Discussion #5

Determing Importance in a Text

This chapter was an eye opener for me.  I was struck with an "a-ha moment" as I read the strategy "Important to Whom?".  Recently, the reading skill I have had to teach in my 5th grade classroom and test my students on is Finding the Author's Purpose.  I have found this chapter and particular strategy to be immensely beneficial in explaining just how to find the Author's Purpose. 

Based on the strategy, "Important to Whom?", this is the new way I have been explaining/teaching Author's Purpose to my students:
First, I have asked them "What is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that should happen when we read? I get various answers like, "We should be able to read the words", "We should make connections", "We should understand what we read".  The answer I have given them follows this advice from Harvey & Goudvais (2007):  "We want our kids to know that nothing matters more than their thinking when they read" (p. 167).  I explain to them that the most important thing that should happen while they read is that the text should have MEANING to THEM!  I go on to explain that only when the text has meaning to them, will they understand what they are reading. 

Then, I continue to follow direction from Harvey & Goudvais (2007) who state, "We teach our kids to make a distinction between what they think is most important to remember and what the writer most wants them to take away from the article" (p. 107).  Helping students understand the difference between what the article means to them and what the article means to author is invaluable!  Especially, when taking a standardized test.  Since standardized testing pervades our students' reading experiences, I found that helping students to understand this concept of "important to reader vs. important to author" gives them the necessary tools to help them be successful on standardized tests. 
Harvey and Goudvais go on to say, "we can't forget to let kids know that when they are taking a standardized test, the only answer that counts is the one that reflects the author's main idea" (p. 107). 

Once again, I had never thought of teaching students to make the distinction between what was important to them and what was important to the author.  It seemed I only focused on what was important to the author.  But validating student meaning, and then helping them understand or shift their thinking to that of the author's, was quite a remarkable idea for me and for my students.
Bravo to this strategy, as it can then be a segue into teaching main idea, summarizing, and identifying important details.

Resource:

Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2007).  Strategies that work.  Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.