Reflection 3

Chapter 5 in Subjects Matter by Daniels and Zemelman is all about different strategies that can be used before, during, and after reading to help students make connections and better understand the reading.  As I was reading each of the different strategies, I noticed that so many of these have been used not only in my high school classes, but in my college classes as well!  I had already been using some of the strategies, like the "post-it response notes" when reading difficult texts.  I would put a star next to what i I didn't understand and go back later.  

While each strategy is different, they share a similar theme of teaching students to analyze a text and not just read the words on the page.  Each of the mentioned strategies teaches students to make connections and assumptions that give them an extra layer of understanding of the text.  As teachers, we employ many of these methods without even realizing we are doing it.  When I read a text with my students, I do a lot of modeling of my thinking process.  I'll look at a word and make connections to English cognates and say, "hmm, what word in English does this remind me of?"   I also use exit tickets most days, and especially when something new has been introduced.  Even though my students will not be reading complex text it is just as important to learn to analyze and not just take the text for face value.  I really liked several of the strategies mentioned, and I will definitely be implementing some of them into my class!