Do you know what drives me mad when I’m reading? When an author doesn’t describe a character’s physical appearance until a couple of chapters in. By then, the movie in my mind has already determined that character X is an attractive man with flowing blond hair, a muscular physique, green eyes, and a rakish scar…
reading comprehension
Just Let Them Read!
I took three graduate level reading classes this summer and the underlining theme of all three courses was to give students time to read and talk about reading. We have overwhelmed students with busywork: reading worksheets, reading quizzes and reading test, all of which take away valuable reading time. I am blocking out time just…
An Oscar to Your Students?
It’s that time of year when veteran teachers everywhere keep their eyes glued to their televisions and entertainment magazines. Why? To scan for the names of former students when the Oscar nominees are announced. Or am I the only one who does that? To be honest, I didn’t employ nearly as much dramatic play or…
What Fiction Would You Save?
Today, I have a reading comprehension sort of question. One of the bigger shifts in language arts courtesy of the Common Core state standards is the move away from fiction texts toward more focus on nonfiction texts. As a lover of the expository essay (and as someone who wishes he could write a whole lot…