Reading and Writing for Social Action: Ch. 5 Struggling and Difficulty in Reading - Allison McGahey
Chapter 5: Struggling and Difficulty in Reading
Who is a struggling reader? Are we all struggling readers?
In this chapter I felt as if I could relate to being a 'struggling' reader. In the fifth grade I did not meet the expectation of being a 'good' reader on a standardized test, and so they put me in tutoring. I remember feeling so embarrassed and feeling so terrible about myself and my reading skills. I had never struggled with reading, until this test. "A poor score on a test may mean simply that a reader struggles with the test, not with reading something she is interested in" (Bomer K. & Bomer R. pg 89). During this time I was aware I was a bad test taker, and thinking back this was probably my same issue. Not the reading. I think it is important as future teachers that we look more into the student and not just a test score. But what is a struggling reader?
I loved how the article said, "Anyone can struggle. (pg.89) Struggling is not the same thing as failing. Struggling implies trying, intentionally putting forth effort" (Bomer R. & Bomer K. pg. 89). This tells me that we can all struggle. Everyone of us can or can struggle, and that is OKAY! It does not mean we are failing or can not improve. I think this is important to let our students know. It is okay to struggle, it is okay to not get the perfect grade as long as you are trying your best! For students to try their best, it is critical to make the material relevant.
While reading though this chapter I wondered to my self, maybe there are so many 'struggling' readers because our pedagogy in schools in not relevant. If a text or novel is not something the student is interested in, of course they are not going to be engaged. They will not want to put in as much effort, because it does not mean anything to them. How do we as teachers know what each student will want to read or be interested in?
RELATIONSHIPS! We have continued to learn in our classes that relationships are key, and I 100% believe that to be true. For us as educators to get to know what interests them we have to get to know them. I think the relationship aspect, as far as reading goes, would help tremendously to engage the students. I think once doing this, it would be a great idea to create a book club of some sort. The chapter talked about how important it is for students to verbally talk about the texts they are reading for comprehension purposes. I think a book club would be a fun and engaging way of doing so.
Overall, I think everyone is allowed to struggle and it is not okay to quickly deem the students who do need more of a push, as a "bad" reader. It is important to not always look at the student first, but look at our selves first and see what we could fix.
I loved how the article said, "Anyone can struggle. (pg.89) Struggling is not the same thing as failing. Struggling implies trying, intentionally putting forth effort" (Bomer R. & Bomer K. pg. 89). This tells me that we can all struggle. Everyone of us can or can struggle, and that is OKAY! It does not mean we are failing or can not improve. I think this is important to let our students know. It is okay to struggle, it is okay to not get the perfect grade as long as you are trying your best! For students to try their best, it is critical to make the material relevant.
While reading though this chapter I wondered to my self, maybe there are so many 'struggling' readers because our pedagogy in schools in not relevant. If a text or novel is not something the student is interested in, of course they are not going to be engaged. They will not want to put in as much effort, because it does not mean anything to them. How do we as teachers know what each student will want to read or be interested in?
This is what our students could be thinking if we give them relevant readings!
RELATIONSHIPS! We have continued to learn in our classes that relationships are key, and I 100% believe that to be true. For us as educators to get to know what interests them we have to get to know them. I think the relationship aspect, as far as reading goes, would help tremendously to engage the students. I think once doing this, it would be a great idea to create a book club of some sort. The chapter talked about how important it is for students to verbally talk about the texts they are reading for comprehension purposes. I think a book club would be a fun and engaging way of doing so.
Here is a video diving deeper on why relationships are so important
Overall, I think everyone is allowed to struggle and it is not okay to quickly deem the students who do need more of a push, as a "bad" reader. It is important to not always look at the student first, but look at our selves first and see what we could fix.
Questions
- Do you think everyone is or can be a "struggling" reader?
- What do you think about the word "struggling". Do you see this deficit language?
- Do you think students "struggle" with reading because the lack of relevant texts?
- What are some creative ways of engaging students more into literature?
Allison, I really like what you had to say about struggling readers and I appreciate you sharing a personal piece of your childhood about reading. I was really moved by Katherine Bomer and Randy Bomer words, "there is no single direction that everyone must go, and no one is ever finished with the journey" (p.96). I think if more people made a point to see each student (child and adult) as an individual they would learn the uniqueness each child possesses and appreciate what qualities are present in each person. Knowing our journey continues everyday would help many see they are not alone and have time to try again.
ReplyDeleteI do think everyone can be a struggling reader. I think it may depend on the topic or the type of reading material. I believe children may have trouble reading for a couple reasons. One, maybe they have not found books that interest them or two, children are expected to read material that is above their comprehension which makes it challenging. I know when I was growing up I felt I struggled in reading because some of my pronunciations were incorrect. I also found because I pronounced words incorrectly I did not completely understand what I was reading.
I think "struggling" can be a deficit word because it could cause students to give up and also comes across as a bad thing. Why are we taught to believe that struggling is bad? Why have we not been told that when we do not understand something or the content is difficult it is a way of learning. Why are we expected to understand everything in a reasonable amount of time or right away. I know when I struggle a little I get more out of what I am doing than when it comes easy. I find the information hangs around longer because I made a greater effort. I also appreciate more what I've learned because I took the time to understand the content. I think offering relevant text to students will offer an alternative to content. If the book is interesting students are more willing to read.
Some creative ways of engaging students more into literature could be doing skits of short stories or creating little books with main information or asking students how they would solve or handle situations they just read. You could also let the students take turns selecting and reading a book they enjoy. We could take the class outside and read or create short trips that related to the content read.
What would you do if you had colleagues tell you it is a waste of time to seek reading materials for students who have had struggles reading previously?
Heather,
DeleteI related to your questions as to why they seem to normalize one dominant narrative of what successful reading looks like, and also the fact that if we do not meet a restrictive time limit, that we are failing or struggling as a learner. When I think of things that I tend to be more skilled at than others, I can connect them back to positive, relative experiences that I had in the classroom, proving in my own schooling that personable, relational learning is what helps kids create lasting meaning. I like how you offered up the idea of offering relevant content in terms of reading. I also think you can incorporate reading skills across many content areas that engage students in a hands-on, interactive settings such as the science lesson that we did in class the other day. My students learned new vocabulary and how to approach each other in a group setting without sitting and reading a traditional text!
Allison, I LOVED your blog and agree that it's okay to struggle especially when it comes to reading. I also highlighted the quote "Struggling is not the same thing as failing. Struggling implies trying, intentionally putting forth effort" (Bomer R. & Bomer K. pg. 89). I think it's important to let our students know that it's okay to struggle and struggle is a part of the learning process. It takes me back to an article we read in block one about disequilibrium. I can also agree that finding books that are relevant to our students is key, and I believe book clubs and choices are key to finding books relevant to our students. Letting them have a say in what they read can foster more engagement. To answer your questions, I do believe everyone "struggles" in everything whether it be reading, math, or life in general. I think it's important to teach our kids it's okay to struggle and struggle leads to growth! Letting our students know that we too struggle at times and that's okay. I do think struggle can be deficit, depending on how you use it. And lastly, to create a more engaging reading structure in our classroom I think choice (as I stated earlier) can play a huge role. Giving them a choice, out of options picked by us, can create a relevant learning environment and give the students a sense of ownership and pride while reading. Also, book clubs is something I'm a fan of. Giving students a chance to pick their own book and discuss it with others who also chose that book can create a community of readers.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you :) I still wonder why some teachers, or people in general would ever tell students it is not okay to struggle? I agree with you when you said that struggling is a part of the learning process. I even think this to be true in other aspects of life. Like you said, it is okay to struggle in life too! Everyone does, and I think this needs to be brought up more in society as well. People are so worried about never making a mistake, and having everything together, when in reality that is never true. I think putting a emphases on this in my classroom would be important to also help students grow.
DeleteMayson, I am also a fan of book clubs. I think it is important for students to have the opportunity to select reading materials they are interested in and other times teachers should offer a few selections to give students more content to learn from. I think children are more apt to struggle when the material is something they are not interested in. I also think presenting new materials allows students to grow their skills and thinking on various content. I think if teachers find new ways to approach a deficit in reading more students will be willing to come forward to seek additional help or even ask questions they were once afraid to ask. I agree "struggling is not the same thing as failing" because struggling means a person has not given up. Whereas failing means a person has given up.
DeleteAllison,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is great! I really appreciate that you shared your personal experience surrounding reading and the way your school made you feel when you didn't "meet the standard score" on a test that is not tailored for the individual needs of a child. The fact that schools add to the diminshing of children's identity f themselves as readers is deficit in our view of what "good" or "standard" reading looks like, and to determine one single narrative for this is mis-representative of the diverse ways of reading the world around us and what types of readers we see in our classrooms.
To answer your questions, I think everyone can struggle with reading or interacting with the literacy intertwined to the world around us in many ways. Although I am very proficient in reading fictional texts, I really struggle with reading the components of technology and being proficient when interacting with it. In the reading on page 95, the authors state "Some of the non-print texts mentioned here are just as function and practical as reading stories or nonfiction text" (Bomer R. & Bomer K., 2001). I think too often we lift up the standardized for of reading official printed text, and we disregard learners who are more proficient and connect with reading the world around them in many ways. Creating a classroom that attributes success and positive feedback with equal importance to these different ways of reading could help students see themselves as good readers along with their peers.
I think the world struggling is rooted in a deficit perspective that they do not fit the dominant narrative for reading proficiently, and the students labeled with this deficit language often are not provided the opportunities or class time to build reading print skills in a context they can relate to, diminishing their capacity to create experiences that build lasting learning and skill.
Increasing student choice, varying your content, and creating community are key aspects to increasing student engagement with print reading, but I also love the idea of providing opportunities for students to share their skills of reading the world around them in different ways during class time. Maybe they know how to navigate through forest trails, maybe they understand the workings of a computer, maybe they can understand the mechanical workings of a vehicle, maybe they navigate speaking and how words interact out loud rather than on paper. They are all equally important to print reading, and allowing students to be celebrated to the fullest extent will give them more confidence to build on print reading.
Kristen, than you for your response! I really like how you brought up the different ways of reading. I liked how the article brought up this aspect of reading. I think, for sure, there are students who have incredible skills associated with those you mentioned. It is just so frustrating, because school systems do not recognize these. It is almost as if these are irrelevant to school practices, making it seem irrelevant to life outside of school. I wish I was taught how to understand mechanical workings on a vehicle in school. I think this would be an awesome tool to have to help me in real life. Maybe students would see learning other ways of reading more relevant to real life, because it is. This is an awesome thought to think about as we become future teachers!
DeleteAllison, thank you for sharing your story! I wanted to talk about your question, "Do you think everyone is or can be a "struggling" reader?"
ReplyDeleteI think everyone is a struggling reader or has been in there life. if no one struggled, then we wouldn't have learned to read. We are learning new words everyday even as adults and children are learning more than we are. Of course they are going to struggle. We learn from struggle.
Even today as an adult, if I am uninterested in what I am reading, I am going to struggle to finish it and comprehend it. In our text "For a Better World" on the first page of chapter 5 it talks a lot about what a struggling reader and it even says "...not with reading something shes interested in"(Bomer and Bomer, 2001,pg. 89). If someone isn't interested, they're going to struggle.
That's why as a teacher, it is our job, like you said above, to build relationships. We need to have an idea what our students like so we can try and incorporate them into our classroom. By doing this, we can help ease the struggle and do our best to make learning to read fun and meaningful to our students. Great post Allison!
Thank you for your response Hannah. I like what you said, "We are learning new words everyday even as adults...". I think this made me realize something! I think it would be really neat if as teaches we would use the word 'learning' instead of 'struggling'. They are doing the same thing, but for some reason we use the word struggle? I think everyone realizes that at some point you have to 'struggle' to learn. Why not just take out struggle and say that they are learning! I think changing these in the classroom could have an awesome affect. Thanks for the idea :)
DeleteAllison,
ReplyDeleteI think you had such a great post! You're so sweet! I can just hear the genuinity in your voice when I read this, I just had to point that out:) But really though, I relate to you a lot too Allison. I too was not good at reading, and I was always a lot lower than I was "supposed" to be. By like 2 grade levels. And I too was not a good test taker, I actually failed ISTEP once and had to go to summer school. So I think it is important to realize what it means to struggle, and look at it from a different light, as Bomer points out in the chapter (Bomer R, Bomer K, 2001). I really like your question about if we think that struggling is a deficit language, because I think before we all read this chapter, we did think it was a deficit word. But realizing that struggle means that there is hard work and effort being put in to it, we have a different view (Bomer R, Bomer K, 2001). I think it is okay to say that child or student struggles with something when we realize that it means you're still trying your hardest. I also think that we can all struggle in something, of course. Nobody is good at everything. So of course we all struggle at things, but like Bomer said, we have to look at it differently and realize that it is all apart of the process and that we are still learning. When we struggle, we learn, and it is okay to need to work a little harder than some other people.
Awe thank you so much Merannda :). I will never forget someone recently telling me something that will always stick with me. I personally did terrible on the CASA tests as well, and it really put me down and I had STRUGGLED so much with those tests, but one day my advisor, Tim, told me something that would stick with me. He said, since this test did not come easy to you, you will know what your students are going through when they face the same kind of struggles. I think that is so true! I know, all too well what it feels like to be a 'failure' and struggle. I think as teachers this is actually a great trait to have. We who have struggled in school know how it feels and can show our students that it does not define us or determine who we will be. Struggling was not fun or seemed like it would help me in my future, but it actually has!
DeleteAllison, this is truly something that we must think about as educators! I feel you on the test taking issues. When I was in 5th grade, we took placement tests to test for "gifted and talented." All of my friends got into the "gifted and talented" classroom and I was separate from all of them in another class where everyone else was. Looking back at that, I was actually going through some of the hardest times I've ever had in my life during those years, so school was not my number one priority. I had a lot of hard things happening at home, and it's interesting to think about how things could have turned out differently had I not been going through such a tough time of life.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I wouldn't go so far as to say that everyone is a struggling reader, but I do think that less students are struggling readers than what the school labels them as. This whole standardized testing is such a messed up concept, and I do not agree with using them as assessments for how children learn.
MAN! Is it difficult to get back up after seemingly always falling down. I personally can relate to my experiences in mathematics in particular but none the less, “failing” time and time again can be extremely disheartening when you’re a child , especially if no one else is seeming to “fail’. Struggling is part of the process yes? Yes we know as adults that this is true but how? We know from our own struggles that growth is not inherent but any achieved when one refuses to become defeated. Making sure their children do not give up on themselves is our first priority and making sure they feel they are in a safe environment to be caught and assisted when they fall.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone could be considered by some to be a ‘struggling’ reader at some point in their literacy career.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do see struggling as deficit language. Students are all at different levels, and implying that one is struggling because they are at a different level is disrespectful, I feel.
Yes, and because of a lack of resources that target their learning gaps.
I like the idea of using reading groups where students can pick the book they’ll be reading. They feel more in control of their education, and I think it would increase participation.