Readicide

Prompt: Response to Readicide. What is the message? What is your reaction? What are your connections to school experiences? What are ways you now understand will help students read more effectively in your discipline?

Gallagher's message is to inform us how schools are killing reading and what we can do about it. He lets us know his views on the current school system and that he believes schools are only teaching students how to be good test takers. Gallagher also believes that schools are limiting authentic reading experiences and working against developing independent readers. In chapter 1 he discusses 2 ways that harm young readers by emphasizing test preparation: 1) a curriculum steeped in multiple choice test preparation drives shallow teaching and learning 2)rather than lift up struggling readers, an emphasis on multiple choice test preparation ensures that struggling readers will continue to struggle (test preparation reading plays a large part in maintaining "apartheid schools"

My first reaction to the introduction and first chapter of Readicide was WOW! I could tell how strongly Gallagher fought about students and reading. He bluntly says that he does not agree with the way schools are teaching our students how to only be good test takers. He mentioned many statistics that were mind blogging such as the achievement gap and the progress (or lack there of) of NCLB. I think Gallagher does a great job of demonstrating how the Paige Paradox is hurting our students and is at the forefront of the readicide movement.

I have mentioned before that I experienced some struggle with vocabulary with my students but I have limited experience with reading comprehension within my content. I am currently learning strategies that will hopefully help me in my future experience as a teacher.
I have changed my research topic to include how to use graphic organizers to help students with vocabulary and in turn help build on their reading comprehension. Through reading Readicide and researching strategies on how to help students improve their reading comprehension I hope that I will have a better understanding of what is going on in the "typical" classroom and how to incorporate the "standards" plus literacy!