GOOD TEACHERS BUILD STRONG READERS

     Effective teachers of reading have a wide array of strategies which they use to build strong readers.  From the time children begin to imitate the sounds they hear in their environment, we are preparing students to be effective and thoughtful readers and thinkers. Clay (1991) says that reading is a “message-getting, problem-solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced.” Rosenblatt (1978) points out that “the reader brings to the text his past experience and his personality.” Both point out the interconnection between the reader and the text as an essential ingredient to making meaning. Reading is unlocking an author’s message by interpreting the symbols on the page, the author’s intent and combining it with the reader’s own background knowledge.  Great teachers understand this and use strategies like those contained on this site and in my books to help their students build strong threads of reading. I hope you will find many helpful ideas and strategies on these pages that will help you strengthen your own abilities to weave reading magic with the students you serve.  Please also check the tips and strategies on my Weaver's Blog. Feel free to ask questions and leave comments about what you read there!