Creating Independent Readers

There were many lessons that could be learned from reading chapter two. I never really thought about having to teach students how to read, teaching at the high school level.  Since I assumed that they would all have the knowledge to do so, I never thought about the challenges of having to teach it.  I feel like Beers provides good insight on how to go about doing so.  She gives good examples on how to figure out what the child is struggling with.  Persistent questioning of what is not being understood is a huge part of starting to solve the problem.  The questions helped to figure out what exactly was not being understood. Communication from student to teacher and vice versa was very important.  Beers also helps us acknowledge who the struggling readers are; and I completely agree with her opinion on them.  Deep down we are all struggling readers.  She comments,"The struggle isn't the issue; the issue is what the reader does when the text gets tough."(15).  I agree that every person can struggle with different types of literature.  I have difficulty reading dystopian novels; but instead of just putting the book down, I find someone who can explain it to me.  As teachers we need to determine where individuals struggle, and find a solution that benefits their reading skills.