The PRIDE of Fairview

To continue the thoughts of the last post on the importance of conversation as a way to help your student comprehend.

The way to start or continue a conversation with your child is to read with them.  Books can provide doors for sharing family history, values clarification, problem-solving strategies, “hot topics” like race relations, sexual attitudes, and a way to explore world thinking. Books-stories, words provided visually (paper& print) auditorially (CD, DVD, podcasts) virtual (visual & audio via the web).

An example of how a conversation with a picture book can enhance understanding of learning let me share what happened with The Rust, Trusty Tractor by  Joy Cowley.  The minute I saw the book I imagined sharing this “farm” story with my urban students to engage them in conversation about something they had not experienced but which might provide background knowledge to build their understanding for future reading.

With the cover of the book as an impetus we talked about rust and how it occurs.  Then onto trusty and its significance as a word we were all expected to practice.   As I thought about it, this was pretty deep subject matter for 4 year olds.  Yet they did have a handle on what is involved in the action of trust.  This conversation also allowed clarification or redirection for those students who did not have a clear understanding of the word. 

As we read through the book, the harrow, plow, seed drill, and baler, old farm implements and now residents of farm implement museums, were given an initial introduction to the students.  I doubt that they could tell you today what the purpose of the implements were, but at least they should have a memory of the word somewhere buried in their brain.  The intent is that having heard the word, the next time the student meets one of these words, a ping may be made in the brain to recall both the sound and some connection as to meaning.  This is how the conservation builds comprehension.