Learning Log 1 and 2

Jennifer Jones
Chapter 1 & 2 Learning Log

Page 6: “In this book reading is viewed as a constructive process that involves making meaning with text within a situation. Students employ strategic processes that help them monitor and elaborate their understanding. As they actively use these processes, they combine resources like their prior knowledge, the information they are reading and their prior and recent reading situations to construct meaning.”
I think this passage is so important because it speaks to the tremendous role the reader plays in the actual reading process. It sounds almost like an absurdity to say “readers must play an active role in their reading” but this passage poignantly details reading as a dynamic, fluid process. In thinking about the “self” portion of reading I tried to make a list of factors that impact reader success. Though the passage mentioned issues like prior knowledge, textual information and recent reading experiences, I might also add the ability to accurately self assess, personal interest and motivation, self esteem, cultural background, personal reading style, comfort level with innovation and reading culture. It seems to me there are tremendous amount of personal competencies which contribute to success in reading.

Page 9: “After an extended period of failing to combine sources of information or elaboration strategies, struggling readers become accustomed to understanding only bits and pieces of what they are reading. They refrain from monitoring and passively read words without constructing meaning.”
I chose this passage because I think it speaks to the feelings of defeat many struggling readers feel after years (even an entire lifetime) of being illiterate. It makes tremendous sense to me that after a while readers give up the struggle to understand the entire meaning of a piece of text, instead “accepting” that they will only understand a fraction of the information presented. This passage made me think about (especially in higher grade even adult non readers) whether or not it is appropriate to simplify materials for struggling learners. On the one hand, simplifying text ideally would make the information more comprehensible, thus only using vocabulary the learner knows and using it repeatedly, but does the redundancy and reiteration just make struggling readers more frustrated by hurting their self esteem and motivation. I can think with my students who are struggling readers given them an oversimplified passage (one completely different from their peers) would make them more anxious, feeling as though they are being singled out from their literate peers.


Page 12: “In diagnostic teaching, assessment is continuous. As the student learns, diagnostic information is immediately incorporated into the lesson. The teacher thus deals with the problem as she teaches, not after she has gathered all of the facts.”
One reason I like this passage is because it talks about the continuous nature of effective teaching. I think it is widely held misconception (especially among the pre-service teachers I work with) that teaching is stagnate. Not a process of continuous change and reflection but more of a mentality of “one and done”. This passage emphasizes the fact that effective teachers must have both spontaneous and planned interventions available to suit students’ developing needs. Whether the subject be reading, math or any other topic it is the data received both formally and informally from students which should drive instruction, in this case reading instruction.

Page 17: “Teachers need to choose activities that will show children the variety of functions that reading can serve: reading for pleasure, reading for information and reading to remember.”
I never really thought about the nature of reading tasks until coming across this passage on page 17. I think these distinctions ((1) reading for pleasure, (2) reading for information and (3) reading to remember) relate directly to the contextualized nature of literacy with direct applications for the teaching of reading. Literature is automatically made relevant (and therefore meaningful) to a students who derives pleasure or importance from a task, as is done in the “real world” when adults read to make decisions or form opinions. I also think the last function of reading (reading to remember) is directly the result of the first two. If text is pleasurable it will be remembered as if it is viewed as important by the student. Therefore it is not as though we should encourage students to remember if the form of memorization but rather in the way of “big ideas”.


Page 21: “The diagnostic teacher thinks about what he asks students to do when they read. Then he formulates tentative decisions about the students’ reading processes.”
I think this statement speaks to the importance of a student centered reading classroom. Rather than a directive role, I think the best reading teachers (the best teachers in any subject) are those who act more as a facilitator- guiding and coaching students in ways that best fit their needs and strengths. Though I didn’t pick that passage, one of the major themes for me in chapter two was the idea of using student strengths (and curiosities I would add) as a springboard for learning- starting where the students are and setting direction. Student motivation, “enticing effort” is so important to facilitating growth in reading that building confidence from student strength is critical.