It is important for you to know the reading level of your students, as well as the mateiral you assign them to read, whether it is the textbook or outside sources.
After you have completed the readability assignment, please discuss with your classmates:
- What you found out about the reability of your textbook. - What you learned from this assignment. - What strategies you could implement to ensure all students obtain information about your content area through reading. (NOTE: If you never have your students read, you are not consistent with the Reading Across the Curriculum mandates.)
I checked the readability of a textbook I actually used for my Animal Anatomy a Physiology class here at Fort Hays. The readability matched that of what the book was intended, for the most part college. It did rank on a 9th and 10th grade level on two of the passages.
I have learned that if you as a teacher thinks the book is easier reading, it may not be for the student. I know I had some trouble following this book when I read it for class. The words were very long and scientific. I know that if i teach and Anatomy and Physiology class, I will need to find a different book that is appropriate for my high school students.
I will use strategies like, having some questions on quizzes or test be from the reading. I will post questions from the reading and use those exact questions for some part of my tests.
I can also make some extra credit assignments from the reading that will give the students, like 5 point on the test, if they complete the assignment properly. I will then review the assignment with the class to clear up any confusion from the reading.
Open discussion about the information from the reading can also be used to help me know if the students are not reading the chapters. This can be incorporated into the lesson.
Ex; the lesson is talking about growing rice, I will ask "from the reading, what type of soil is good for rice growing?" The answer is from reading that should have been done before class.
Mallory K. I think you have some great ideas to implement in the classroom. Even if we aren't teaching remotely the same subject matter it is always good to see idea's and strategies from someone else. I think that is what will make a teacher very good. We all have to learn to adjust to our students and if we are teaching completely over their heads or beneath their abilities it is important to recognize this early on. I think open discussion and interacting with the students will be a critical for us to be great teachers.
It is so easy for us to get in the groove and forget that something that comes easy to us may be difficult for others. One of the worst classes I have ever taken was my algebra class at Wichita State many moons ago. The reason this class was so incredibly difficult was because the grad student that was teaching it failed to come down to our level as freshman in an entry level math class. This teacher continually made comments about how he did these types of problems when he was in junior high. Truly, he was the worst teacher I have ever had. I am going in to teaching business because it comes very easy to me in my life and I want to share my experience. With that being said, I am certain high school business books will be very easy for me to grasp as I have had 20 years experience of running businesses. Being able to grasp the level my students will comprehend the material is immeasurable when it comes to being a good teacher. Just because I think it is easy doesn't mean they will. So, with that said, this exercise is very important to implement in my class.
Mallory mentioned the discussion to check out comprehension as well. I agree that finding out where your students sit as far as knowledge level isn't from simply applying a readablity test. Although, it is important to see where the text shows on the chart, it is just as important to discuss and test the ability of the students to grasp the material through the textbook. Frankly, the readability chart tested college level for some of the parts of the book that were easier for me to comprehend simply because of subject matter. Some of the lower grade parts were more complicated for me to read and I wasn't grasping them as well as the others that tested college level. It takes more than one test to make sure the text and material are going to be beneficial to the class as a whole.
The textbook that I used would be a textbook that I would possibly teach out of. I was a high school computer applications book. It ranked at the college level in all five passages that I checked. There were six sentences in 4 out the the 5 passages and each had around 170 syllables. I would have thought that it was a high school level book before the readability test. It doesn't seem like a hard read however, if you aren't familiar with computer terminology then it could be confusing.
I like your ideas to test the students and make sure that they are understanding what they are reading in the textbook. I also know how hard it is to understand scientific books if you don't really get or understand science. Science was my worst subject growing up and I had a hard time reading the textbook and understanding it.
The textbook I used for this assignment was an old version of the current textbook used for Personal Wellness at Fort Hays State University. The readability for this test came back as 11th grade. This does not surprise me because this is a freshman level general education class. From this assignment I learned how easy it is to figure the readability of a textbook to see if it is within the ability of our students. This is something I intend to use as I become a teacher. Some strategies that I could use to ensure my students are understanding the information they were supposed to read would be either quizzing them in the classroom or using the textbook website activities or quizzes to determine retention of information. Also, in the classroom I could ask them what they have questions over so we could cover in the classroom. However, they are a large number of students that do not read out of their textbook and this will be difficult to determine and correct.
I agree with you on the fact that the books being used need to be checked to determine if the students will understand the material. I also agree with you that it will be hard to determine comprehension, seeing that most students do not read the text. Quizzes are a good way to see if the students have read and understand the book.
Reading of the text should be encouraged to help you, as a teacher, and the student to determine the readability of the book.
I actually checked the readability of one of my college textbooks. It scored a little below the college level in a few of the passages, but was always around an eleven to college range. I was surprised a little bit, about the lower scoring, but I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing. I think the easier something is to read, the better. The harder something is to understand, the less you will learn. I think you must keep this in mind when giving your students reading assignments. I never really thought much about the readability of your textbook. This applies less to me, because I am going to be a music teacher, but I did find it interesting on how they judged whether something was hard to read or not. I think you should always keep in mind the ideas they are talking about. Even if it is something that is easy to read, if the content in way above their learning level, I think you need to consider choosing another option. I wonder if there are many ways to judge the difficulty of a books reading level. When trying to make sure everyone has a good understanding of the content you are telling them too read, I think it is important to make sure they all follow what they read. I would try to make them read a lot in class and ask them questions to make sure they follow. If any words came up that seemed too advanced, I would ask them to explain what they meant. I would make them collaborate on ideas in groups to makes sure they all could talk about what they read. Trying to get them to apply what they read will go a long way in helping them to remember the content that they were reading about.
The ideas you came up with to make sure your students understand the content, where a lot like mine. I think that application of what you read is very important. If all you do is cram info and then regurgitate it for a test, I think most of the information will be forgotten. Having the student talk about what they read and apply it to real life situations will go a long way helping them remember what they read.
The textbook I used was for computer technology. The book is used at Fort Hays for the Office Information Systems course; however, the books content could be used at the high school level. After averaging out five passages, the readability for the book was 9th grade.
The range of passages surprised me, because two passages were college level and the other three ranged from 6th, 8th, and 10th. I learned that the book content can be very different and the reading level will not be the same throughout the book.
Students will have assignments were they will have to read and every student will have a different reading level. Having assignments were students will have to go back into the readings to find answers will help students go back to the reading and better understand it.
You had some great ideas to use in the classroom. I like the idea of giving them questions on the text that came from the reading then you have a better idea of their understanding and if they read what was assigned.
I believe it is important to review with the whole class so you know that everyone is on the same page of understanding. A group discussion is a good way to do this as well.
The extra credit idea is a great idea gives students an opportunity to catch up if they have fallen a little behind in other assignments.
I think it is very interesting that a high school textbook scored as a college level book. I had just the opposite happen, but mine was a general health class book. But it is definitely true that if you are unfamiliar with the topic books, especially textbooks can be very difficult to understand. These findings make me more interested to check more of my textbooks to see if they are college or high school level readability.
When I first started this assignment I used a textbook from one of my College Art History courses. After checking the readability of two 100 word passages, it was clear that the level of readability was at the college level. I was interested to see what the readability would be for a common high school textbook, so I actually completed the assignment using that textbook. The results showed that the readability was right around the high school level. I found this assignement to be very interesting and informative. The idea that there is a chart and numbers to figure such a thing is amazing to me.
Reading is important to all subject areas. I feel that a teacher should emphasize reading not only in the classroom, but outside too. Reading comprehension has been proven to improve a students performance in the classroom, and the only way to improve this skill is to read. I also think it is important that teachers read textbooks they are required to have in their classrooms. By doing so you can be aware of what exactly your students should be getting out of thier readings and that which is not as useful.
Students learn at different paces, therefore keeping a consistent classroom is important. One way to do so could be reading important passages from the textbook, and working as a class to discuss what is being said.
I think it is interesting that a college textbook was found to be at the high school level. It does not surprise me and from personal experience I think alot of it depends on the subject. There are some textbooks I had in college that I found to be simple and others that were extremely hard to read. With different subjects being taught there are different areas of empahsis, whether it be terminology or written critique.
It is important for you to know the reading level of your students, as well as the mateiral you assign them to read, whether it is the textbook or outside sources.
ReplyDeleteAfter you have completed the readability assignment, please discuss with your classmates:
- What you found out about the reability of your textbook.
- What you learned from this assignment.
- What strategies you could implement to ensure all students obtain information about your content area through reading.
(NOTE: If you never have your students read, you are not consistent with the Reading Across the Curriculum mandates.)
This blog is due October 5.
I checked the readability of a textbook I actually used for my Animal Anatomy a Physiology class here at Fort Hays. The readability matched that of what the book was intended, for the most part college. It did rank on a 9th and 10th grade level on two of the passages.
ReplyDeleteI have learned that if you as a teacher thinks the book is easier reading, it may not be for the student. I know I had some trouble following this book when I read it for class. The words were very long and scientific. I know that if i teach and Anatomy and Physiology class, I will need to find a different book that is appropriate for my high school students.
I will use strategies like, having some questions on quizzes or test be from the reading. I will post questions from the reading and use those exact questions for some part of my tests.
I can also make some extra credit assignments from the reading that will give the students, like 5 point on the test, if they complete the assignment properly. I will then review the assignment with the class to clear up any confusion from the reading.
Open discussion about the information from the reading can also be used to help me know if the students are not reading the chapters. This can be incorporated into the lesson.
Ex; the lesson is talking about growing rice, I will ask "from the reading, what type of soil is good for rice growing?" The answer is from reading that should have been done before class.
Mallory K. I think you have some great ideas to implement in the classroom. Even if we aren't teaching remotely the same subject matter it is always good to see idea's and strategies from someone else. I think that is what will make a teacher very good. We all have to learn to adjust to our students and if we are teaching completely over their heads or beneath their abilities it is important to recognize this early on. I think open discussion and interacting with the students will be a critical for us to be great teachers.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy for us to get in the groove and forget that something that comes easy to us may be difficult for others. One of the worst classes I have ever taken was my algebra class at Wichita State many moons ago. The reason this class was so incredibly difficult was because the grad student that was teaching it failed to come down to our level as freshman in an entry level math class. This teacher continually made comments about how he did these types of problems when he was in junior high. Truly, he was the worst teacher I have ever had. I am going in to teaching business because it comes very easy to me in my life and I want to share my experience. With that being said, I am certain high school business books will be very easy for me to grasp as I have had 20 years experience of running businesses. Being able to grasp the level my students will comprehend the material is immeasurable when it comes to being a good teacher. Just because I think it is easy doesn't mean they will. So, with that said, this exercise is very important to implement in my class.
ReplyDeleteMallory mentioned the discussion to check out comprehension as well. I agree that finding out where your students sit as far as knowledge level isn't from simply applying a readablity test. Although, it is important to see where the text shows on the chart, it is just as important to discuss and test the ability of the students to grasp the material through the textbook. Frankly, the readability chart tested college level for some of the parts of the book that were easier for me to comprehend simply because of subject matter. Some of the lower grade parts were more complicated for me to read and I wasn't grasping them as well as the others that tested college level. It takes more than one test to make sure the text and material are going to be beneficial to the class as a whole.
The textbook that I used would be a textbook that I would possibly teach out of. I was a high school computer applications book. It ranked at the college level in all five passages that I checked. There were six sentences in 4 out the the 5 passages and each had around 170 syllables. I would have thought that it was a high school level book before the readability test. It doesn't seem like a hard read however, if you aren't familiar with computer terminology then it could be confusing.
ReplyDeleteMallory K,
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas to test the students and make sure that they are understanding what they are reading in the textbook. I also know how hard it is to understand scientific books if you don't really get or understand science. Science was my worst subject growing up and I had a hard time reading the textbook and understanding it.
The textbook I used for this assignment was an old version of the current textbook used for Personal Wellness at Fort Hays State University. The readability for this test came back as 11th grade. This does not surprise me because this is a freshman level general education class. From this assignment I learned how easy it is to figure the readability of a textbook to see if it is within the ability of our students. This is something I intend to use as I become a teacher. Some strategies that I could use to ensure my students are understanding the information they were supposed to read would be either quizzing them in the classroom or using the textbook website activities or quizzes to determine retention of information. Also, in the classroom I could ask them what they have questions over so we could cover in the classroom. However, they are a large number of students that do not read out of their textbook and this will be difficult to determine and correct.
ReplyDeleteRE Kersten S.:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the fact that the books being used need to be checked to determine if the students will understand the material. I also agree with you that it will be hard to determine comprehension, seeing that most students do not read the text. Quizzes are a good way to see if the students have read and understand the book.
Reading of the text should be encouraged to help you, as a teacher, and the student to determine the readability of the book.
I actually checked the readability of one of my college textbooks. It scored a little below the college level in a few of the passages, but was always around an eleven to college range. I was surprised a little bit, about the lower scoring, but I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing. I think the easier something is to read, the better. The harder something is to understand, the less you will learn. I think you must keep this in mind when giving your students reading assignments.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought much about the readability of your textbook. This applies less to me, because I am going to be a music teacher, but I did find it interesting on how they judged whether something was hard to read or not. I think you should always keep in mind the ideas they are talking about. Even if it is something that is easy to read, if the content in way above their learning level, I think you need to consider choosing another option. I wonder if there are many ways to judge the difficulty of a books reading level.
When trying to make sure everyone has a good understanding of the content you are telling them too read, I think it is important to make sure they all follow what they read. I would try to make them read a lot in class and ask them questions to make sure they follow. If any words came up that seemed too advanced, I would ask them to explain what they meant. I would make them collaborate on ideas in groups to makes sure they all could talk about what they read. Trying to get them to apply what they read will go a long way in helping them to remember the content that they were reading about.
Kersten S.
ReplyDeleteThe ideas you came up with to make sure your students understand the content, where a lot like mine. I think that application of what you read is very important. If all you do is cram info and then regurgitate it for a test, I think most of the information will be forgotten. Having the student talk about what they read and apply it to real life situations will go a long way helping them remember what they read.
The textbook I used was for computer technology. The book is used at Fort Hays for the Office Information Systems course; however, the books content could be used at the high school level. After averaging out five passages, the readability for the book was 9th grade.
ReplyDeleteThe range of passages surprised me, because two passages were college level and the other three ranged from 6th, 8th, and 10th. I learned that the book content can be very different and the reading level will not be the same throughout the book.
Students will have assignments were they will have to read and every student will have a different reading level. Having assignments were students will have to go back into the readings to find answers will help students go back to the reading and better understand it.
Mallory K,
ReplyDeleteYou had some great ideas to use in the classroom. I like the idea of giving them questions on the text that came from the reading then you have a better idea of their understanding and if they read what was assigned.
I believe it is important to review with the whole class so you know that everyone is on the same page of understanding. A group discussion is a good way to do this as well.
The extra credit idea is a great idea gives students an opportunity to catch up if they have fallen a little behind in other assignments.
Erika-
ReplyDeleteI think it is very interesting that a high school textbook scored as a college level book. I had just the opposite happen, but mine was a general health class book. But it is definitely true that if you are unfamiliar with the topic books, especially textbooks can be very difficult to understand. These findings make me more interested to check more of my textbooks to see if they are college or high school level readability.
When I first started this assignment I used a textbook from one of my College Art History courses. After checking the readability of two 100 word passages, it was clear that the level of readability was at the college level. I was interested to see what the readability would be for a common high school textbook, so I actually completed the assignment using that textbook. The results showed that the readability was right around the high school level. I found this assignement to be very interesting and informative. The idea that there is a chart and numbers to figure such a thing is amazing to me.
ReplyDeleteReading is important to all subject areas. I feel that a teacher should emphasize reading not only in the classroom, but outside too. Reading comprehension has been proven to improve a students performance in the classroom, and the only way to improve this skill is to read. I also think it is important that teachers read textbooks they are required to have in their classrooms. By doing so you can be aware of what exactly your students should be getting out of thier readings and that which is not as useful.
Students learn at different paces, therefore keeping a consistent classroom is important. One way to do so could be reading important passages from the textbook, and working as a class to discuss what is being said.
Re to Mallory:
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that a college textbook was found to be at the high school level. It does not surprise me and from personal experience I think alot of it depends on the subject. There are some textbooks I had in college that I found to be simple and others that were extremely hard to read. With different subjects being taught there are different areas of empahsis, whether it be terminology or written critique.