I’d like to say I encourage wide reading every day with every student, but that is not the case. I do encourage students to read and we discuss books that are on topics of their interest. I provide time for students to check out books from the library and we do spend time reading in class. At times, I check out CD books from the county library to accompany a book the student selected. That way, they hear the fluency and vocabulary of the book as they follow along, plus the sound effects on the CDs make listening more interesting.
Note taking has changed over the years due to technology. One student uses her iPad and videos the teacher working problems on the board. That way she can watch the video and work problems alongside it. Other students use voicenotes and audio-record classroom lectures. I don’t use the Cornell method with students, but I do encourage them to check the section questions and vocabulary words before they read. That helps focus their attention while reading the section. I have highlighted my copy of textbooks. When student use my textbook, the highlights help them learn to identify important parts.
I try to practice wide reading everyday with my kids- but somedays-because of different circumstances (short-staffed, having behaviors, etc) we are just not able to work it in. Most days, we are able to do this- my kids practice their reading in different ways throughout their allotted time with me. Students are able to pick their own books, ( I use reading a-z to pick out their instructional books) and I think that this helps a student become interested in reading because they are helping pick out what book they read.
Note taking is usually done by jotting down notes about the story to help the kids remember what each chapter is about. We do a chapter outline as well, and teach students how to find the main idea and sub-ideas to help them learn to study. I have the kids highlight different words to help promote finding different words and concepts in a story.
I do not praactice Wide Reading as far as the book defines it. I have my students for 3 years so my reading curriculum is structured in a "building" sort of way. The books get more challenging and are more grade focused each year. For example my 6th graders read shorter books than the other 2 grades. My 7th graders work on a small poetry unit because they are creating a poetry book in English so mine is supplemental. My 8th graders read about the Santa Fe Trail at the same time they are studying the Oregon Trail in History. We discuss similarities and differences, a component of Marzano's 9. Now my 8th graders are reading "Number the Stars" because they are about to start "The Dairy of Anne Frank" in English and I am using my book as an introduction to that time frame in history for their English class. I am trying to give them more of a knowledge base regarding that time era so they will have an easier time in English when their teacher gets more in depth. There are some books that I want them to read that provide parallels to what they are doing in their core subjects. When my 6th graders read about Wilma Rudolph in the biography genre we talk about the polio vaccine, something they will get later in science. I try to tie most of what I do in my reading class to their other subjects hoping to give them connections and add to their knowledge base. In the past I have asked for ideas of books from us to read, especially in the science fiction genre. That is why we are reading through the Maze Runner series. One of my past students really wanted to read that book and now we are all addicted!!
My students do not do alot of notetaking in my class. At the beginning of each genre we do take notes. They are pretty simple, right to the point, and they just copy. In the past I have tried visual notes. Where we write down the words but then we draw a picture representing what we wrote. I did find it helped but have only done it once because it was time consuming. My goal next year should be to use more visual notes! My students really stuggle with knowing what info is important to write down. I have not decided if thats a sped issue or an acadmeic maturity issue???
I think that maybe it's an academic maturity issue. My college age kids don't know how to pick out the main ideas. I see that some of the hardest things for kids to grasp is comprehension of the story, and trying to figure out what the main ideas and important facts are. Just my personal opinion!
In my life skills (pull out) English class, the student(s) and I work together in picking different novels to read. I pick the level according to the IEP and the testing data and they do the rest. I also have a bookshelf in my classroom with all different levels of books on it, so that while students are waiting for me to work with them, they can go sit in the couch and read a book. Sometimes if it is a special bell schedule day, I use the DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) method in my study skills classes. We keep it short, usually no more than 20 minutes, this way the high schoolers don’t think they are being tortured to read.
My students struggle with note taking. Often unless the teacher specifically tells them write this sentence down and is standing over their shoulder, they won’t do it. We work with our general education teachers to give our kids clozed notes and that seems to help. I don’t like to give copies of notes to some of my student since they become more disruptive when I do. Even allowing the students to use their notes on a test does not put in enough incentive with the students.
One strategy that I teach my students is if the teacher says it three times….write it down. Since my students get clozed notes this is easier than you think. My para and I take note in the class as well, this way we can compare our notes with the notes the students take.
If notes become too complicated my students and I will “Share” a google doc of notes so we both can work on them together.
At the level I teach we do not use note taking. I can tell you I was a para and this was something that students struggled with. They either couldn't pull out the most important information to jot down or they really don't like writing in the first place so unless you give them what to write they are not going to do it. I also think that even if the teacher writes on the board what they want students to get out of the lesson, they become so focused on copying from the board that they couldn't tell you what they just wrote and why it was important for the lesson.
I try to encourage my students to partake in wide reading by assigning short passages from online content. They are also encouraged to find materials and share with our class.
My students are not big fans of note taking. I try to encourage two column notes and teach them how to use them as a study tool. They can put vocabulary and key concepts on one side, while putting the definition and supporting information on the other. Folded in half, the notes can be used to study individually or with a partner. I have already had several students share that this has been an effective tool for them.
It's funny because our school teaches SFA (I know, I know. I can hear your sighs of disapproval). In the lower level known as Roots the kids MUST read the book we provide them and it KILLS me! I have seen so many kids lose interest and start to dislike reading. Once they get to the higher levels they are allowed to choose what they read for their homework. To encourage my students in Roots to read I often allowed them 10-15 minutes of free read time where they could go to my classroom library and pick books at their level that they wanted to read. They were much more interested in the books they chose. I have the little kids so we do not take notes...
I think that I encouraged wide reading more when I taught elementary than I do now. I still do have students have a book with them to read if they have extra time. I also encourage the students to read the newspaper or magazines when they get a chance. I do not do it as much as I should probably though. I think it is important for students to read, and I dont think it matters what they read as long as they are reading.
As far as note taking goes, some of my students get the notes from teachers or other students because of today's technology. They also have learned to take notes before they get to me. I think each student is different and each of them takes notes in a different way. Each student should take notes in a way that will help them learn and be able to understand the content better. Any way that I can help them with that is great, that includes sometimes helping them understand the app or whatever they choose better.
One way I encourage wide reading with a small group is to do book talks. Many times I will bring in a stack of books when meeting with students. So far, I’ve previewed Newbery books, William Allen White books (current list and past winners), and specific authors (Roald Dahl, Andrew Clemens, etc) with elementary students. I talk up the books that I’ve read or we’ll read the inside flap together. They know I get all of the books from their school library, so many will go check them out as soon as our class is over. I bring enough books so each student can grab a book and look through it with a few books left over.
Admittedly, I don’t often teach note taking skills. I have seen many regular education teachers who use Cornell notes at middle and high school levels. The main problem I see with students who take notes are a lack of ability to organize the information. Teaching students the Cornell style of taking notes is a great way to solve this issue.
I use wide reading in my room by reading to my students at least two to three times a week. At the kindergarten level most of my students are rarely read to at home. I know that reading to them helps to increase their comprehension and vocabulary. I will get books based on the letter of the alphabet we are learning each week. I make sure to get fiction and non-fiction books. I will sometimes let the kids pick which book they want to read. I will also listen to what interests them and try to incorporate it during this time. I also have books in my room that they can explore during their free time.
I would say the most common strategy I see being utilized in the elementary grades of my districts to encourage wide reading is just teachers committing a portion of time out of the school day to read aloud to their students. Additionally, whenever students finish an assignment early, the next option given is generally always to read silently until it’s time to move on to the next task. In the secondary grades, I see lots of students carrying/reading magazines, newspapers, or other texts that are of greater interest, but that I guess wouldn’t be considered traditionally academic (For instance, I worked with a kid one time who said his favorite thing to read was instruction manuals. I didn’t believe him, so he pulled a couple out of his backpack and showed me, haha!). I feel like the districts I work in also do a really great job with the variety of that kind of reading material that they’re able to provide to students, as well as making it super accessible (i.e. placing it right outside classrooms, on racks in the hallway, etc.).
I don’t teach note-taking strategies, but something that we’ve done to assist students with taking notes that typically tends to work out pretty well is using skeleton notes. It still requires the student to listen and pay attention to the teacher so they know what to fill in, but they’re also not completely overwhelmed with just the writing aspect and consequently missing out on the comprehension piece. As they get better about recognizing the key details they’re writing down, this support can be scaled back to where they’re writing more and more on their own.
Our school encourages wide reading in various ways. Students are able to choose the books they want to read for their AR reading. Our librarian has done a very good job of supplying many types of books of various sizes and levels of vocabulary that match student interests. When students are asked to pick out their AR books, their teachers librarian and I help the students to find books appropriate to their interest and reading levels. I also encourage students to follow along with books on tape. Students are asked to read various articles on-line that can be set to their reading level. The teachers also keep magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, comic books and other reading materials for students to flip through, read, and enjoy. We like to say things like, "Read, read, read. Any reading is good reading" and, "The only way to get better at reading is to read." These are more than one-liners, they are things our school really tries to encourage.
My students struggle with taking notes. They do not understand the importance of notes or have much motivation to take them. Most teachers in the middle school only give notes for material that will be on tests. Many teachers even allow students to use their notes on the test, so it is very practical for students to take notes. Much of what I do is seek to help students make these connections and begin to value note-taking. One of the strategies I use is guided notes. I provide students with a basic outline of the notes they will be taking, but ask them to write the important points in the order they appear. As students progress in note-taking, I provide less and less structure until they are able to take notes by themselves without support.
In one building, I see students move into a more unconstrained range of reading when they transition to 6th grade. They are allowed to pick more in their interest areas and read for fun. Time to read is provided each day at the end of work time and at the beginning of homeroom. As we've moved away from accelerated reader in the younger grades, I've also seen some more student choice allowed. They may be required to choose one from each genre and one choice, but still within a range, determined by fluency testing, that may be too limited for some students.
Oops, I didn't write about note taking before posting. This year, I've added a few questions to address more study skills or academic enablers when I interview teachers about our middle school and high school students progress. I've found that many our students are not yet doing a thorough job writing notes, summarizing, highlighting, or structuring their materials overall so that they lend themselves to studying for tests. We often accommodate this by providing copies of the notes or skeleton outlines. I'm wondering now if we need to spend more time in instruction for how to take notes. Our students probably don't see Cornell notes in the general education classroom until they are in their junior year. Perhaps these skills could be addressed with instruction earlier in study skills classes. I like Courtney's modification/extension of these with the fold for studying.
I encourage wide reading in my classroom by offering a fairly wide range of reading material. I have plenty of books that range widely in topics. As a school we set aside time for students to do reading of their choice. They are required to read a certain amount of books of their choice each nine weeks.
Some of my students really struggle with note taking. For those kids I use a lot of guided notes. Teachers will send me their power points before class and I create note outlines from them. Then when they are in class they just have to write in one or two words and the notes are organized and complete.
At the early elementary level, I think reading books aloud and discussing various things in the book is the best method to encourage wide reading. Most students reading ability is too limited at this age for them develop vocabulary through independent reading alone.
Since I work K-2, note taking is not relevant for the students I work with. I do really like some of Jerrie's suggestions for use of technology to make it effective and easy for students to record information in a form that is beneficial for them.
How do we encourage wide reading? When kids are young, they have an advantage when they come from homes where they are regularly read to, there is access to books in the home, and their parents take the time to read to them. They have additional advantage when their parents make the time to allow them to participate in Summer library reading programs. Having books in the home is a good early start and programs such as HeadStart, Parents as Teachers, and Communities in Schools might provide access to books, giving children from poverty opportunity for exposure to reading. I sometimes worry that lack of funding may affect these programs that create access for so many who may not come from enriched environments. I have been in homes where the homes are clean, but otherwise are spartan in terms of anything other than a television.
When kids come to our schools, their levels of exposure to reading run the gamut as do their homes. Seeing books in classrooms and having books read to them is a great start. Having discussion over what has been read helps them develop vocabulary and comprehension skills. Having a welcoming school librarian who is positive with them and helps them find books of interest helps as well.
At the middle school level, kids sometimes have difficulty finding books of interest at their reading level, whether high or low. At Kepley Middle School, they are moving away from AR reading and the requirement that students have to take a test over everything read, a practice I see as, at times, sucking the joy out of reading. We want students to be life-long readers, not haters of reading who only engage in it when they are required to.
In terms of note-taking, the idea that students should organize and restructure their notes shortly after taking them seems to be a valid process. It would occur when the concepts listened to were still fresh in their minds, it would cause them to review and reflect on what was said or presented, and it might cause the notes to be in a more readable format that would allow better access when reviewing for tests. However, many students would not take the time to do this unless time was allowed for this to take place, unless their teachers had taught the process and the expectation, and unless their notes were randomly screened for compliance to the expectation.
I think that I encouraged "wide reading" more as a general education teacher than I do now. I feel like I had the time in my classroom with my students to encourage that type of reading. I agree wholeheartedly with the principle; however, in the limited time that I have with my students each day, I don't feel like I have time to give up to just let them read for pleasure. I have shelves full of books that they can read (and they absolutely LOVE pulling books off of the shelves) when they have free time, it just doesn't seem like they get to do it enough. All of my students have AR reading that they complete each day. While I don't agree with every principle of AR, I do think that it encourages reading each and every day.
In all honestly, most of my students are terrible at note taking. My young students, obviously, don't take notes, and my older students really struggle. They don't really know what to write down, and they struggle enough with spelling and writing that they are simply unable to keep up with their teachers. One method that we do use with my students is fill in the blank notes. The teacher has notes prepared with blanks that the students can listen for and fill in. This seems to help them know what to write down and it allows them to keep up with their peers.
I’d like to say I encourage wide reading every day with every student, but that is not the case. I do encourage students to read and we discuss books that are on topics of their interest. I provide time for students to check out books from the library and we do spend time reading in class. At times, I check out CD books from the county library to accompany a book the student selected. That way, they hear the fluency and vocabulary of the book as they follow along, plus the sound effects on the CDs make listening more interesting.
ReplyDeleteNote taking has changed over the years due to technology. One student uses her iPad and videos the teacher working problems on the board. That way she can watch the video and work problems alongside it. Other students use voicenotes and audio-record classroom lectures. I don’t use the Cornell method with students, but I do encourage them to check the section questions and vocabulary words before they read. That helps focus their attention while reading the section. I have highlighted my copy of textbooks. When student use my textbook, the highlights help them learn to identify important parts.
I try to practice wide reading everyday with my kids- but somedays-because of different circumstances (short-staffed, having behaviors, etc) we are just not able to work it in. Most days, we are able to do this- my kids practice their reading in different ways throughout their allotted time with me. Students are able to pick their own books, ( I use reading a-z to pick out their instructional books) and I think that this helps a student become interested in reading because they are helping pick out what book they read.
ReplyDeleteNote taking is usually done by jotting down notes about the story to help the kids remember what each chapter is about. We do a chapter outline as well, and teach students how to find the main idea and sub-ideas to help them learn to study. I have the kids highlight different words to help promote finding different words and concepts in a story.
I do not praactice Wide Reading as far as the book defines it. I have my students for 3 years so my reading curriculum is structured in a "building" sort of way. The books get more challenging and are more grade focused each year. For example my 6th graders read shorter books than the other 2 grades. My 7th graders work on a small poetry unit because they are creating a poetry book in English so mine is supplemental. My 8th graders read about the Santa Fe Trail at the same time they are studying the Oregon Trail in History. We discuss similarities and differences, a component of Marzano's 9. Now my 8th graders are reading "Number the Stars" because they are about to start "The Dairy of Anne Frank" in English and I am using my book as an introduction to that time frame in history for their English class. I am trying to give them more of a knowledge base regarding that time era so they will have an easier time in English when their teacher gets more in depth. There are some books that I want them to read that provide parallels to what they are doing in their core subjects. When my 6th graders read about Wilma Rudolph in the biography genre we talk about the polio vaccine, something they will get later in science. I try to tie most of what I do in my reading class to their other subjects hoping to give them connections and add to their knowledge base. In the past I have asked for ideas of books from us to read, especially in the science fiction genre. That is why we are reading through the Maze Runner series. One of my past students really wanted to read that book and now we are all addicted!!
ReplyDeleteMy students do not do alot of notetaking in my class. At the beginning of each genre we do take notes. They are pretty simple, right to the point, and they just copy. In the past I have tried visual notes. Where we write down the words but then we draw a picture representing what we wrote. I did find it helped but have only done it once because it was time consuming. My goal next year should be to use more visual notes! My students really stuggle with knowing what info is important to write down. I have not decided if thats a sped issue or an acadmeic maturity issue???
I think that maybe it's an academic maturity issue. My college age kids don't know how to pick out the main ideas. I see that some of the hardest things for kids to grasp is comprehension of the story, and trying to figure out what the main ideas and important facts are. Just my personal opinion!
DeleteIn my life skills (pull out) English class, the student(s) and I work together in picking different novels to read. I pick the level according to the IEP and the testing data and they do the rest. I also have a bookshelf in my classroom with all different levels of books on it, so that while students are waiting for me to work with them, they can go sit in the couch and read a book. Sometimes if it is a special bell schedule day, I use the DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) method in my study skills classes. We keep it short, usually no more than 20 minutes, this way the high schoolers don’t think they are being tortured to read.
ReplyDeleteMy students struggle with note taking. Often unless the teacher specifically tells them write this sentence down and is standing over their shoulder, they won’t do it. We work with our general education teachers to give our kids clozed notes and that seems to help. I don’t like to give copies of notes to some of my student since they become more disruptive when I do. Even allowing the students to use their notes on a test does not put in enough incentive with the students.
One strategy that I teach my students is if the teacher says it three times….write it down. Since my students get clozed notes this is easier than you think. My para and I take note in the class as well, this way we can compare our notes with the notes the students take.
If notes become too complicated my students and I will “Share” a google doc of notes so we both can work on them together.
At the level I teach we do not use note taking. I can tell you I was a para and this was something that students struggled with. They either couldn't pull out the most important information to jot down or they really don't like writing in the first place so unless you give them what to write they are not going to do it. I also think that even if the teacher writes on the board what they want students to get out of the lesson, they become so focused on copying from the board that they couldn't tell you what they just wrote and why it was important for the lesson.
ReplyDeleteI try to encourage my students to partake in wide reading by assigning short passages from online content. They are also encouraged to find materials and share with our class.
ReplyDeleteMy students are not big fans of note taking. I try to encourage two column notes and teach them how to use them as a study tool. They can put vocabulary and key concepts on one side, while putting the definition and supporting information on the other. Folded in half, the notes can be used to study individually or with a partner. I have already had several students share that this has been an effective tool for them.
I like the idea of the two column notes. I think that is a good tool to use for studying.
DeleteI like that idea as well. I'd like to share it.
DeleteIt's a really great tool! I have a book about it at home - I'll find it and pass along the info :)
DeleteIt's funny because our school teaches SFA (I know, I know. I can hear your sighs of disapproval). In the lower level known as Roots the kids MUST read the book we provide them and it KILLS me! I have seen so many kids lose interest and start to dislike reading. Once they get to the higher levels they are allowed to choose what they read for their homework. To encourage my students in Roots to read I often allowed them 10-15 minutes of free read time where they could go to my classroom library and pick books at their level that they wanted to read. They were much more interested in the books they chose.
ReplyDeleteI have the little kids so we do not take notes...
I think that I encouraged wide reading more when I taught elementary than I do now. I still do have students have a book with them to read if they have extra time. I also encourage the students to read the newspaper or magazines when they get a chance. I do not do it as much as I should probably though. I think it is important for students to read, and I dont think it matters what they read as long as they are reading.
ReplyDeleteAs far as note taking goes, some of my students get the notes from teachers or other students because of today's technology. They also have learned to take notes before they get to me. I think each student is different and each of them takes notes in a different way. Each student should take notes in a way that will help them learn and be able to understand the content better. Any way that I can help them with that is great, that includes sometimes helping them understand the app or whatever they choose better.
One way I encourage wide reading with a small group is to do book talks. Many times I will bring in a stack of books when meeting with students. So far, I’ve previewed Newbery books, William Allen White books (current list and past winners), and specific authors (Roald Dahl, Andrew Clemens, etc) with elementary students. I talk up the books that I’ve read or we’ll read the inside flap together. They know I get all of the books from their school library, so many will go check them out as soon as our class is over. I bring enough books so each student can grab a book and look through it with a few books left over.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I don’t often teach note taking skills. I have seen many regular education teachers who use Cornell notes at middle and high school levels. The main problem I see with students who take notes are a lack of ability to organize the information. Teaching students the Cornell style of taking notes is a great way to solve this issue.
I use wide reading in my room by reading to my students at least two to three times a week. At the kindergarten level most of my students are rarely read to at home. I know that reading to them helps to increase their comprehension and vocabulary. I will get books based on the letter of the alphabet we are learning each week. I make sure to get fiction and non-fiction books. I will sometimes let the kids pick which book they want to read. I will also listen to what interests them and try to incorporate it during this time. I also have books in my room that they can explore during their free time.
ReplyDeleteI would say the most common strategy I see being utilized in the elementary grades of my districts to encourage wide reading is just teachers committing a portion of time out of the school day to read aloud to their students. Additionally, whenever students finish an assignment early, the next option given is generally always to read silently until it’s time to move on to the next task. In the secondary grades, I see lots of students carrying/reading magazines, newspapers, or other texts that are of greater interest, but that I guess wouldn’t be considered traditionally academic (For instance, I worked with a kid one time who said his favorite thing to read was instruction manuals. I didn’t believe him, so he pulled a couple out of his backpack and showed me, haha!). I feel like the districts I work in also do a really great job with the variety of that kind of reading material that they’re able to provide to students, as well as making it super accessible (i.e. placing it right outside classrooms, on racks in the hallway, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI don’t teach note-taking strategies, but something that we’ve done to assist students with taking notes that typically tends to work out pretty well is using skeleton notes. It still requires the student to listen and pay attention to the teacher so they know what to fill in, but they’re also not completely overwhelmed with just the writing aspect and consequently missing out on the comprehension piece. As they get better about recognizing the key details they’re writing down, this support can be scaled back to where they’re writing more and more on their own.
Our school encourages wide reading in various ways. Students are able to choose the books they want to read for their AR reading. Our librarian has done a very good job of supplying many types of books of various sizes and levels of vocabulary that match student interests. When students are asked to pick out their AR books, their teachers librarian and I help the students to find books appropriate to their interest and reading levels. I also encourage students to follow along with books on tape. Students are asked to read various articles on-line that can be set to their reading level. The teachers also keep magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, comic books and other reading materials for students to flip through, read, and enjoy. We like to say things like, "Read, read, read. Any reading is good reading" and, "The only way to get better at reading is to read." These are more than one-liners, they are things our school really tries to encourage.
ReplyDeleteMy students struggle with taking notes. They do not understand the importance of notes or have much motivation to take them. Most teachers in the middle school only give notes for material that will be on tests. Many teachers even allow students to use their notes on the test, so it is very practical for students to take notes. Much of what I do is seek to help students make these connections and begin to value note-taking. One of the strategies I use is guided notes. I provide students with a basic outline of the notes they will be taking, but ask them to write the important points in the order they appear. As students progress in note-taking, I provide less and less structure until they are able to take notes by themselves without support.
In one building, I see students move into a more unconstrained range of reading when they transition to 6th grade. They are allowed to pick more in their interest areas and read for fun. Time to read is provided each day at the end of work time and at the beginning of homeroom. As we've moved away from accelerated reader in the younger grades, I've also seen some more student choice allowed. They may be required to choose one from each genre and one choice, but still within a range, determined by fluency testing, that may be too limited for some students.
ReplyDeleteOops, I didn't write about note taking before posting. This year, I've added a few questions to address more study skills or academic enablers when I interview teachers about our middle school and high school students progress. I've found that many our students are not yet doing a thorough job writing notes, summarizing, highlighting, or structuring their materials overall so that they lend themselves to studying for tests. We often accommodate this by providing copies of the notes or skeleton outlines. I'm wondering now if we need to spend more time in instruction for how to take notes. Our students probably don't see Cornell notes in the general education classroom until they are in their junior year. Perhaps these skills could be addressed with instruction earlier in study skills classes. I like Courtney's modification/extension of these with the fold for studying.
ReplyDeleteI encourage wide reading in my classroom by offering a fairly wide range of reading material. I have plenty of books that range widely in topics. As a school we set aside time for students to do reading of their choice. They are required to read a certain amount of books of their choice each nine weeks.
ReplyDeleteSome of my students really struggle with note taking. For those kids I use a lot of guided notes. Teachers will send me their power points before class and I create note outlines from them. Then when they are in class they just have to write in one or two words and the notes are organized and complete.
At the early elementary level, I think reading books aloud and discussing various things in the book is the best method to encourage wide reading. Most students reading ability is too limited at this age for them develop vocabulary through independent reading alone.
ReplyDeleteSince I work K-2, note taking is not relevant for the students I work with. I do really like some of Jerrie's suggestions for use of technology to make it effective and easy for students to record information in a form that is beneficial for them.
How do we encourage wide reading? When kids are young, they have an advantage when they come from homes where they are regularly read to, there is access to books in the home, and their parents take the time to read to them. They have additional advantage when their parents make the time to allow them to participate in Summer library reading programs. Having books in the home is a good early start and programs such as HeadStart, Parents as Teachers, and Communities in Schools might provide access to books, giving children from poverty opportunity for exposure to reading. I sometimes worry that lack of funding may affect these programs that create access for so many who may not come from enriched environments. I have been in homes where the homes are clean, but otherwise are spartan in terms of anything other than a television.
ReplyDeleteWhen kids come to our schools, their levels of exposure to reading run the gamut as do their homes. Seeing books in classrooms and having books read to them is a great start. Having discussion over what has been read helps them develop vocabulary and comprehension skills. Having a welcoming school librarian who is positive with them and helps them find books of interest helps as well.
At the middle school level, kids sometimes have difficulty finding books of interest at their reading level, whether high or low. At Kepley Middle School, they are moving away from AR reading and the requirement that students have to take a test over everything read, a practice I see as, at times, sucking the joy out of reading. We want students to be life-long readers, not haters of reading who only engage in it when they are required to.
In terms of note-taking, the idea that students should organize and restructure their notes shortly after taking them seems to be a valid process. It would occur when the concepts listened to were still fresh in their minds, it would cause them to review and reflect on what was said or presented, and it might cause the notes to be in a more readable format that would allow better access when reviewing for tests. However, many students would not take the time to do this unless time was allowed for this to take place, unless their teachers had taught the process and the expectation, and unless their notes were randomly screened for compliance to the expectation.
I think that I encouraged "wide reading" more as a general education teacher than I do now. I feel like I had the time in my classroom with my students to encourage that type of reading. I agree wholeheartedly with the principle; however, in the limited time that I have with my students each day, I don't feel like I have time to give up to just let them read for pleasure. I have shelves full of books that they can read (and they absolutely LOVE pulling books off of the shelves) when they have free time, it just doesn't seem like they get to do it enough. All of my students have AR reading that they complete each day. While I don't agree with every principle of AR, I do think that it encourages reading each and every day.
ReplyDeleteIn all honestly, most of my students are terrible at note taking. My young students, obviously, don't take notes, and my older students really struggle. They don't really know what to write down, and they struggle enough with spelling and writing that they are simply unable to keep up with their teachers. One method that we do use with my students is fill in the blank notes. The teacher has notes prepared with blanks that the students can listen for and fill in. This seems to help them know what to write down and it allows them to keep up with their peers.