Patrick Rainville
EDU-3265
Weekly Response #10
November 11th, 2012
"When readers read nonfiction, they make predictions about the text, too. But they don't make predictions about the kinds of things they expect will happen. They make predictions about the kinds of things they expect to learn" (Debbie Miller). Miller's quote is one mirrored in Bloom's Taxonomy. When students are making predictions and informed judgments, they are analyzing, and evaluating what they believe will transpire in the text. The Kindergarten teacher I am currently observing does a marvelous job at allowing time for children to discuss the nonfiction they are reading in class and to provide suggestions or inferences for what may happen next.
"I model using the various nonfiction strategies, showing the children what it looks like, and what my thinking is, as I skim and scan, access the index and the table of contents, use the headings to guide me, read the picture captions, and so on-all to find out what I need to know" (Debbie Miller). Robert Di Giulio would agree whole heartedly with this quote from Miller. Both educators would agree that modeling is key for students to know where to start. The Kindergarten teacher I observed last semester always modeled behavior and how to carry out assignments. This is turn allowed students to see what the teacher was asking and to go about starting the task.
"Questions we can't answer are posted outside the classroom, under a sign that reads: HELP! Can you help us with the answers to these questions? If you can, PLEASE write a note to us and put it on our teacher's desk" (Debbie Miller). This strategy is similar to Dewey's thoughts on experiential learning. Miller has her class ask for help and seek out other resources. This teaches the class through experience that it is ok to ask for help in solving a problem. The kindergarten teacher I observed last year always used this type of display outside her classroom, but instead of having people put their answers on her desk, she would have a pen available for them to write the answer on the display.
After reading the tenth chapter of Debbie Miller's text, "Reading with Meaning", I have thought about many of her points related to determining importance in nonfiction and establishing guiding principles of teaching in the classroom. There is one point I would like to discuss and elaborate on further. The point I would like to talk about is making predictions about what one expects to learn while reading nonfiction. The Kindergarten teacher I am observing at Morristown Elementary uses a nonfiction book related to the particular theme of the day. Every Friday at Morristown Elementary is considered a theme day, where teachers have more flexibility with the curriculum and what it is they wish to have their students carry out. This particular teacher uses the theme throughout the day, in all lessons or subject areas.
This past themed Friday, the Kindergarten teacher used a nonfiction book about animals in the forest. Before reading the book, students created a list of what they knew lived in forests as well as personal experiences or encounters related to the topic. Once a list was generated from these predictions, the teacher read aloud the story to the class. When the book was finished, the teacher had the class look back at their predictions to see if they were right, needed some correction, or if we had left something out. She then had the class discuss the setting and characters, and indicated that nonfiction shares certain similarities with fiction texts. The rest of the day was comprised of a nature walk, mathematic counting of various animals, and literacy centers all dealing with animals in the forest.
As a future elementary teacher, I look forward to helping students get as much joy and pleasure reading nonfiction as they do reading fiction. I hope I will be as fortunate as my host teacher to work at a school that allows more flexibility in terms of curriculum and gives teachers freedom to teach the best way they know how. Hopefully one day this will be universal and less worries will have to be focused on preparing for standardized tests.
