Catching Readers Before They Fall [chapters 1-3]

            In E340 we have learned different strategies for reading comprehension.  These strategies are meant to help learners understand and put meaning to the text—not just “read the words”.

·       Connecting Background Knowledge to the Text

·       Asking Questions

·       Making Inferences

·       Visualizing

·       Determining Importance

·       Summarizing and Synthesizing

As I read chapter two of Catching Readers Before They Fall, I kept thinking about how learning these strategies at a young age can help students read and not fall behind.  All students have the ability to be a good reader if they are given the right tools and plenty of opportunities to practice their skills.  It is reiterated throughout the entire reading that a reading process system is essential for students to be successful readers.  Johnson and Keier say that readers who have a reading process system are (1) constantly thinking while reading, (2) notice when their reading doesn’t sound right or make sense, (3) stop when something isn’t right, and (4) use different strategies to fix their mistakes or confusions.

            I think it is important for teachers to be strategic when teaching students how to read.  Teachers need to provide opportunities for students to practice reading, guidance to help construct reading process systems when they’re struggling, and support so students have confidence in their reading abilities.  Personally, I wish I took more chances when I was in grade school to read out loud or maybe put more effort into reading than I actually did.  I can honestly say that I was one of those students that just “read the words” and didn’t put meaning to them.  It was hard for me in grade school but learning about these strategies at the late age of twenty makes me wish that I enjoyed reading—school work or at leisure.

            Vygotsky’s theory focuses on the connections between people and their interactions in their own experiences.  This theory emphasizes the students’ role in learning and how they apply their knowledge to the environment around.  Vygotsky’s theory can be beneficial to all types of learners and can enhance cognitive development.  The zone of proximal development is another crucial concept to fully understand Vygotsky’s theory.  He believes that teachers are doing their best when they are working within the child’s zone of proximal development.  This “zone” is the distance between a student’s ability to perform a task with your guidance and their ability to solve the problem independently.  I think that scaffolding is an effective way to teach.  You first show them how it’s done, then give them a little guidance, and then allow them to do the task on their own.  Step by step a learner will understand what is being taught!  Using Vygotsky’s concepts as an aid to teach readers how to read will help me better understand that some students will struggle with reading.  I understand that everyone learns at a different pace and I think that this theory does a good job explaining how to implement this type of teaching into the classroom.