[LIT] from PEN NewsBlast

[May Dartez]

I have really enjoyed following this discussion. By common sense, just 
like you had felt, I felt as if the fluency checks were a complete 
waste of time and did not support them. However, I attended the Teacher 
to Teacher workshops over the summer and did see some of the research 
that supports fluency checks and teaching.

I think that any kind of literacy program needs to be balanced and 
focused on comprehension, but it did convince me that fluency should be 
a strong part of a balanced program.

May Dartez
6th, GA
On Oct 27, 2006, at 11:01 PM, Margie Waterbrook wrote:

> On 10/27/06, Bill IVEY <bivey at sbschool.org> wrote:
>>
>> . Note the phrase I highlighted mid-description - would you
>> agree in general? For your school?
>>
>>    It's really interesting timing that you posted this today, Bill.
>> Several years ago I worked at a charter school where it seemed all the
>> special ed reading teacher did was time kids on their reading...and 
>> my group
>> of friends on the  the faculty, from a common-sense rather than a 
>> research
>> point-of-view--just thought it was ridiculous and one more reason we 
>> all
>> wanted OUT of that particular school.
>
>
>        Now I am at a much better school and teach an "English Support" 
> class
> with a special ed teacher whom I respect...and, much to my surprise, 
> all of
> a sudden we are doing these fluency checks. We discussed this, and she 
> tells
> me that that was her reaction at first as well...but that she dug into 
> the
> research and it supports this kind of teaching.
>        Research v. common sense...this approach still doesn't make 
> sense to
> me. Luckily, unlike at the earlier school, where this is about all 
> they did,
> we have a much more balanced program. But I am still unconvinced about
> pushing for speed. It's not as if it's a typing class!
>        Margie
>
> Margie Waterbrook
> 9th & 10th Grade English
> Vail High School
> Vail, AZ
>
> "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
> --Winston Churchill
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