California State Universities Expository Reading and Writing Course

I really liked reading this article. In the first half of this article, there are great questions to ask students while reading. I specifically liked the structure questions. I don't think that I've ever really thought about mapping out the structure of a text and I think this could be very useful to some students who are having trouble seeing the big picture. I think it's extremely important that we as teachers use reflection to aid students. In my high school career, there were only several times that I can remember reflecting on something we read. I think that by reflecting what was read that day, students will have a better chance of remembering. If students do a short writer after they have read and discussed, they are more likely to remember that information because they are forced to condense it down. I think that reflection can also apply when writing. By having students write a short one to two page reflection on what they took from the assignment, how they felt about it, and what they would do different, this can really help see students see why their writing matters. I personally feel like at times, that reflections are pointless. They've been a lot more beneficial to me in college where I can truly see what I need to work on. However, in high school, I think I found them a bit pointless because I felt like they were busy work. If we tell our students how reflections can benefit them, this may lead them to actually focusing in and doing the reflections fully. It can be extremely hard to show these students why writing matters and how it can make a difference in their life. However, with repeated practice, trial and error, and constant effort, I truly believe that students will eventually see how their writing can make a difference.