From Efficient Decoders to Strategic Readers by Richard T. Vacca
I think that Vacca makes a good argument. Schools have all of this early on reading strategy for the younger grades and then leave the young adolescents out to dry. If they didn’t get it or if they did but lost something along the way, then they are without hope. It seems that literacy is oftentimes left only to the English Language Arts teacher when in fact, literacy is everyone’s responsibility. I think that the point Vacca is making is that all teachers in all contents are responsible for building on a student’s literacy level. I really liked the idea of taking some of the strategies that are used for English Language Arts classes and applying them to other content areas. Unfortunately, like all new ideas that go against the norm, it may take some time for teachers to embrace this concept.
You Can’t Learn Much from Books You Can’t Read by Richard L. Allington
I love the points that Allington made in this piece. It confirms what we already know: teachers make the difference. The teacher, who uses the textbook as a tool not the entire tool box, is the teacher who will have more successful outcomes. The teacher who tries new ways to engage their students, to have them reflect what they have learned authentically, who creates interesting and fruitful ways to teach is the one who will have students who succeed. I think that Allington makes a good argument about how teachers who do this have to struggle against the organization. They have to succeed at all costs. They have to go against the traditional way of doing things. These teachers need support from all sides and administrators need to realize that one size does not fit all.
