Response to Chapters 6&7 WK

Chapter 6

"Anticipation Guides first act as a prereading strategy and encourage students to connect to ideas and make predictions. Then, they allow students to look for cause and effect relationships as they read. Finally, they allow students to generalize, to discuss those generalizations, and to explore their own responses to a text." 

page 77

I really liked this idea. In my opinion, this discussion would heighten interest and encourage reading. While this approach may be difficult in a special education setting, it might could be incorporated on a smaller scale. When I first was reading, I wasn't sure I agreed with Beers. In my literature class we are teaching kindergarten and first graders how to read. Before we begin reading we take a picture walk and discuss 'unfriendly' book words. Although this has validity, I think Beers' activity would benefit readers of all ages. 

"That's what makes them good readers, because they can answer the questions.....There are just some things we aren't supposed to know the answer to. It's just the way things are."

page 102

In my opinion, to much emphasis is placed on reading comprehension questions rather than preforming reading comprehension strategies. Students, in turn, believe this myth as the above quote indicates. We as educators must model our thoughts throughout the text. Otherwise, it seems like we are 'just reading.'