The same old style can get boring. And I’m not just talking about clothing; the same old way of doing anything can get boring after awhile. One of my all-time favorite quotes is Albert Einstein defining insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” To improve (and avoid feeling insane) it is essential to switch things up on occasion.
This summer at ASU Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, teachers tried a new style for teaching reading. The result: their students were engaged and progressed with the fresh new approach. Watch this video from ABC News to see some of the strategies they tried and to get some advice from an expert reading specialist (p.s. rapping is involved!):
Maybe creating a rap won’t work for your students, but I can’t disagree with the approach. Nothing get’s stuck in your head like music. If you find your students bored or unsuccessful with your traditional teaching style as you go back to school, ask them about their interests and try and incorporate them into your instruction. Get creative!
Listening to the rap, I couldn’t help but think how much more effective the song would be for struggling readers if it included some proven, concrete rules students could use to decode difficult words. Rules like the ones taught here! >