Exploration Methods

A struggle that every teacher must deal with is having students in class who are not interested in the particular subject matter. Not everyone is a math person or art person or physical education person, and it can be difficult to try and cultivate interest where there seems to be none.

Tovani offers some suggestions for allowing students to ask questions and become more interested in the subject. First, the teacher must remind the students that everyone has questions, including the experts. In fact, it is the experts in a particular subject who ask the most questions and are always searching for more information. She wisely says that "asking questions is a signal that you are constructing meaning." If you don't ask questions, you will most likely not remember what you have read.

Once the questions are asked, the next step is finding the answers. It is important to write down these questions as you are reading, so you don't forget what you struggled with and have trouble understanding later. There are several methods Tovani uses to help students explore their questions and find answers as they make connections to their lives and continue to reread the text.

The first is a double-entry diary worksheet. There are two columns on a worksheet, one labeled "quote from the article" and the other "connection to the quote". The important thing to remember is to keep it simple. When choosing a quote, it should be short--only a few words. Likewise, the connection should be personal, and should be simple as well. When students can connect their lives to the texts, in whichever way possible, it builds interest and draws the reader in. This is extremely helpful for students who are not apt in that subject area. I know it would be very helpful for me, with an artistic mind, to understand math or science, which are my weaknesses.

Another helpful tool is to give students something to look for before they read, such as a general question that they should look for an answer to. A teacher should offer suggestions for how to mark a text as they read, such as highlighting, underlining key phrases, circling key words, and writing notes in the margins. When a student knows what to look for, they can find a purpose for reading a text that they have no interest in. If I was told what to look for in a science text, I wouldn't feel so intimidated by this subject that I know little about. When there is a simple goal to strive for, it doesn't seem so daunting.

It never hurts, as I've mentioned before, for teachers to share their own personal methods and strategies. It makes students more comfortable to know that a teacher or expert of a subject has similar problems.

A last not that Tovani suggests to close the chapter is, "Good readers rely on experts to show them how to negotiate unfamiliar text." It is a good reminder for both teachers and students alike.