So apparently, according to Improving Adolescent Literacy, just because a student is a "struggling reader" does not mean that he/she is not interested in the world around them? Wow. Don't get me wrong- I honestly get frustrated at times with my students who really struggle with reading and comprehension. However, it frustrates me to no end that the system often assumes that means they can do nothing. As was discussed in a class last semester, we often underestimate the complexity of reading. It is such a sophisticated task that we expect every adolescent to have absolutely mastered. With this being said, the moment they show a struggle in literacy, we label them and we assume they will not be able to explore anything in the world around them.
My students are absolutely enthralled with current events. So many of them never get access to any form of news except facebook and in the classroom. They never sit down with their families and watch the news. They never discuss the severity of things going on in the world around them. This is why I have started assigning those articles for my students to read. I had no idea that my students who struggle to read a short passage in English would be excited about reading about the health reform in Spanish!
This week in class, we participated in a Socratic Seminar discussing visual literacy. I would love to let my students choose an article of their choice, all concerning like matters (in Spanish of course), and then initiate a Socratic seminar where they are all held responsible for their participation. I want them to think more into what they are reading. I want them to be able to build off of what they read and then have form opinions and ideas. However, I am scared. I am scared the first time I try this we are going to stare at eachother for 30 minutes until I give up. I know it is ok for things not to go perfectly the first go around (or two), but I am just nervous about the idea. Any suggestions are WELCOME! :)
