Name & Summarize (a few sentences) about the chapters you read.
Chapter 15: Phonics
In this chapter, Beers emphasizes the importance of teaching readers how letters and sounds work together. She reviews the research behind teaching phonics embedded in the science of reading, phonics instruction in different grade levels, commonly used phonics terms, phonics scaffolds, and what to do when kids can’t decode.
Chapter 16: The Value of Reading More
In this chapter, Beers emphasizes increasing students’ volume of reading. She explains the “Million-Word Gap,” where some five-year-olds enter kindergarten with a million-word head start when compared to other five year olds due to a difference of reading just one book a day. Additionally, she discusses research on whether increasing student independent reading time is effective. Beers suggests providing students with directed silent reading time, where we teach students a skill to be practicing while reading.
Chapter 17: The Interdependent Relationship of Skill and Will
In this chapter, Beers discusses self-protective behaviors people turn to when failure is ongoing. I have seen ALL of these behaviors in my classroom. Beers provides ways to counteract these negative behaviors. She also explains how to improve self-efficacy with the mindset that “if you want students to be motivated to do something, make sure they can do it.”
How will these impact your teaching? What strategies did you take away and how will you implement them into your teaching?
Chapter 15: Teach Common Syllables, Prefixes, and Suffixes
I like how Beers recommends teaching students common syllables, prefixes and suffixes by using word lists rather than asking them to memorize them. When I teach them, I usually focus on a couple different ones at a time. Beers suggests asking students to look for common syllables, prefixes and suffixes in texts they read, which is something I want to do more to support student understanding.
Chapter 16: The Solution (to Turning up the Volume)
As I mentioned above, Beers suggests providing students with directed silent reading time, where we teach students a skill to be practicing while reading. I work with struggling readers that are reluctant to read independently. As a new teacher, I’ve had to work hard at building my classroom library in hopes that I have a couple of books that will spark these readers’ interest. With more resources, I hope to be able to provide more silent reading time, directed towards the application of a newly taught skill!
Chapter 17: Figure 17.1 (Ways to Counteract Negative Behaviors)
Figure 17.1 will be a wonderful resource to reference when I come across students exhibiting self-protective behaviors in the future. Beers provides beautiful examples on how to respond to students!