Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Topic: Teaching Reading In Danish Schools


Purpose of this blog: Review of interesting articles and ideas in past English education journals, K-12.

10-second review: The teacher of the mother tongue in Denmark stays with the same students for five years, sometimes 7 years and sometimes 9 or 10 years. One weekly period must be established to discuss social issues.

Title: “Reading Instruct ion in Danish Schools.” M Jansen, et al. Reading teacher (October 1979), 15-19.

Summary: The author admits spending one week alone on discussing social issues is not enough time. The idea of spending 9 or 10 years with the same teacher of Danish is intriguing.

Comment: The social issues, of course, can become a part of reading and writing instruction.

The idea of having the same English teacher for 9 or 10 years would require that every teacher of English is equally skilled in all aspects of the curriculum. I had a somewhat similar experience in which I was the English teacher for grades 8 through 12. While I was strong in the teaching of writing, I was less skilled in the teaching of literature. The students suffered from my deficiency. Based on my experience, retaining the same students for a number of years is not good. The students will benefit from having different teachers who have different skills and strengths. RayS.

No comments: