The focus of today’s show was on those elements that provide the philosophical underpinnings of a reading program that encourages the development of genuine readers.  Sid got to discuss eight of the ten elements and will pick up the balance during another show.  The approach that was discussed today is one that has been employed in classrooms with great success.  Although the ten components, when discussed at length could be the basis of at least a one semester college course, the discussion provided a place to for listeners to begin to understand the nature of the reading act.  More will follow.

TEN IDEAS UPON WHICH TO BUILD A READING PROGRAM THAT DEVELOPS GENUINE READERS 

  1. A READER IS ONE WHO READS — NOT ONE WHO CAN READ.
  2. READING HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN INTENSE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
  3. READING IS AN ACTIVITY DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM DECODING: WHEN THAT DISTINCTION IS BLURRED, IT POLLUTES THE NATURE OF REAL READING.
  4. STUDENTS LEARN MORE ABOUT READING BY READING MORE AND PARTICIPATING IN GENUINE LITERARY EXPERIENCES.
  5. READING IS AN INTERATION BETWEEN READER AND TEXT: THE TEACHER IS THE FACILITATOR WHO KEEPS THIS INTERACTION DYNAMIC.
  6. LITERATURE SHOULD BE THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES ALL READING INSTRUCTION.
  7. TO DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING STUDENTS MUST FIRST DEVELOP AN APPRECIATION OF LITERATURE.
  8. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-SELECTION SKILLS IS CRUCIAL TO STRENGTHENING AN APPRECIATION OF LITERATURE.
  9. MASTERY OF LANGUAGE SIMPLY WILL NOT OCCUR IN THE ABSENCE OF LITERATURE AND LITERARY EXPERIENCES.
  10. THE QUALITY AND NATURE OF A SCHOOL’S WRITING PROGRAM RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE QUALITY AND NATURE OF THE SCHOOL’S READING PROGRAM.

Part 1

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Part 2

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Part 3

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