Kendrah Reflection- Foreword, Ack., & Intro.

“On Solid Ground” begins with a foreword, which is written by Shelley Harwayne. Harwayne briefly summarizes what she had learned from Sharon Taberski, the author of “On Solid Ground”, which was the proper way to teach children how to read. I learned that when one teaches children to read, he or she must “pause and think deeply about the teaching of reading and then proceed with clarity and expertise.” It is important for an educator to “analyze children’s strengths and needs so that supports can be built.” I believe a good teacher will always be aware of a child’s progress and observe areas that need to be worked on. Of course teaching a child to read is not easy because there are many children who don’t care to read, especially school, suggested material. What I got from the foreword is that this book was written to help educators learn how to teach reading correctly so that children are successful readers. Also, I read the acknowledgments section and it was a section for the author to thank people who means a lot to her and who has helped her. These people is her support system just like teachers are for their students. Finally, I read the introduction and I learned that I would be reading about helping children to see connections and make new ones. Teachers should observe how things work together to find ways to help a child become a successful reader. The introduction included parts of teaching reading. In part I it mentioned to be realistic with goals. Sometimes teachers expect children to read so many pages of a book but it is also important for a child to get meaning from it. I know that when I was younger I had to read through many pages of my textbooks. It was discouraging and I would usually just skim through it or read it quickly. I would usually forget what I read. This is why teachers must observe and see what is working and what is not. I learned that reading through these beginning pages can give a reader some background information on the author as well as what the book is about.