Dear Reader-
Summer is thought of lazy days, relaxing in the sun, and sharing moments with those we care for. The heat of the summer causes us to slow down just a little bit, and enjoy the time we have. I especially love these summer months when I can spend it with my family. On this long weekend, we spent it camping and secretly I hid behind a book so that I could watch my children play. As I was watching my daughter do back spring after back spring and be amazed in her tumbling skills. Now, this is coming from a mother who could never do a somersault. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get my feet up in the air. I was so discouraged with tumbling, and felt that you needed some magic talent in order to master the skill. Now, my daughter is quite different, I kept thinking, thank goodness she didn't do a tuck, even though she has mastered this skill on the gymnastic floor. She is good at tumbling, so she continues to practice her skills relentlessly, so naturally she is only getting better and better. This is the same thing with reading. The more we practice our skills, the more proficient we will become. For example, I knew I was never be good at tumbling, so eventually I gave up. Could it be the same way for our struggling readers? Why would you want to perform a task that is so difficult, which then becomes not enjoyable?
As teachers and parents, we see this all the time. Our child was performing, or reading better in May, then in August when they enter school. How frustrating is that, to have to go back before progress can be made. In education, there is a term that is coined: The Matthew Effect. The more a student reads, the better they will be. Imagine that! Therefore, if a child who does not read in the summer, naturally their reading ability will decline, which is the summer lag. Yet, how do we expect those students who do not enjoy reading or find the task to be so difficult, to spend their summer months practicing. Yet all it would take, would be a great book that hooks the child, at a level that is just right, not too hard, nor too easy. How do we get all our students, especially those struggling readers excited about reading? If they could only practice, how much better will they be?
-Maria
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
That would be amazing, to find the way to get kids to read over the summer. I was like you, not good at tumbling. I could never find the nerve to do a back flip on my trampoline. But, a good book could always be found in my hand! I don't know what the trick was for me...boredom I think. It's sad that those kids who struggle, grow up to be people who "hate to read." I have heard it so many times from grown-ups..."I just hate reading books, I just can't do it." I think those people struggled with reading and maybe never had the chance to read a book that interested them. My fiance was the same way...I would sit and read and he would watch t.v. Finally, I asked him if we could read a book together. He agreed and a trip to Books-a-Million was in order! He picked a book called "Kill Bin Laden" (he is military). We read it together and he loved telling me details about military things I didn't understand in the book. When he left for Afghanistan, he called me from the airport and told me he had bought a book to read while he was away. He said he wants to read now so that before bed we can read together once we are married! I converted one person!
ReplyDeleteA. Peralez-
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments, they were very insightful. My husband also does not enjoy reading, I have tried for years to get him hooked. Two years ago, he meet a friend who loves to read and write. He has even published his own book. They meet every Wednesday, to discuss books that they agree to read. These books are all about business, and finance, but I can not believe that he got hooked on reading those books. Congratulations, on your upcoming marriage :)
-Maria