Response to "Do I really have to teach reading?" Chap 1

Tovani, C. (2004). Do I really have to teach reading?: Content comprehension, grades       6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Summary: The first chapter of this book describes how to get students to be able to engage in their reading and to minimize boredom while reading. It also goes into detail about how to help students comprehend the information they are reading. There are multiple examples and technics that are expressed to aid students in being able to better comprehend the boring reading materials they are assigned to read.

            I really enjoyed the first chapter of this book and found it very helpful in my own life and for helping others in the classroom. Cris Tovani says “asking questions is a strategy that I use to help me read uninteresting material” (2004). Tovani’s approach is awesome and I believe that it can truly work. I am going to try doing this the next time I read one of my books for school. I also like the way that was given to help students become better readers of textbooks. By being interactive with the text and highlighting words that you don’t know, can help you read carefully and you are more aware. I think that as a teacher, a great way to help your students to become interested in the information they are reading or learning, is by relating it to real life. Give them examples as to why they need to learn the information and when they would use it. The examples can’t be for just a specific job, but instead it needs to be related to everyone. Otherwise, the students will say they don’t want to work in that particular job field.

   I can help my students to become more thoughtful about mathematics by showing them how they will use math in everyday life. Math can be used when counting back change, finding out how much something costs when there is a sale and to budget and balance checkbooks. I can also have fun projects such as having students put together a house and figure out what size things have to be. I think that is the best way for students to be able to learn.