How do you teach a logic stage student to read at high school level?

[creekmom]

I've always heard that the average person doesn't read past a 5th grade level. My son is a great reader, but I'm wondering how you teach a child to read at a higher level. Do you just assign harder books each year and have them read aloud to you? Are there lists of words for each grade level through 12th that are out there to use for word decoding practice?

[angela in ohio]

Do you just assign harder books each year

 

This. :D

 

I also found that teaching through the END of a good phonics program (where they teach multi-syllabic word attack skills, etc.) rather than quitting when they could basically read really helped. They can sound out almost any word. And I taught them to look up (or ask me, once I know they can use the dictionary effectively) words they can't understand from context, so that they are constantly building a vocabulary. I have them read old children's literature and classics, so that they are encountering the words they will see later in the classics we read in high school. I teach them Latin fully and Greek roots, so that they can break down many words.

 

I also teach them reading strategies for different situations. We talk about metacognition (thinking about how you think) and how to actively read, rather than just reading the words on the page. It also helped for ME to read How to Read a Book, How to Read Slowly, the Well-Educated Mind, etc. well before they were in high school, so that I could start teaching foundational skills.

[creekmom]

This. :D

 

I also found that teaching through the END of a good phonics program (where they teach multi-syllabic word attack skills, etc.) rather than quitting when they could basically read really helped. They can sound out almost any word. And I taught them to look up (or ask me, once I know they can use the dictionary effectively) words they can't understand from context, so that they are constantly building a vocabulary. I have them read old children's literature and classics, so that they are encountering the words they will see later in the classics we read in high school. I teach them Latin fully and Greek roots, so that they can break down many words.

 

I also teach them reading strategies for different situations. We talk about metacognition (thinking about how you think) and how to actively read, rather than just reading the words on the page. It also helped for ME to read How to Read a Book, How to Read Slowly, the Well-Educated Mind, etc. well before they were in high school, so that I could start teaching foundational skills.

 

Thank you, Angela. He's starting First Form Latin this year. I have How to Read a Book, and I actually just started reading it 2 days ago. Which phonics program did you use that taught the word attack skills at the end? Do you mind listing a few of your favorite "old" children's literature books?

[regentrude]

I Do you just assign harder books each year and have them read aloud to you?

 

I just give them harder books. I do not let them read aloud - that would be a sure way to turn them off reading (exception: we did read aloud sections of the Iliad because this is meant to be spoken, not read)

Honestly, I find that it takes no actual "teaching" - just exposure to more challenging books.

What happens usually is that unknown vocabulary makes sense in context, sometimes only after a few times of different context.

Regarding pronounciation, listening to good audiobooks, live or recorded theatre performances, and participating in discussions with educated adults takes care of most issues.

[dragons in the flower bed]

If you follow WTM recommendations, you'll be fine. You might make a quick comparison of SWB's suggestions for high school and any list of recommended titles to read in preparation for the GRE.

[silliness7]

I struggle with knowing how to do this too. The technique of introducing harder and harder works is how it was done to me in school. I did not find that helpful. I made A's in Honors English and graduated at the top of my class. But I still feel intimidated by the classics. I figured out how to ace the tests and write the papers but I don't get joy out of those kinds of works. Maybe it's just me.

 

I have How to Read a Book Slowly and Adler's book but haven't read them yet. Maybe I should. And fast. :D

 

The first lesson in Windows to the World on how to annotate was extremely helpful in taking it to the next level. But we only practiced on short stories that weren't terribly difficult. However, I love the idea of writing down your part of the running conversation in your head. It does significantly slow down your reading though. So it's not for everything. I can't see doing it for The Odyssey, for example. But maybe part of it?

 

What I started doing this summer was reading out loud to my two oldest (upcoming 8th & 9th graders) , a practice I had let go for them a while back. We started working through James Stobaugh's SAT practice book with it's long list of recommended reads. I have slotted time in the school day to continue this practice. This is EXTRA and I will not give credit for it. School books will still be read (Odyssey & Illiad for my 9th grader this year) independently.

 

The first book we read was Lost Horizon by James Hilton. I sat there with a dictionary and we looked up words we didn't know. There were many that *I* didn't know. If it popped up again we tried to recall it. We guessed at definitions before looking them up. I would stop in the middle of reading and ask for predictions at points where it made sense to me because my brain had jumped on a conclusion. So maybe my reading skills aren't stuck at their level. :lol: This book had a pretty long prologue which didn't make any sense til we were half way through the book then we went back and re-read parts of it. All of us got way more out of this book experiencing it together like that than we would have (me included) if I had "assigned" it. Currently we are reading Life With Father and have been interrupted by 2 summer camps so it's going slowly. This one is *not* difficult at all but was next on the list. We are talking about the father and our opinion of him and his antics. Not as much vocabulary or prediction with this one. Not really similar to Lost Horizon in those regards. Kon-Tiki is next on our list and I think I will get a copy for each of them to follow along. I think that will help maintain their attention and give them a much-needed visual.

 

It is Time Consuming. And I really am short on TIME. But I have made room for it in the schedule because, to me, it is just as important as making sure the littlest ones know their phonics. Plus it seems like the best way to model for them how to read a book and the best way to figure out how to ENJOY these things. And I feel like I don't know the best way to read and enjoy brainy books. :tongue_smilie: I really should read Adler.

 

I also will be reading out loud to my middles (different books) and instead of just straight reading I will do what I'm doing with my oldest and perhaps see them shift in their reading skills earlier. I used to read aloud quite a bit to my kids but I'm such a voracious reader I like to just consume books (much like my oldest) and did not slow down and actually smell the flowers along the way. This was how I developed as a reader and those comprehension questions and quizzes in my highschool reading did nothing to change how I approached a book, either as a highschool or college student, or as a homeschool mom.

 

I'm seeing now that I should have slowed down and discussed along the way. Honestly, it seems to me that some books should not be consumed but savoured or there is no joy in them. At least that's my feeling on Lost Horizon and I'm scared of Kon-Tiki, truth be told. I know this slowing down and discussing is a huge DUH!! for many people and is something they do naturally. It was a lightbulb for me and as my children have picked up on my poor reading habits I feel like I should back up and retrain them in this new way I have discovered.

 

Sorry, that was long & rambly. I look forward to reading other responses. This is a topic that has also been on my mind for a while.

Edited August 13, 2011 by silliness7

[Capt_Uhura]

Sillines7 - Thank you for your thought-provoking post! Why are you afraid of Kon-Tiki?

[silliness7]

Sillines7 - Thank you for your thought-provoking post! Why are you afraid of Kon-Tiki?

 

Too many hard words. :blush: At least that's my impression. I'm easily intimidated by books. That's weird to say out loud because I LOVE to read. I don't however, like to work hard while I'm reading. :ack2: It's a new skill I'm developing.