Pondering the complexity of reading...

The complexity of how children (and all human beings) read and write is a fascinating study into the workings of the brain. While I'll admit that my own neurons are still processing the vast amount of information presented in today's class, they are starting to slowly form connections helping me to increase my understanding of the hows and whys of reading, writing, and what might be happening when children struggle with these tasks.

My teaching experience has been limited to mostly upper elementary grades, and as such I don't have experience with the formative years of explicit reading instruction common at the younger grades. In the older elementary grades, literacy instruction typically re-focuses on "reading to learn," to borrow a cliché. A professor in my BEd once described the lower elementary grades as focusing on the broad strokes of literacy, and as students get older the instruction turns more to the finer details. Thus, comprehension and fluency become a greater focus.

Of course, this does not consider students who require ongoing support in literacy, taking into account the various reasons why they might require support. The reading task analysis activity was a good reflection into the vast number of reasons why students might require support or assistive technology.

A friend posted this photo to Facebook today, and I thought it spoke, at least partially, to how school is often done for our students. Clearly the standard expectations demanded of all students just don't work for everyone, and the need to support students based on their own strengths and abilities should be obvious.

(The link to this image has been generated using a QR Code, another fantastic piece of technology connected to our conversations today.)

Click here to view photo if you don't have access to a QR scanning device.