Two
Strategies to Help Shameka with Her Reading
Author:
Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan
Scenario
Since Shameka began school, she has struggled to keep
up with her classmates in reading. Now Shameka is in the ninth grade, and
things are no different. Her class is so large that the teacher, Ms. Andrews,
cannot meet all her students’ individual reading needs. Because of this,
Shameka never wants to be called on and does not want to participate or offer
her opinion in class discussions. Ms. Andrews wishes for Shameka to feel
confident about sharing her ideas and participating in class activities.
Understanding,
interpreting, and analyzing a text are all skills required for reading. It
requires the ability to comprehend a text's core concepts, topics, and relationships
between ideas in addition to being able to decode words. It is crucial to
assist reading-difficult students in meeting their specific reading needs
during class activities because it enables students to improve their reading
skills, gain confidence in their abilities, develop critical thinking skills to
analyze and understand complex texts, enhance their engagement in brain
activities (Auld, 2023), motivate them to develop a love for learning, and meet
their diverse needs (Hunter, 2005).
Two strategies to utilize in my
instruction to support this learner
Shameka
could benefit from several ways to strengthen her reading abilities and raise
her self-assurance in the classroom. Socratic seminars and graphic organizers
are two efficient teaching methods that could be employed to help Shameka
develop her reading abilities and boost her self-assurance and motivation in
the classroom.
A
Socratic seminar is a kind of class discussion where students examine a text
critically and collaboratively. Socratic seminars are used to develop students'
capacity for critical thinking and meaning-making, as well as their capacity
for discussion, the use of textual evidence, and the development of one
another's ideas (Urquhart & Frazee, 2012). This tactic entails fostering a
dialogue about a text or topic among the pupils. As Shameka participates in the
seminar, Ms. Andrews can offer assistance and direction, assisting her in
understanding the text and motivating her to express her thoughts and opinions.
With the aid of this technique, Shameka can increase her self-assurance while
honing her communication, understanding, and critical thinking abilities
through meaningful conversations with her classmates. Ms. Andrews can serve as
a facilitator, directing the conversation and urging her group members to pay
attention to one another's ideas and expand upon them (Socratic Seminar, 2020).
Graphic organizers, on the other hand, are visual aids that students can employ
to comprehend and arrange information. Ms. Andrews can give Shameka graphic
organizers to assist her in comprehending how characters, events, and ideas
relate to one another in a text (Education Oasis, n.d.). Shameka can use these
organizers to help her recognize important details and paraphrase what she has
read before, during, and after reading. She can feel more prepared and assured
when participating in the Socratic Seminar and other class discussions by using
graphic organizers. Combining these two approaches can be very beneficial for
Shameka because the Socratic Seminar will provide her with the chance to hone
her reading and discussion abilities in a safe and encouraging setting. She
will be better able to comprehend the content and get ready for the seminar
thanks to the graphic organizers, which will also help her participate actively
in class discussions. It's crucial to keep in mind that every kid learns at
their own pace and in their way, and Shameka may not see progress right away.
She can gain confidence and improve her reading and debate skills by being
encouraged and having a friendly learning environment.
Why these techniques would be
advantageous for the learner
By
giving students the chance to interact with the material in various ways,
increasing student engagement and motivation, and assisting students in
understanding and remembering the information, Socratic seminars and graphic
organizer strategies can be helpful for learners with a variety of learning
preferences, literacy levels, and learning styles. They are advantageous due to
the following factors:
·
Different
learning styles: It can be accommodated by
Socratic Seminar and Graphic Organizers since they both use verbal, visual, and
interpersonal components. Students who learn best visually may benefit from
employing graphic organizers to see the connections between ideas, while
students who learn best interpersonally may benefit from the Socratic Seminar's
interaction and discussion components.
·
Learner
Preferences: By giving students the chance to
interact with the information in various ways, both models can suit a variety
of learner preferences. For instance, using visual organizers may be beneficial
for students who prefer solitary work, while the Socratic Seminar may be
advantageous for students who prefer group work.
· Variations in Literacy Skills: By allowing students to interact with the material on their
terms, Socratic seminars and graphic organizers can accommodate students with
different levels of literacy. For instance, the Socratic Seminar can aid
students who are having comprehension issues since the teacher and peers can
help students understand the text's meaning. Students can use the visual
organizers to select important details and summarize what they have read, which
will make it simpler for students with limited literacy skills to comprehend
and remember the material.
· Student Engagement:
By giving students the chance to take part in engaging conversations and
activities, Socratic seminars and graphic organizers can boost student
engagement. The graphic organizers offer a visual depiction of the information
that might help students retain it and make connections to their own
experiences, while the Socratic Seminar enables students to express their views
and opinions. These techniques can help students feel more invested in their
education and inspired to keep reading and developing their skills by raising
student engagement.
When/ how to introduce these
strategies. Is this a pre-reading/ reading/ post-reading strategy?
The
objectives of the lesson and the needs of the students will determine when to
introduce Socratic Seminar and Graphic Organizers strategies in the classroom
to assist reading. To support comprehension, for instance, these strategies
might be introduced while reading. They could be presented after reading if the
intention is to promote contemplation and critical thinking. In any event, it's
crucial to give students precise instructions and examples of how to employ
these tactics, as well as feedback and support while they do so.
- Pre-reading: Before
reading, graphic organizers can be used to give children a sneak peek at
the content and encourage them to draw connections to their prior learning
and experiences. This can also assist students in determining their
reading goals and the lessons they hope to learn from the material.
- During Reading: To
support learning and understanding of the topic, Socratic Seminar and
Graphic Organizers can be employed. For instance, teachers can arrange a
Socratic seminar to encourage students to ask questions and clarify their
grasp of the material, or students can use graphic organizers to take
notes as they read.
- Post-Reading:
After reading, students can reflect on what they have learned and draw
connections to other books or real-life experiences using graphic
organizers and Socratic seminars. Students can use graphic organizers to
summarize what they have read and draw links to their existing knowledge
and experiences, or they can participate in a Socratic seminar to debate
the themes and topics in the text.
To conclude, the promotion of academic success, raising
engagement, and cultivating a love of learning all depend on assisting
reading-difficulty kids to meet their specific reading needs throughout class
activities. To best meet their students' learning needs and help in their
improvement of reading comprehension, teachers can utilize various techniques,
including Socratic seminars and graphic organizers. But it's crucial to
remember that reading comprehension calls for work and practice. Because
children cannot understand what they read without understanding, teachers may
need to teach students specific reading comprehension skills to help them
interact with the text and comprehend what they are reading (Alabama
Cooperative Extension System, 2021).
References
Auld, S. (2023, February 3). Reading
daily improves comprehension and student performance. ACC Blog.
https://www.acc.edu.au/blog/reading-comprehension-student-performance/
Education Oasis. (n.d.). Graphic
Organizers. https://www.educationoasis.com/graphic-organizers/
Hunter, P. S. (2005). Raising Students
Who Want to Read. Scholastic
Inc.http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/authors/pdfs/Raising_Students.pdf
Socratic Seminar. (2020, May 12). Facing
History and Ourselves.
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/socratic-seminar
Urquhart, V., & Frazee, D. (2012). Teaching reading
in the content areas: If not me, then who? Retrieved from eBook Central
(accessed through LIRN).
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