I think it is so important that our kids read just for the sake of reading - no workbooks, no tests, just time to read something they want to read. I wrote in an earlier blog that this kind of reading in our classrooms in a key to reducing the achievement gap, and I truly believe that. Which is why it is so sad to me that both times I have been observed this year my administrators have commented on how great everything was, but I should perhaps have a follow-up activity to the SSR, so the students recognize the academic rigor of it.
How do we teach people to love something by testing it?
3 years ago
Argh. I am entirely with you here. "Activity-izing" all reading truly does kill its joy. The activities rarely even have educational benefit.
ReplyDelete