Monday, February 28, 2011
Reading in Science - Beyond the Textbook
The number one skill necessary for success on standardized tests is the ability to read. Even success in the math section of standardized tests is dependent upon the ability to read.
Students should be told from the first moment that they can read that this is the one skill they should hone above all others in order to do well on the tests that will determine much of their academic placement for the rest of their time in school.
However, if you ask most students, they will associate reading with English. They very rarely associate reading with the other subjects and they do not consider reading the text as reading.
That is why I make reading a part of my science curriculum whenever possible. I have implemented reading outside of the text in my Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science classes for many years now. I use these books to provide students with concepts that can supplement the text but also to encourage students to explore the subject from a variety of viewpoints. But, most importantly this additional reading is to get students to understand that reading is not something that is isolated to the English classroom.