Reading as Fun!

            Chapters 4 and 5 of D&Z not only reflect what the CCSS’s expect when it comes to student reading, but both chapters share in common the ways in how to get students engaged in what they’re reading.

            Chapter four explains how instruction relying on textbooks may have students able to explain the material they have  read but  as for understanding it? Probably not. In an example, the chapter mentions a novel titled E=MC2: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation by Bodanis, and D&Z uses this novel as an way to explain a more exciting and engaging approach to content, it provides “depth and understanding”, yet it is a page turner, as stated in the chapter.

            Although I was upset to read that the CCSS emphasizes mostly nonfiction novels as opposed to fiction and poetry in regards to ELA, I did like how the chapter stated that the CCSS finds importance in approaching multiple texts as opposed to relying on minimal reads. There is importance in “depth versus coverage”, so instead of expecting the student to somewhat understand an endless amount of facts, it is more important that a student can link what they’ve learned to a deeper understanding of other learned and understood concepts.

            Chapter 5 is a continuation of Chapter Four except it actually offers ways to engage students in reading. Chapter Five is split up into “Before, During, and After” approaches to reading. In example, a "before approach" could be getting the students excited and interested in whatever they are about to read, it is a tool for engagement. A “during” approach would be along the lines of something such as partner reading, where as an “after approach” could be building academic vocabulary, or including a “turn and talk”, and even then, these multiples “after approaches” are great ideas for “during reading” approaches as well.

            Lastly, what I found most fascinating was the importance placed on reading and how to get a student to want to read, whether it was a list of ideas for a teacher’s classroom library, using the CCSS as a tool to enhance reading desire in student’s, using engaging activities, or lastly steering away from the typical textbook in order to get a student to learn what is needed while enjoying it... this chapter reveals that diving a student into difficult reading to understand a concept isn’t the right approach, but it is about finding the right material that is fun and engaging so that a student can flow easily through it as opposed to struggling to get through it, and there seems to be a freedom in this-- as if  learning is finally approached in a way where it should be fun not tedious and impossibly challenging.