This sounds like an interesting read. I have a couple of journal articles you might like. I have always been interested in this subject, because part of my own journey toward literacy has been based on growing my language skills through an interest in the poems and songs of African American culture. Rap music, lyric writing, and eventually poetry helped me to build my vocabulary and writing abilities. Looking back on my education, this same music helped me to form a positive self-image when my social environment made me feel like an outcast. My father's literacy skills limited my own, and verbal expression dominated our household. As a result I think that I can relate to many of these issues that African American students face.

Fleckstein, K.S. (2004). Words Made Flesh: Fusing Imagery and Language in a Polymorphic Literacy, College English, 66, pp.612-631

This article was a very interesting read and it highlighted some of the weaknesses of our "language-centric" approach to education. The author, Kristie Fleckstein, advocates for a "polymorphic" approach to literacy which relies on the use of mental (including imagination and kinesthetic awareness of place), graphic, and verbal imagery in our instruction and student compositions. The author offers that the use of analogical or imagistic thinking allows students to make connections that transfer what information they know into situations that are new and require learning. Due to a historical bias, written language has dominated academia in Western Civilization. For this reason the author contends that students deal with a variety of image based constructs that we seldom utilize to promote literacy. This in turn makes students feel displaced and discouraged. The author believes that by promoting multi-literacies or polymorphic literacy in our methodology, we can increase the effectiveness and depth of literacy in our students.

In our modern "image-dominated" world it is increasingly important that we diversify our approach to literacy. Students are taking in information in a variety of contexts and environments. Using some of the ideas that Fleckstein describes seems like a great way to help our students become better readers and writers, by allowing them to conceptualize their understanding in a variety of ways. In directing a reading comprehension group last year, I was given a several strategies to work with that included "making connections" or "using imagery". These strategies are useful, and I think they will work even better given a classroom environment and pedagogy that embraces polymorphic literacy. The author quotes a resource at one point that suggests we change the current terminology of "writing across curriculum" to "composing across curriculum", where "composing could include the production and interpretation of images as well as words"

As a future visual arts teacher, I am very interested in the use of imagery in promoting student literacy. This article helped me place some ideas for instruction in a context that allows me to realize where some of the strategies I have used in the past came from. The use of situational contexts has always dominated how I instruct students. The use of cathartic actions (acting it out) and employing empathy (put yourself in this position) in understanding has always helped me to better reach students. I am very interested in the use of what the author calls "design portfolios". These portfolios help to orientate students with the school setting in a way that activates the use of visual and linguistic representation. These places could be from home life, from a story they read, or from a different class in school. When students present the various environments that they encounter in a "polymorphic journal" it allows them to represent themselves in various contexts, and develops their sense of belonging. This practice seems like it would enrich learning by helping students to envision multiple perspectives. This could also help students experiencing cultural and social disparities between school and home to find their center.

Overall I think that promoting this type of literacy is important, but I would like to see if it would lend itself to greater language based literacy. I know that using film or poetry can allow students to have a point of access that reading doesn't always produce. Some students would rather present a Powerpoint than write an essay. I understand that this is important for learning, because it allows the students to experience success. The end result should aim to increase language literacy. I know that being able to write poetry for extra credit or creating art as part of a presentation were two ways I first became interested in educating myself. I didn't realize it then, but that "point-of-access" meant everything. When I found out that I could go to college for art, all the rest of the learning I did became less difficult, because I had "my literacy". My thoughts and ideas suddenly mattered. I obtained brief glimpses of this in high school, but if I hadn't had a chance to take a few art classes to "get my feet wet" in college, I never would have pursued higher education. I can't really explain how this led to me becoming a better writer. I know writing poetry helped, but I am really interested in how self-efficacy and having a community (other art students) contributed to my success. I do know my ability to imagine and understand analogies always made me a better reader. This article may not provide a lot of concrete strategies, but it has definitely given me some things to think about.

Jolliffe, D.A. & Harl, A.(2008). Journal #1 Studying the "Reading Transition" from High School to College: What Are Our Students Reading and Why? College English, 70, 6, pp. 599-617

This article was a synopsis of a small case study conducted by some professors at the University of Arkansas. The study drew from research data previously compiled by a couple of nationally based surveys which studied student engagement at the secondary and post-secondary level. A more specific study drew on information compiled from a similar survey on the reading habits of twenty-one full-time college freshmen at the university. This survey attempted to gauge the quantity and quality of reading done by these students. The survey participants responded to a pre-study questionnaire regarding their reading habits and abilities in high school, and later through self-reported reading journals and a variety of written response questions over a two-week period. The questions focused mainly on the students' abilities to think critically about what they read, and make analytical connections between the reading, their lives, the world, and other such texts.

The study concluded that what we consider "good study habits" are extremely lacking in today's high school and college students. Students are spending less time reading academically focused documents that relate to their coursework, and are spending more time reading for the purpose of social networking, personal enrichment, and entertainment. The study also noted that more of this reading time is spent in a multi-tasking frame of mind that may include texting, instant messaging, listening to music, and/or watching television. While the surveyors generally took a negative view of these activities (see snide comment on the "minutiae of students' rituals"), they did offer some ideas for moving forward with possible strategies. Some general ideas that I took from this research are that students aren't more or less literate; rather the face of literacy is changing in a drastic way, primarily because of diverse technologies and new approaches in education.

The way in which people become literate has changed drastically and as a result many of us in education need to adapt our instruction to stay current. I have noticed similar attention span disparities that highlight the generation gap between teachers and learners. These same disparities led the researchers to conclude that they were "hard pressed to find reading experiences that we would characterize as focused and contemplative". A few strategies suggested by the researchers to help increase engaged reading were as follows:

1) As students read they need to be guided through the reading by informed, focused, adult readers who have the ability to make connections to the world around them. This strategy is referred to as "Think-Aloud" and involves reading short passages (250+/- words) in a context that illustrates how "good readers" interact with a text as they read. This technique is familiar to me, as I have always tended to do this when reading information to students, although this strategy reminded me of the need to serve such reading passages in digestible portions.

2) Try to foster cross-curricular connections by having students write one sentence descriptions of each class they are taking on index cards. Using these index cards can help us as teachers to show how specifics readings might relate to themes and issues in other classes. (I really like this idea.)

3) Lastly, the research strongly supports promoting the use of technology to foster literacy skills. Online discussion groups and hyperlinked texts such as can be made available through WebCT and Blackboard (or the one I am participating in right now), can serve to present and illicit informational discourse on academically focused texts. The issue I have seen play out in my educational career and in that of some of my students is that even though web-technology is/will be a key to maintaining literacy now and in the future. There is still a segment of the student population that enjoys the tactile function of reading and interacting in face-to-face group discussion. I sympathize with these students, because I have a need for similar interaction. I think that ideally we will need to keep this in mind when meeting the needs of students. Social factors like SES and regional culture can have a huge effect on how students prefer to access information. Some kids still prefer the "hard copy".

I am very anxious to implement some of these strategies with a group of high school seniors that I will be working as part of my research project. I will definitely be using the "Think Aloud" strategy with this group and I would like to try and allow them all a chance to guide us through the reading in the same way that I will initially demonstrate. I would also like to develop some type of survey that would be similar to the reading journal, but it will definitely have a more organized method for them to track their reading activities. The index-card idea is one that I will be sharing with several of my colleagues, and I will likely give a couple of the curriculum developers at my school a copy of this article for their consideration highlighting the strategies discussed.

Tovani, C. (2000). I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers, Portland: Stenhouse Publishers

I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers is a great resource for implementing reading comprehension strategies in the secondary classroom. The book is written by Cris Tovani a long time teacher and reading specialist. Cris has worked as an educational consultant, has participated in national reading comprehension reform consortiums, and continues to teach at the secondary and post-secondary levels. The book is organized in a very user friendly manner. The author uses a sense of camaraderie when presenting her ideas that allows us as teachers to relate to the material quickly and easily.

The book is broken up into 3 main parts with subsections that expound on each specific part. The first section is called "Setting the Stage", and it helps us as educators to get a brief overview of some of the specific issues that contribute to reading comprehension problems. The second part of the book is entitled "In Support of Strategic Reading" and it introduces us to a variety of strategies and tools for tackling the reading comprehension gaps that students struggle with. The last part of the book is a short section that provides worksheets and graphic organizers for implementing the strategies that the author has introduced and elaborated on throughout the previous chapters.

The author's message is very clear and concise. All teachers can help improve reading comprehension. Tovani shows us a variety of issues that contribute to poor reading comprehension in secondary students, introduces some strategies for identifying and improving reading comprehension abilities, and then she provides us with a "toolkit" to use in our classroom(s). I would definitely recommend this book to any colleagues who need a guide for understanding and implementing reading comprehension strategies. I have yet to use these specific tools in a lesson, but I have seen a few of them used and adapted to meet the needs of various subjects. I will definitely be using this book and the resources for duplication that are contained in the text.

http://www.amazon.com/Read-but-Dont-Get-Comprehension/dp/157110089X

Cool Book on Reading Comprehension

Literacy