North Thompson
Star/Journal
“When a child “learns to read”, we tend to focus primarily on helping them to become more fluent at reading the words on the page by supporting their “decoding” skills. But research has shown that “learning to read” involves developing the ability to say the words on the page (decoding) AND developing the ability to make sense of those words (comprehension). While many of us grew up with comprehension questions – “Read this then answer the questions at the back of the chapter”, we now recognize the need to provide instruction in comprehension strategies so that our students will learn to become more active, engaged readers,” says Reading Power coach Adrienne Gear.
Gear will be facilitating a Reading Power session in Barriere, on Thursday, February 24, in the Barriere Secondary School gymnasium. The session will start at 6:30 p.m. and go to approximately 8 p.m. depending on the number of questions from the audience.
Both the Barriere elementary and secondary schools use this method in their classrooms and voice their support of this session.
“I am trying to reach everyone who would have an opportunity to read to a child, or to read with a child – parents, grandparents, great grandparents, babysitters, to tell them about this session,” says Barb Gordon, the area’s Literacy coordinator, “This is a free session for the public.”
Reading Power is an approach to teaching reading comprehension currently being implemented in many school districts across the province.
“This session will provide parents with the background and components of the program as well as provide for them some strategies to use at home to support their children with the “thinking” part of reading,” says Grer.
Adrienne Gear has worked in the Vancouver School District for 17 years as a classroom teacher, teacher librarian, and Literacy Mentor. She is currently teaching two days a week at an elementary school in Vancouver. Adrienne developed and implemented Reading Power t10 years ago and has since presented workshops to teachers and parents across the country. She is the author of Reading Power: Teaching Students How to Think While They Read (Pembroke, 2006), and Nonfiction Reading Power: Teaching Students How to Think While They Read All Kinds of Information (Pembroke, 2008). Adrienne lives in Vancouver with her husband and their two boys.
If you would like to find out more about the Barriere Reading Power Session please call Barb Gordon at 250-672-2111.
