http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/ teaching ideas from Kylene Beers' book en-us 2005-07-24T17:47:51-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024883.html It was a privelege to have George in class. To be called "teacher" is the best compliment of all because it means we've helped students through hard times while also encouraging them to learn and want to know more.... Chapter 15: A Final Letter to George wall0367 2005-07-24T17:47:51-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024882.html Be8 Effective ways to teach vocabulary: 1. Assign Word Study, Not word memorization 2. Teach students how to actually use context clues 3. Teach word parts: prefixes, affixes, and suffixes 4. Turn vocab. study into a word hunt 5. Use... Chapter 9: Vocabulary wall0367 2005-07-24T17:44:55-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024863.html AHA: Looking for spelling patterns in words is much more effective in helping students become better spellers (and thus, better at word recognition in their reading) than giving students word lists to memorize. AHA2: Presuming everyone should have the same... Chapter 12: Spelling: from word lists to how words work ablei002 2005-07-23T15:14:27-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024810.html "I don't hear any sounds. I don't know what you're talking about." said George. In this chapter Beers gives a very nice overview of the issues that come into play when students have to figure out what a group of... Chapter 11 john6454 2005-07-21T12:54:40-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024693.html "Fluent readers know the words automatically and can spend their cognitive energy on constructing meaning." In this chapter Kyleen Beers distinguishes between automaticity and fluency. When a reader has automaticity the process of decoding occurs instantly, without conscious thought. She... Chapter 10 john6454 2005-07-19T13:41:22-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024627.html As avid readers, many of us do not know how to think as reluctant readers. We need to remember not to hand students the books we loved, but rather, books that speak to them and their world. On pages 285-290,... Chapter 14: Finding the Right Book harr0626 2005-07-17T21:09:59-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024626.html Sometimes we forget that teachers-not programs- are the critical element in student success. Also, it’s good to be reminded that the fundamental purpose of reading its comprehension, and that comprehension is a complex, abstract activity (38). We can all relate... Chapter 3: Assessing Dependent Readers’ Needs harr0626 2005-07-17T21:06:29-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024625.html We are all struggling readers to some extent, depending on the text with which we are presented. For instance, I am a struggling reader when it comes to finances or insurance forms. Beers talks about examples where we may not... Chapter 2: Independent Readers harr0626 2005-07-17T21:04:18-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024624.html AHA: "We sometimes confuse explaining to students what is happening in a text with teaching students how to comprehend a text" (Beers 40). Summary: If you only explain the answers instead of explaining how you got those answers, you're only... Chapter 4: Explicit Instruction in Comprehension ablei002 2005-07-17T20:47:23-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024621.html There are many different after-reading activities teachers can use to reenforce comprehension of what they just read. Scales help students make better sense of the texts by "making comparisons, recognizing contrasts, draw conclusion, and distinguish between facts and opinions" (139).... Chapter 8: After Reading wall0367 2005-07-17T20:03:35-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024620.html Kylene Beers never thought that she would teach struggling readers and she never expected to teach in a middle school. After finding a job at a large Houston middle school, she quickly realized that 7th graders could not learn what... Chapter 1: A Defining Monent wall0367 2005-07-17T19:51:20-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024611.html struggling readers lack confidence, and care most about keeping some form of respect with their peers. To improve social and emotional confidence in students who struggle Beers suggests: keeping expectations high and providing necessary scaffolding; creating classrooms that encourage risk,... Chapter 13: Creating the Confidence to Respond wiseh005 2005-07-17T14:31:35-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024608.html Actively engaging kids in text before they read is a crucial part of the reading-and thinking- process. Each of the four strategies Beers suggests helps students access prior knowledge; interact with portions of the text early; sequence, predict, infer, compare,... Chapter 6: Pre-Reading Strategies wiseh005 2005-07-17T10:54:53-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024410.html Dependent readers need to talk about what they are reading while they read it, not after they read. During reading, students should make predictions, clarifications, and connections as well as ask questions. Teachers should model these strategies explicitly in think... Chapter 7: During Reading bude0007 2005-07-12T12:21:42-06:00 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bude0007/kb/024403.html Chapter 5: Inferencing bude0007 2005-07-12T12:01:15-06:00