Reflection #4: Picture Books, Narrative & Expository Texts

     The Daniels and Zemelman chapters this week mainly talked about the role textbooks (and additional resources) should play in the classroom.  Although textbooks are great resources, they are often not enough to use by themselves.  Students may struggle with the readability of the textbook, or may need to see problems presented from a different perspective.  As a result, students need access to other resources such as other math books or the internet.  There are several great resources online, including coolmath.com or wolframalpha.com.  It is important for teachers to plan what resources will be given to students for each lesson.  Teachers can differentiate instruction by providing resources for students at various reading levels.  Furthermore, the Harvey article mentions the importance of integrating non-fiction readings in the classroom.  According to Harvey, “nonfiction breeds passionate curiosity; passion leads to engagement.”  Students are typically more comfortable reading nonfiction literature.  Incorporating nonfiction readings into the classroom can work as a hook to draw students into the lesson.  This can be especially useful when it comes to mathematics—a subject that is typically a challenge to draw curiosity in students.  The Allen article also discusses the importance of reading aloud to students.  This can help students focus on what the text is saying, rather than the words on the page themselves.  I often do this with word problems in math.  I have students put their pencils down and just think about the problem as I read it aloud.  This works well with my students.