"Teaching Text Structure to Improve Reading Comprehension" discusses how a child learns to read informational texts, since children are more used to reading narrative pieces. The biggest thing I take away from this article is that children cannot be expected to just look at a text and analyze it. They must be trained to use first figure out what kind of text it is, and then learn strategies to most efficiently read each type of text. I thought that the images of guided reading practices were actually really interesting. They are all similar, and yet different enough that the student knows exactly what he or she is looking for.
Even though lower level foreign language classes do not really read difficult texts in the target language, there are times when a culture lesson is presented in English. By using the strategies in this article, students can pick out what is really important. So, even though my French I kids won't need to do this every single day, it is a base for being able to read and understand any text in any subject. This skill is so important, and even in college, I've known people who truly struggled with reading and comprehending informational texts.
So, it's not only the responsibility of the English teachers to develop this skill in students... All subjects should be regularly practicing guided reading that helps students become better readers. More importantly, we want the students to be able to look at a text and know by its structure what is important. That doesn't mean that all subjects need to teach a novel, but even just an article on the latest news in the subject or about a historical event can give students some really great practice!
Great response Catherine! I definitely agree that it's important for all teachers, and not only English teachers, to discuss the importance of reading and help them really understand how to analyze texts. The more students are exposed to these techniques, the more they will implement them on their own. Finally, I liked how you recognized that not every content area requires novels, but even just a simple article or discussion point is a great way for students to get involved in discussion.
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