The Struggle is Real

The Struggle is Real

Why are we making students read text that is too hard to comprehend? Is this really what they need?  Have you ever had to read a calculus text book and just see a bunch of number and letters and derivatives and have no idea what any of it means?  I sure have and it doesn't feel good.

This is the real struggle our students are facing in school these days.  They have a hard time comprehending tricky vocabulary or synthesizing new information because they don't have the tools they need to tackle it.   “We might profitably consider purchasing content textbooks written at students’ independent level of reading proficiency” (Allington, 2002) It may take more time for a teacher to compile resources, but in the end you need to do what's best for the students.  You can scaffold them into higher order thinkers by using higher order questioning within text at their level.  There are also various comprehension tools such as Questioning the Author, Story Mapping, and Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) instruction that will help students better express their understanding of their reading.

Let's not forget the technology age and the impact that is having on reading in the 21st century.  As students just become proficient we start asking them to research using various sources, comprehend what they find, and decide if it is reliable information.  We need to provide opportunities for students to be successful as they are assessed on their online reading skills as well as their textbook reading skills.   We can do this by providing various learning opportunities of finding text on their level without giving up the fight.  Providing students with this choice may boost their motivation and make the learning more meaningful to them. 

Allington R.L. (2002) You can't learn much from books you can't read. Educational Leadership, 60(3), 18.