"We have been asked to provide a summary of the Class of MIT19 to Jenny Oxley, CEO of Manaiakalani Education Trust, and Justine Todd, Corporate Citizenship Manager of KPMG. These businesswomen have to account to their Boards for the investment in the MIT programme in 2019. Their organisations are keenly interested in solving problems in Education and have chosen MIT19 as one avenue to do this. The statement you provide on slide 3 will be added to the report.
Please state clearly on slide 3, in terms lay people can understand, what problem for young people in Aotearoa you are proposing to address in 2019."
After my 5 Whys Question activity from my previous assignment, and some additional thinking that inspired, I was able to condense my problem into the following statement.
Many students in my studio are reluctant or struggling readers who see reading as a challenge and a chore. They have reading habits and attitudes that show a lack of book accessibility and reading role-modelling. My challenge is to improve the enthusiasm for reading among my Year 6 students, especially the boys.
This statement has made me revisit Donalyn Miller's work The Book Whisperer, about engaging students with reading. Chapter 2 is about finding the reading potential of all students. She describes her students being caught up in a wave of excitement about reading just by having access to a wide variety of books and having an adult that is will to listen to their recommendations and suggestions. She talks about listening to her students' needs.
For my students, I wonder if their needs are deeper. Their attitude towards reading is negative. When groups get together (Year 6 boys) they start to encourage each other not to read ("what can you recommend?" "Nothing, this book sucks" "I can't read it" etc)
Miller then relabels struggling and reluctant readers as developing and dormant readers. She also has a category called underground readers.
Developing readers: These are readers who are below the expected level in their ability. This is due to experience or a learning disability. Research in the US has shown that despite intervention programmes, these readers still read 75% less than other students. Her advice is for them to read and read. From my own experience, I have seen students make great improvements by reading a lot of high-interest texts as well as frequent instruction.
Targeted developing students: Dontae, Kaylan, Te Ana, Nevaeh, Reef, Rhycos, Lila, Maria
Dormant readers: These are students who track and make progress, but are reluctant to read for their own benefit. These are the students who need to learn that reading is an engaging activity. Their environment is essential for turning dormant readers into engaged readers. These conditions include hours reading, choice and a celebration of independent reading.
Targeted dormant students: Jack, Angus, Layla, Izzy, Kiwa
Underground readers: These are readers who see no value in a classroom reading, they want to read other things. They are good readers. Just let them get into the book that excites them.
Conditions for learning (According to Brian Cambourne)
Immersion - surround kids with books and hold regular conversations about books.
Demonstration - Teaching using student books, making it authentic.
Expectations - students will read.
Responsibility - students will set their own goals about their reading and writing.
Employment - Students need to use the skills they learn in their personal reading.
Approximations - students will make mistakes, and receive guidance and advice.
Response - guidance and advice.
Engagement - anxiety free reading that they value.
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