I work two days a week in a kindergarten classroom near my house. The students have just finished learning the alphabet and have begun learning to read. They are doing partner reading and solo reading fairly well, if the books are phonetic "See Sam run. Run, Sam, run." You know the type.
There's one exception. One little boy can already read at maybe a fifth grade level. Instead of having him read what the other students are reading, the teacher had me sit with him and have him read to me the first two chapters of Junie B. Jones, First Grader. Okay, I thought. This should be quick.
Forty-five minutes and sixteen pages later, the rest of the class was finished and my charge rejoined the rest of the class, stopping first to inquire to the teacher what "slumped" means. (I think it means how I was feeling at the time.) He read this word with no problems other than those of comprehension. The other children were understanding what they were reading. This boy was reading more, but understanding less of what he read.
Conclusion? More focus in public school on general vocabulary.
There's one exception. One little boy can already read at maybe a fifth grade level. Instead of having him read what the other students are reading, the teacher had me sit with him and have him read to me the first two chapters of Junie B. Jones, First Grader. Okay, I thought. This should be quick.
Forty-five minutes and sixteen pages later, the rest of the class was finished and my charge rejoined the rest of the class, stopping first to inquire to the teacher what "slumped" means. (I think it means how I was feeling at the time.) He read this word with no problems other than those of comprehension. The other children were understanding what they were reading. This boy was reading more, but understanding less of what he read.
Conclusion? More focus in public school on general vocabulary.
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