Page 9 - How to teach reading with heart
P. 9

Boys





                                                                               Adrift?





































        There is a book I would like to recommend  answering you will find out how it made
        for both parents and teachers that                     him feel. A perfect example happened one

        addresses the actions of the student above.  day when I was in a writing workshop
        It is Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax, M.D.,                for ESL students that has to be done each

        Ph.D. Having not raised a son, and there               year. A seventh-grade teacher put on the
        being a large age gap between myself and               screen an example of exemplary writing. I
        my brothers, I had concerns about teaching  recognized the student, I had him in fifth

        fifth grade and middle school age boys.                grade, and he was an excellent writer. She
        My search for help led me to Dr. Sax’s                 was praising his work. She turned to the

        book. The first chapter called, The Riddle,            last page and at the bottom was written a
        described the unmotivated, disinterested               question in her handwriting. The question,
        boys I was trying to teach. My big                     “How did this make you feel?” This prolific

        takeaway from his book was how to ask the  writer had answered with one three letter
        questions that would help them open up                 word, “Bad.” She did not ask the question

        and express themselves. A simple change in  the correct way. If she had asked instead,
        asking a question. Never ask a boy, “How               “What did this make you want to do?” he
        does that make you feel?” Always ask,                  would have written a full-page answer. I

        “What did that make you want to do?” In                thought to myself, Dr. Sax was correct.
                                                                                          myindigosun.com      9
   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14