Article Review Essay, Research Paper

REFLECTION

I read the article “High-Wire ACT,” by Meg Lundstrom featured in the May/June 2000 issue of Scholastic Instructor. In the article, a fourth grade teacher from a New York elementary school explains how her students have been successful in reading class. She says that phonics and literature need to be taught to all students. Yet, to develop into good readers, students may need more concentration on one subject rather than the other. According to Meg Lundstrom, using a balanced program was thought to be the best method of teaching reading, but that is not so. In fact, now teachers know that individuals’ needs have to be met by, “building, adding, and fine tuning,” says Barbara Kapinus, Ph. D. (senior policy analyst in teaching and learning unit of the National Education Association).

In conclusion, I found this article to be practical and very informative. I believe that students learn with different methods of teaching. For this reason, I think the teaching curriculum used by Courtney Cooper from the Kent Elementary School in New York uses is phenomenal. I agree that that addressing and encouraging each child’s reading ability may be difficult, but it can be done. To achieve this, a teacher should work closely with each child to see what he or she is capable of accomplishing and what tools, aids, and assistance is appropriate.