Williamsme1's Blog

I really enjoyed reading this article and found it very helpful.  Not being able to read on the level the teacher is requiring, impacts everything they are asked to do in the classroom.  If they are not reading on the same grade level as their classmates, they will fall significantly behind.  If a student has no idea what he/she is reading, their fluency will not improve, and neither will their comprehension.  I sometimes worry about being able to find reading-level material for my class as a whole, along with my low-level readers.  I feel that if I select texts that are too easy, my higher-level readers and grade-level readers will become bored and less interested in what they are reading.  If I select a text that is on grade-level, my low readers will struggle to read and understand the material or comprehend the story.  What is a teacher to do? 

In CI 3110, we just finished the book Blue by Joyce Hostetter.  I really enjoyed this book and did not think it was too difficult for upper elementary students.  We discussed in class what grade level we thought the book would best suit.  We decided that if the book was read aloud by the teacher, third grade would be appropriate. If the book was done independently or read aloud in class by students, fourth or fifth grade would be an appropriate match.  I think the book would be great to read in fourth grade because that is when students learn about North Carolina history, and since this book takes place right here in Hickory, NC, students might enjoy the book more because of that fact.  The lists that were provided in the article will be quite helpful when I become an elementary school teacher.  Sometimes, especially for new teachers, it can be overwhelming to try and fit in everything that has to be taught.  Teachers have to integrate the curriculum in some way.  This article shows practicing teachers, as well as students, like me, how to do this the best way.

The dictionary has a few different definitions for the word “poetry”, but I chose to list the one I thought would be most helpful.  Poetry is, “the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts” (Dictionary.com).  Some synonyms for the word include:  verse, rime, lyricism, song, and stanza.  When I think about poetry, the definition above and the words listed as synonyms are not what I envision.  When I think of poetry, I think of random words written down that are sometimes misread or misinterpreted, and of course the dreaded “rhyme”.  I have always feared writing poetry because of the “rules” each poem is given.  Some poems have to rhyme, some poems have to have so many syllables on each line, some have to have so many words, etc.  However, after reading the texts we were assigned in class, my fears have become less of a fear and have developed into excitement.  I want my students to see that poetry does not always have to have “rules”.  Sometimes you can write about anything you want; just like Jack in Love That Dog.  It doesn’t always have to make sense to the reader, as long as the author enjoys writing/reading it.   Free verse is one of the best ways to introduce poetry to the class.  In fact, I think it should be introduced first, before all the “rules” of writing poetry are introduced.  I think free verse is a great way to open students up to writing and get their thoughts and feelings on paper.  If students know they can write about anything in the world, they will choose something that inspires them, not what inspires the teacher.  I enjoyed all the poetry books we read and found them very helpful.  These books have opened my eyes and helped me see that poetry really is “the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts” (Dictionary.com).