowing it. When I looked at Appendix C which goes with the category labeled, Inferences Based on Knowing Multiple Meanings of Words, it was eye opening how many words there are that I never even really considered. Moving forward I am contemplating using this list for some of my vocabulary words, I think it would be a good exercise for students to see how many defintions they could come up with for these types of words as well as surprising.
In reply to Peggy Wells

Re: Wells week 2

by Denelle Sauve -
Hi Peggy! I can totally relate to what you have shared about responding to students that say they "don't get it." I, too, sometimes prompt them to the understanding I want them to have instead of exploring to see what it is they don't understand. I taught 2 sections of resource room last year with 5 and 6 students where I felt like I couldn't always provide the support I wanted to my struggling readers. After reading this section, I really want to find a system that works for teaching students to struggle through a text (with the ultimate goal of leading them towards independence). Thanks for sharing! :)
In reply to Peggy Wells

Re: Wells week 2

by Christine Merry -
"The inferences section really stuck out to me as well. I had no idea there were so many ways to make an inference. It was very eye opening to read all the ways and to read how to help students who struggle with inferences." -When I was looking at Figure 6.1- Summary of Types of Inferences and How to Help Students on page 57 I was struck by how many types of inferences there were. Then, I turned the page and couldn't believe that there were 4 more types of inferences on page 58. I love the if, then and examples format of the charts in the book. I now need to make a plan on how to utilize all this new information and learning.
In reply to Peggy Wells

Re: Wells week 2

by Megan Fitzgerald -
"Going forward, I want to view comprehension as more of an experience than just trying to score a student on how well they understood what they read and to take the time to teach them how to better understand what they read by making connections to the text."

I completely agree with this Peggy! I think this is a shift we ALL need to make! I never realized how important it was to make connections to the text. I think this may be the missing piece of the puzzle!
In reply to Peggy Wells

Re: Wells week 2

by Amanda Snyder -
Hey Peggy,
The inference section really stuck out to me as well. It was definitely eye opening.
I also agree that taking the time to understand why the student isn't getting it and what they actually mean when they say "I don't get it" is something that I need to work on in small groups!