When Kids Can't Read: Chapter 9

Reading this chapter really got me to think about the importance of vocabulary.  In my experience in high school, I participated in traditional vocabulary activities where a teacher would give us a list of twenty words every week in our vocabulary book and then we were required to do the exercises and memorize them for a test every Friday.  I know from personal experience that this method does not work and I hardly remember any of those difficult and confusing words.  I liked Beers strategies for teaching vocabulary because they make the words seem more relevant to what they are studying and it allows students to really learn the words, not simply memorize them.  I think it's important for teachers to make connections to other areas in all different subject areas, so students feel that what they are learning is useful.  I also think it's important for teachers to model how to use the context as a clue rather than just telling them to do it.  A student will not learn if the teacher simply gives them an assignment that they don't know how to do.  There needs to be more actual teaching involved and I think Beers gave a lot of great examples on how to engage students and get them involved in the whole reading process.