9th grade level
I did not realize that students graduating high school were for the most part reading at a 9th grade level maybe some of the issues they are having with testing is because of it and they do not want to say in open forum that they do not understand that is quite a eye opener for me
What does that say for our public schools?
Hi Annie and Stephanie,
I am also a new instructor and after reading that many high school graduates are only reading at a 9th grade level, I was taken back. I think this may be a problem in my classroom, and I am struggling with the same problems keeping higher achievers satisfied and keeping struggling students from being overwhelmed. Idealy, I think it would be beneficial to work with individual students at their own level, and in small classes I think that this is possible. But does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for larger classes?
Hi Michael,
Thank you for this "heads up" when using case studies. By have a quick review of the case before the class is dismissed will help the students to focus in on the key elements of the case so they will have an understanding of the case when reading it at home. This way they won't get as frustrated or confused and will be ready to go the next class session.
Gary
Teaching a class with a case method approach requires knowing that the students can understand
the cases when reading out of class. With short cases and exercises, it seems good to first read the material as a group and provide clarification and enrichment as needed.
i my shelf have two high school student. one that reads ever day and one i can not remeber the last time i saw me with a book.I do belive that this is a problem that we are dealing with,during my pre-test i will have the student read the question, this often pin points the students that have a lower reading level.which point out to me that they my need more help from me.As far as public 30 kids to a class i due belive many are left in the dark.
Hi Stephanie,
As a new instructor, I'm interested to hear some of your ideas as to how best keep the higher achievers from feeling "talked down to". I know that must happen just as frequently as the instances of the struggling students feeling overwhelmed. What are some ways I'd be able to keep the level of instruction more or less neutral so that both ends of the learning spectrum feel they are being taught well?
If you think a 9th grade reading level is bad, "yu shud triy and reed there writeing" (Pun intended), however the above sentence is not too far off from what I get on completed lab sheets.
We are faced with re-educating them on the basics before moving on to the lessons we are being paid to teach them. I almost think we should have an entrance exam before signing them up. Wait, if we did that, the classrooms would be empty...... sigh...
Its hard to believe the lack of skills that we have to deal with. I find myself teaching basic math and science before I can begin my lesson.
another reason for small instructor to student ratios work best 1to15 max
after being an instructor for a little while now I am surprised at the number of students that can't read and wonder how they are gonna perform in the real world setting
What was said about the 9th grade reading level was also surprising to me. I think that public schools should definitely focus on improving this area of learning. Students with poor reading comprehension will definitely have greater challenges in their educational environments.
I agree. As a parent/instructor with high school aged children it amazes me how the schools do not hold the kids to higher standards, they just allow the students to move along even if their grasp of any subject is just barely passing. It sure makes our jobs harder when we have to slow down and play catch up.
I try to make sure all that I carefully define all the terms that could be new to the students as they come up in class. The student who doesn't want to ask questions for fear of looking bad in front of the class has then already gotten his answer. It also seems to open the class up to questions, because the students realize that it's not assumed they should already know the term's' being used.
Hi Anthony,
I was taken aback at this statement as well. Upon afterthought, I am not as much surprised at the lack of high reading level as I am cautioned that there are in fact, students with much greater capabilities. Therefore, I must remain mindful that higher acheivers are not "talked down to" while attempting to reach the group as a whole. This is certainly the fine line we walk daily when presenting information to a diverse group, and is quite possibly (for myself) the greatest challenge.
Hi Brandi; I agree that low reading levels should not be shocking, especially when a sizeable number of teens admit they have never read a book unless it was part of a school assignment. However, I am of the opinion that we can benefit as instructors when we approach students with the presumption that they all read at a 9th grade level because we are forced to deconstruct complex topics into easily accessible ideas that the students can digest, grasp, and really learn as opposed to them simply regurgitating what they hear in class.
Although public schools may be lacking in holding students to a higher standard, this is more of a statement on the general fabric of society. As educators, we must try to use any means at our disposal to reach the students and if possible, enable them to improve their skills.
Most of our public schools are playing damage control instead of really instructing anything. No wonder kids can't read or write, they are allowed to roam free and wild by the restrictions that have been placed on the schools in ability to enforce rules, among other things.
Hi Anthony, I'm not sure if the answer to your question would be such a positive one. However, I do agree with you that I was also amazed that graduating highschoolers on average read at a 9th grade level. I guess if the average newspaper's vocabulary level is at a 5th grade level, then it's not so hard to believe. Although we do live in a world where education is so important and it does indeed permeate the entire country, however most people just aren't educated! It's sad. However, as teachers we should strive to turn this low level into a higher level, so that high school graduates are no longer reading 3 levels below what they should be!
