Reviews for‘ Unraveling Reading’
I learned a lot, and I was so glad that I read it. We often forget that the student’ s whole body contributes to their learning, and the brain exercises are such simple things that can make a huge difference! I think it provides a lot of easy to follow strategies for a variety of readers and learners to follow without shying away from technical terms. Also, I like that it provides insight into the way students learn and think, and that it reminds the reader to encourage and be positive when teaching. It’ s important to not only know strategies but the rationale behind them. I think the opportunity to link to videos demonstrating the strategies would enhance and take advantage of its e-book format. As a writing instructor, there are things that I could share with my adult students who may have struggled with reading in high school or have re-entered college after some time away and are struggling with college-level texts. I’ m also much more aware of learning disabilities that students in my class are struggling with or may not even realize that they have. I’ ve read a bit about the cognitive science approach to literature( why we read fiction, how fiction affects our brain); so many parts of this book were right up my alley.
Sheila Wright
Unraveling Reading: I grew up attending public school, where my classmates and I would sit through the same lessons, use the same books, and be educated in the same, cookie-cutter way. However, there was a select group of students who would be removed from our classroom each day after the pledge and morning announcements. These were the students who weren ' t built to be taught in a traditional classroom, and special contract teachers were brought in to work with them each day, one-on-one and in small groups, in a different location. They came to be known as the " Speech kids," and even though we saw them each morning, played with them on the playground, and even hung out with them playing sports after school in our small town, they were segregated from their peers throughout the school day when learning was taking place. It made me sad for them; I felt like they stood out, that other kids our age labeled them unfairly. Unraveling Reading made me realize that these " Speech kids " were more than likely just as smart as we were. They were being taught the same material we were, only in a way that suited them. I grew up believing that there was just one style of learning, and if you couldn ' t grasp that style, you were isolated from your friends and classmates as punishment. My hopes are that, by publishing Unraveling Reading, there will be less of that segregation, and more celebration of student uniqueness and individuality! Having a chance to read this book really made me aware that there are several types of learning styles, and even though I am not an educator by profession, I was still able to take away some tips for working with people regarding the different styles. I believe this could be useful when teaching a coworker a task, a friend, or even maybe when working with my own children with their life skills. Great job Daniela! You ' ve definitely spread the word on the endless possibilities of education.
Jenni Schreiber
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