This last class has made me think more about front loading for reading. I think it would have helped me a considerable amount in school. My comprehension skills are low, even now. It takes me more time to process the information and I find it difficult to answer questions directly after reading something. It was interesting to work through a process to compensate for this problem.
I wasn’t sold on the vocabulary portion until the end of the activity. If it had been me in school, I would have checked that I could use each word in a sentence. However, while reading the document, those words popped out at me. The tea party exercise (I would dub it Social Studies Social) was also and interesting activity. I was very focused on hearing all of the sentences. It also helped me pick out key information in the document. I wonder how a student with social anxiety would react to that activity.
Everything we did before reading, benefited me while I was reading. I was able to focus on meaning and wonder about the information that I was taking in. I think looking at the words after reading, would help a student to visualize how much they learned in that activity. I wonder where my comprehension would be if I had been taught this way.
Jennifer,
First, I love that you thought about another name for the Tea Party strategy and really like your suggestion of Social Studies Social.
I think frontloading is particularly impactful, but I don’t think teachers realize it until they experience it. There are many great ways to prepare students for what they read and we’ve just scratched the surface. What I like about rate your knowledge is that is doesn’t ask for definitions off the bat, but puts the words in student’s minds so they are on the lookout for them while reading.
I’m glad you could make a connection to your own learning and see the impact frontloading can have on comprehension.
Hi Jennifer. Social anxiety can be stressful for students, no doubt! I believe the best thing about the “Social Studies Social” is that it puts all students in the same situation doing the same thing at the same time. It might be considered a safer way for students to practice interacting socially instead of being individually called on in class. I want to add something that teachers should do before students get up and walk around…they should give students time to carefully read their selection silently while the teacher walks around the room to pronounce words for students they are unsure of. Another way to consider this as a teacher is to strategically give stronger readers the passages with more difficult words. We want all students to feel successful. Thanks for looking out for the kids with social anxiety!