Chapters 4-6

I try everyday in my classroom to use accessible text with my my students--and as a literacy teacher, I think it's a lot easier for me to do so, but I always love the idea of science and social studies teachers using book bags from the library (trade books on any given topic), but I can see the challenge in doing things this way. With the kids I teach, I DEFINITELY lean more toward shorter, high interest pieces, but I always have to wonder: am I setting them up for failure later when, all of a sudden, they have to read a huge, insanely hard novel? I'd like to think I'll be giving them at least the tools to wade their way (be it slowly) through it.
It is a daily goal of mine to give my students a purpose for reading and challenge them to come up with one for themselves if there seems to be none. As an adult, I don't often pick things up that I don't ACTUALLY want to read--however, we ask kids to do that all the time. Where will their focus and concentration go if we don't at least teach them how to give themselves a road map and a goal? Well, who knows, but not anywhere in the book/article, that I know for sure!
The frustration then, with the autonomy, becomes (as some of you have already mentioned), the kids who know what to do to comprehend BUT JUST DON'T DO IT--GRRRRRRRR!! WHY NOT? WHY DO YOU LIKE BEING CONFUSED??!!! Deeeeeep breath....allllll I can do it keep trying, right?!

Welcome!

Thank you all so much for taking on this project with me. It is my sincere hope that it will actually make your lives easier and more fulfilled! On this page, we will discuss the book, Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? which we have been reading (duh)...feel free to post all thoughts about chapters 1-3 (you'd better not be reading ahead, Bessemer--we all know what a go-getter you are!!) and comment on someone's post--golden rule applies here :) Thanks again--you guys are awesome.