Synthesis Blog Post #3

                I found the word-tier system to seem quite useful, and a strategy I can implement in my future Social Studies class. Before, I never even began to think about certain words throughout texts unless we’re talking about the subject of the text. Now, by focusing in on two-tier words, I can instruct my students to look out for these big hint words.

                I also love the idea of dissecting the textbook into a feature analysis. Most people don’t realize the structure of things that they are reading, but when you take time to actually divide the read into type of text, sidebars and pull boxes, feature: typography. Feature: color, feature: Symbols and Icons, Features: Images and Graphics, Organization, Navigation: Headers and Footers. Testing, Testing!, Reading Speed, and Concers (p. 185) then students can feel more confident in the textbook that they will read because they are more likely to know what to expect and can grasp the purpose and function of the textbook in a better way. The only small concern, however, is how potentially time-consuming this can be. If I can do it under a class period’s time then I will give it a try.

                Textbooks clubs: can they be useful? With every student participating and reading the book outside of class, textbook clubs can be effective. I would rather not use them in my future classroom because I’m afraid that students would become disconnected from the other sections of the chapter that they did not read, and that other students did. With my experience from book clubs, this often happens—you pay attention solely to your book, and don’t ever read the other books. If I were to try this out, I might have to implement a way in which other sections can be read too, maybe rotating book clubs during class time?

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