Comprehension Instruction

(3) On page eight, Buehl emphasizes that “the activity” and “the context” have a tremendous impact on classroom learning. For instance, if reading and writing are interwoven into high-interest activities and larger inquiries, students are much more likely to enjoy them as opposed to exercises in which they repeatedly read the textbook and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.

For this blog, please think of a person who really fostered your love of reading. This person could be a mentor, a parent, a teacher, an older sibling, and so forth. What activities and contexts did s/he provide to you that caused you to enjoy reading? How can you establish similar activities or contexts in your own instruction?
Next, please think of a person who potentially damaged your love of reading. Without naming names, please describe the activities and contexts that this person provided, which caused you to dislike reading. How can you avoid similar activities or contexts in your own instruction?

I couldn't agree more with Buehl's emphasis on activity and context in the learning process.  I have four children who attend an expeditionary learning charter school in Perry, UT.  The idea behind the EL format, is that the students spend a short time reading the text, and maybe answering or discussing some preliminary questions, but then they get outdoors and do field work to support what they are studying.  For example. my nine-year-old son was recently learning about geology.  They spent some time with worksheets with the descriptions and terminology about different types and categories of rocks.  Then, they had several field work trips to nearby areas, where they mapped out data, prepared graphs and charts, and conducted scientific research and experiments.  To finish out the expedition, they spent a portion of their class every Monday afternoon at the Brigham City Natural History Museum, helping to label, classify, and volunteer.  At the end of the unit, the students acted as docets (museum guides) for their parents, and they had the opportunity to show us what they had learned.  This whole process allows the kids to take ownership and personal interest in their own educations, and will ultimately mean much more to them than a in-class module, because it is hands-on.  I have heard that 90% of  students are hands-on learners, and will retain knowledge more effectively if given the opportunity to apply it in its real-life context.  Here is a link to a video featuring the kids in my son's class explaining their recent geology unit.

Honestly, there has never been a person who has fostered my love of reading.  I do not enjoy reading, and I never have.  I struggle with sitting still long enough to pick up a book and just read.  Every time I start reading, my mind wanders, and it is very difficult to stay focused.  Retaining information is hard for me, but over the years, I have learned some strategies that help me with studying and with reading comprehension.  I almost always read out loud when I am preparing for a class, and I often take notes.  It also helps to have someone to discuss the topics with (usually my wife or children).  In high school, and also in college, the classes I have enjoyed the most were focused more on the application, and less on textbook reading.  I think that is one of the main reasons I have chosen Trade and Technology for my educational discipline.  I want to be able to help others apply what they are learning in an active way.

As a student when I was younger, I didn't realize that I probably had a learning disability, such as dyslexia.  I hated reading because the difficulties I had with comprehension and focus just made me feel inferior to my peers, who didn't struggle as much as I did.  I spent a lot of time feeling out of place and even stupid.  The "aha" moment for me was few years ago, when I was watching a "Cosby Show" rerun.  Theo was in college and was really struggling with his grades.  In fact, he had had awful grades all throughout high school as well.  Finally, in this episode, he met with a counselor at his university, and was told that he was probably dyslexic.  A light bulb went on for me and I turned to my wife, and said, "I'm dyslexic!"  For the first time ever, it dawned on me that maybe I wasn't stupid, but maybe I had a learning disability.  Like Theo, in the show, I have been able to use this knowledge to empower me.  I have learned techniques that help me, and my grades have skyrocketed since that moment. I think the constant chorus of voices telling me that I "wasn't applying myself", or that I "was just being lazy", or my internal voice that told me that I was "stupid" kept me from loving reading.  I'm still working on it.