Gallagher also discusses the reading flow, how it is important to introduce it to students and that chopping up great books interrupts this process. Reading flow is rare. I would consider myself well read however I rarely achieve a reading flow in which EVERYTHING floats away. I think it is unrealistic to expect all students to achieve a reading flow.
I also agree that a Big Unit like the one Gallagher discusses on To Kill A Mockingbird bogs the students down as well as the teacher. And that it only accomplishes two goals: Good state test takers and beating the novel to death. Using canned lessons and units only hinders us as teachers and does not allow for creative planning and implementation.
Gallagher offers a few solutions one of which is augmenting books do not FLOG them! not only do I love the word flog but by augmenting books you are only adding to their meaning not taking it away. He also suggests to teach students the value of academic texts. I am not sure how one would do this but it sounds like a great idea.
I really appreciated this chapter as well, and I can't think of few novels that are more over-taught than TKAM. Istead of it being literature to enjoy and appreciate, it becomes a force fed full out literary war and every paragraph is a new battleground.
ReplyDeleteYes, I too love the work flog! But, really I agree with most of your points, I would say that either I or you have a different understanding of what flow means. It is easy for me to delve into a book and get lost, I can block out ALOT of white noise when I read. For others though it is harder to do that, it is harder for them to get that lost. I think everyone has thier own flow however. My opinion is the "flow" is when you are reading at YOUR best. May not be as fast as your neighbor, but you are reading to the best of your attention span. It would be unrealistic to expect all students to read on the same "flow" but everyone has thier own pace.
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