Comments on: You’re Not Going to Read This Post http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/09/20/youre-not-going-to-read-this-post/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:28:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Lee Willis http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/09/20/youre-not-going-to-read-this-post/#comment-4589 Lee Willis Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:11:32 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1027#comment-4589 Somebody has to present an argument here. First, I love to read and I agree that many do what is suggested, reading in an 'F' pattern. However, I prefer to read online for the simple reason I am able to enlarge the text or change the font in order to facilitate ease of reading and reduction of eye strain. I did read the entire article, and all of the responses. Second, I do sometimes use the 'F' pattern, which is a useful tool. Email and web-pages offer so much information, one cannot mentally digest all of it. The ability to scan for information either useful or interesting is a necessary skill in the real world... one that has taken this writer some time to develop. I am the type who wants to grab all of it, to really understand everything I read, but, if I were to do that, I would do nothing else! I have been, and am about to be again, an online student who does read every word of text as well as join in the online class discussions. And, I am an honors student, both in the physical classroom and online. I have already devoted far too much time to this subject. As a home-educator and midlife grad student, my time is precious. I have children to read to and with. Somebody has to present an argument here.
First, I love to read and I agree that many do what is suggested, reading in an ‘F’ pattern. However, I prefer to read online for the simple reason I am able to enlarge the text or change the font in order to facilitate ease of reading and reduction of eye strain.
I did read the entire article, and all of the responses.
Second, I do sometimes use the ‘F’ pattern, which is a useful tool. Email and web-pages offer so much information, one cannot mentally digest all of it. The ability to scan for information either useful or interesting is a necessary skill in the real world… one that has taken this writer some time to develop. I am the type who wants to grab all of it, to really understand everything I read, but, if I were to do that, I would do nothing else!
I have been, and am about to be again, an online student who does read every word of text as well as join in the online class discussions. And, I am an honors student, both in the physical classroom and online.
I have already devoted far too much time to this subject. As a home-educator and midlife grad student, my time is precious. I have children to read to and with.

]]> By: Darlene Betz http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/09/20/youre-not-going-to-read-this-post/#comment-4571 Darlene Betz Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:09:43 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1027#comment-4571 You have a good point, but the reply from Diana is right as well. I'd like to add that people tend to read more about what they are interested in. A young person is always developing new interests so there is a need to catch their attention, help them taste new things, but if there is a real interest then they will zero in on the subject and devour it. So both methods should be used. A taste of many things along with the discipline of having to dig deeper into a subject, can produce well rounded reading habits. You have a good point, but the reply from Diana is right as well. I’d like to add that people tend to read more about what they are interested in. A young person is always developing new interests so there is a need to catch their attention, help them taste new things, but if there is a real interest then they will zero in on the subject and devour it. So both methods should be used. A taste of many things along with the discipline of having to dig deeper into a subject, can produce well rounded reading habits.

]]> By: Gabriela Reyes http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/09/20/youre-not-going-to-read-this-post/#comment-4559 Gabriela Reyes Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:15:40 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1027#comment-4559 I read your articla because of the title. love it. thanks I read your articla because of the title. love it. thanks

]]> By: Diana Senechal http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/09/20/youre-not-going-to-read-this-post/#comment-4542 Diana Senechal Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:27:57 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=1027#comment-4542 Balanced Literacy also encourages non-linear reading: the child is supposed to gather "clues" from everything but the text itself: the pictures, the cover, the title, the diagrams, the chapter headings. Even while decoding, the reader is supposed to make use of such peripheral information instead of (or possibly as well as) sounding out the word. BL takes this bad habit too far. While pictures and so forth do offer clues, nothing but careful reading can tell you what is in a book. Textbook writers likewise celebrate distraction. If you look at just about any textbook (math, social studies, science), you will see the page cluttered with pictures, graphic organizers, and "strategies." This diverts students from the text and around the page; thus the mental pogo stick is exalted as yet one more "strategy" towards comprehension. So, superficial reading cannot be attributed to the digital age alone. We have textbook writers and pedagogists who simply don't like to read, and who actively promote methods of skirting the text. Enough of this! It is time to demand educators who know and love literature, and who demand careful reading of excellent books. Balanced Literacy also encourages non-linear reading: the child is supposed to gather “clues” from everything but the text itself: the pictures, the cover, the title, the diagrams, the chapter headings. Even while decoding, the reader is supposed to make use of such peripheral information instead of (or possibly as well as) sounding out the word. BL takes this bad habit too far. While pictures and so forth do offer clues, nothing but careful reading can tell you what is in a book.

Textbook writers likewise celebrate distraction. If you look at just about any textbook (math, social studies, science), you will see the page cluttered with pictures, graphic organizers, and “strategies.” This diverts students from the text and around the page; thus the mental pogo stick is exalted as yet one more “strategy” towards comprehension.

So, superficial reading cannot be attributed to the digital age alone. We have textbook writers and pedagogists who simply don’t like to read, and who actively promote methods of skirting the text. Enough of this! It is time to demand educators who know and love literature, and who demand careful reading of excellent books.

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