Why can't Johnny Read?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Interesting
this was on a yahoo group post following a post asking for participants in a forum to determine if curriculum was "culturally" relevant.
I may sound like George Will- but I think we spend too much time worrying about if students feel "good about themselves" and if they can 'relate" to the curriculm, then we do worrying about making sure they are learning what they need to know .</p>

<p>*</p>

<p><a href="http://www.act.org/path/policy/reports/reading.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.act.org/path/policy/reports/reading.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Reading Between the Lines
What the ACT Reveals about College Readiness in Reading</p>

<p>High School Reading Not Challenging Enough, Says ACT
Curriculum Changes Require Action by Policymakers and Educators</p>

<p>March 1, 2006</p>

<p>IOWA CITY, Iowa—Substantial experience with complex reading texts in high
school is the key to development of college-level reading skills, according
to a new report by ACT that calls for major changes in high school reading
standards and instruction. The report, titled "Reading Between the Lines,"
concludes that too many American high school students are graduating
without the reading skills they'll need to succeed in college and in
workforce training programs.</p>

<p>"The research reveals a very serious problem," said Richard L. Ferguson,
ACT's chief executive officer. "Too few students are developing the level
of reading skills they'll need after high school."</p>

<hr>

<p>For Immediate Release:
Gains on State Reading Tests Evaporate on 2005 NAEP</p>

<p><a href="http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/about/press_release.cfm?id=19%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/about/press_release.cfm?id=19&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Has a "Race to the Bottom" Begun?</p>

<p>Gains on State Reading Tests Evaporate on NAEP</p>

<p>Decline in 8th Grade Scores Points to "Middle School Slump"</p>

<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. * Almost twenty states have reported gains from 2003 to
2005 in the percentage of eighth-graders rated "proficient" (or the
equivalent) in reading on their own state tests. Among those states,
however, only three show any progress at even the "basic" level on the
latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to an
analysis by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. None of these states made any
progress in eighth grade reading at NAEP's "proficient" level.*</p>

2

<p>Agreed. Lower the hurdle, so everyone's self-esteem improves. </p>

<p>That's much easier than enforcing the standards and having some (many?) upset for not achieving them.</p>

<p>What was the line from The Incredibles? Oh, yeah:
Helen: "Everyone's special, Dash".
Dash: "Which is another way of saying no-one is."</p>

3

<p>The problem is that everyone has the potential to do incredible things....but like a wise English teacher I knew said, "they all aren't going to be great readers." And then she went on to describe her family with her Irish husband author, her ravenous reading habit and her daughter and two sons. One read from the get go, one never has of yet loved reading but graduated from university and has set up their own business and one a banker had recently taken to reading for pleasure.</p>

<p>I think schools should have high expectations and also know that some kids aren't going to take to reading of any sort and will do poorly in English. My goodness, there could be worse things on the planet. And this is from a librarian, voracious reader.</p>

<p>And it might then be more commonplace to get an A in calculus and a C in English no matter what school you attended. Might get the skyrocketing gpas down to a more normal field...and a more natural one.</p>

4

<p>Amen! Amen! I wholeheartedly agree Emerald!!! I think we have gotten way too into focusing on issues that are not really the curriculum. Granted, I am a big advocate of individualized learning and making sure each kids gets what they need, but I also think we worry too much about self esteem sometimes. The reality is that no one is going to hold their hand in the real world and an employer is not going to say well, I know you tried. They are going to find some one who can do the job. I believe in high expectations and pushing kids to do the most that THEY can do. At my last school we jokingly referred to No Child Left Behind as No Child Moves Ahead. It's all about getting everyone to the minimum standard rather than striving for growth among those who are already there as well as growth for those who are behind.</p>

5

<p>Real self-esteem comes from tackling a tough problem and working on it. It comes from achieving. Not everyone will be able to handle or solve everything that comes along; we all have our own strengths and weaknesses, but everyone can solve something, or can master something difficult.</p>

<p>"Self-esteem" can't be handed to a person; it's not "you're wonderful just as you are" but rather "you are capable of doing more than you know."</p>

6

<p>Amen! Chedva.</p>

7

<p>I can speak from first hand experience here. I remember in ancient times when I was a hs student assigned reading "great" books like Pride and Prejudice, plays like Julius Caesar and classics like The Iliad. Heck, we were even assigned lousy poetry written by the likes of Frost and Kilmer. It seemed so irrelevent and did nothing to teach me the joy of reading. Yes, I got lousy grades too.</p>

<p>I can be thankful that that experience did not permanently kill my curiosity for reading. Currently I am reading The Templars and have just started to tackle Ulysses for the umpty umpth time with the help of Cybertower lectures by Prof Schwarz(<a href="http://cybertower.cornell.edu/index.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://cybertower.cornell.edu/index.html&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p>

<p>BTW, I heartily recommend the Cornell Cybertower site to everyone here.</p>

8

<p>And that goes to another point, we are never done with learning. People have different paces. Good teachers spark interest, inspire, push, shove, kick.....and educare...bring forth. But this learning business never ends until we do.</p>

9

<p>There's always the idea that any book someone forces you to read is a book that you won't enjoy. All of my favorite "classics" I read of my own volition. Instead of assigning books, let students choose which ones they want to read. Several of my classmates only read biographies of athletes, for example. Others only read science fiction. Basically, it doesn't matter whether or not they are reading James Joyce. It's enough that they read something.</p>

10

<p>...and my son read computer magazines for years and last year something changed. He began to enjoy historical works along with Seamus Heaney. :)</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
I can be thankful that that experience did not permanently kill my curiosity for reading.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
There's always the idea that any book someone forces you to read is a book that you won't enjoy.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>These statements, while true, answer a different question: not "Why can't Johnny read?" but "Why doesn't Johnny read". These have two very different types of answers.</p>

<p>While I agree that assigning books to read makes them less desirable, I don't see how an English class can be well-structured if the students aren't reading the same things. How do you learn to analyze writing? How do you have a discussion about themes, ideas, good writing v. bad writing, metaphor, etc.? So I'm not sure that this is the answer, although it should be part of the solution (for example, for projects or individual reports). To my mind, having students read only books of their own choosing won't help with ACT or SAT, since I'm not sure they'll learn to read critically. And very few will voluntarily pick up the "complex reading texts" called for in the first article. (I know that from both personal experience, and seeing what my d, who loves to read, reads for pleasure.)</p>

12

<p>There is truth in everything that is being said right now: but until reading is seen as a discussion between reader and writer and that the reader is just as important as the writer, and the reader's ideas may be more meaningful than the writers or vice versa, or complementary then true reading is not occurring. Unfortunately, it took me years to understand that. And therefore reading is a lifelong journey.</p>

13

<p>my daughter has had a couple turning points in her academic career.
The first was in third grade- when her teacher began reading several Harry Potter books to the class.
She is dyslexic and at the beginning of third grade did not know letter sounds and reading was very problematic for her. However Harry motivated her to learn how to read for herself, as up to that point it had just been too frustrating and there was little motivation. By the end of third grade she was reading Harry Potter by herself- which I think was at least at grade level.
Many kids even high school students love to be read to. Its a great way to start to make literature more accesible.
another turning point has been in high school.
While in middle school she was losing interest, because the work wasn't engaging or challenging, and she was bored.
In high school, she began taking much more challenging classes, and even though the skill set that she entered high school with, was lower than some of her peers, she was determined to stay in the classes .
Her teachers supported her desire to continue ( despite the school psych and counselor advocating for her to return to easier classes), and have made themselves available for extra help and support , even having her do things over and over again, until she learns it.
We need to bring kids up to the appropriate level, not keep lowering our expectations until they are "successful"</p>

14

<p>Now THAT's a kid with real self-esteem!</p>

<p>
[quote]
We need to bring kids up to the appropriate level, not keep lowering our expectations until they are "successful"

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I couldn't agree with you more!</p>