6/14/16
It's important for comprehension to be part of all content areas. Students can't master what they're learning in Social Studies or Science, for example, without it. According to Strategies That Work, "To merge comprehension and content instruction , we engage kids in real-world reading and focused content reading" (pg. 208). Content area reading and comprehension focuses on the fact that students need to read to learn versus learning to read. Students like to ask the "why" question. "Why are we reading this?" "Why do we have to do this?" - Focusing on real-world reading in the content areas provides them insight into the "why". For example, researching using historical fiction or having to do an assignment with the newspaper, allows students to adventure to the past or come across current events they wouldn't normally face. This year in a math class, we decided to let the kids plan a "party". We gave them each flyers from Walgreens, CVS, Publix - and the students had a tracker to write down what they needed/how much it was. It was exciting to watch them browse through the flyers and look at prices deciding what was too expensive/what was right! They had to stay within their budgets and after their shopping was over - had to create an invitation and schedule of events. Welcome to the real world = is that I thought!!! At the end of the assignment, they had to reflect on what they had completed. Students were engaged and doing math problems! Just as we are, as USF students, writing in a Learning Log - students can too in order to gain a different perspective on the the material. I think it's a great idea keeping track - because it provides us an opportunity to THINK as well as have voice in our personal log.
It's important for comprehension to be part of all content areas. Students can't master what they're learning in Social Studies or Science, for example, without it. According to Strategies That Work, "To merge comprehension and content instruction , we engage kids in real-world reading and focused content reading" (pg. 208). Content area reading and comprehension focuses on the fact that students need to read to learn versus learning to read. Students like to ask the "why" question. "Why are we reading this?" "Why do we have to do this?" - Focusing on real-world reading in the content areas provides them insight into the "why". For example, researching using historical fiction or having to do an assignment with the newspaper, allows students to adventure to the past or come across current events they wouldn't normally face. This year in a math class, we decided to let the kids plan a "party". We gave them each flyers from Walgreens, CVS, Publix - and the students had a tracker to write down what they needed/how much it was. It was exciting to watch them browse through the flyers and look at prices deciding what was too expensive/what was right! They had to stay within their budgets and after their shopping was over - had to create an invitation and schedule of events. Welcome to the real world = is that I thought!!! At the end of the assignment, they had to reflect on what they had completed. Students were engaged and doing math problems! Just as we are, as USF students, writing in a Learning Log - students can too in order to gain a different perspective on the the material. I think it's a great idea keeping track - because it provides us an opportunity to THINK as well as have voice in our personal log.