Chapter 2- The "So What?" of Reading Comprehension.

     Tovani, so far, starts each chapter with a personal experience.  I think this is so the reader can better connect with her and what she teaches in her book.  This story was about an activity she was doing with her class.  Her class would read a book and write on sticky notes where they felt a connection and what that connection was.  They would write their connection on the sticky note and turn it in to Tovani.  There was one girl in the class that always would ask, "so what?"  Everytime smeone would share their thoughts about a book or raise present something they felt important, this girl would always say the same thing, "so what?"  While Tovani was reading the sticky notes, she was disappointed.  The students were not making deep connections to the story and their superficial connections they did make were not helping them read and understand the story.  Tovani decided that it was time for her to ask all of her students, "so what?"  She gave all the students a double entry diary to use while they read.  The left side is where you write the quote from the book and the right side is where you would write your connection, or your "so what."  The children were to take their sticky notes and elaborate.  It was difficult for the students at first, however once they really found the deeper meaning in their connection with the story, they were able to better understand the story.  A double entry diary could be a really useful tool, esecially in a different content field.  Different content fields can use these tools easily becuase they are more interesting than just reading a book, can create interest in the story, and help the children to connect or identify with the text.
     One problem I think we have today, and have become all too okay with, is stopping children's thinking too soon.  Tovani said that this is exactly what her sticky note activity did.  She was not giving the children the time they needed to explore and connect the way she expected.  By giving them the diary and having them expand, it helped the student's to make an honest connection with the reading. 
     Tovani gives four principles that she uses in her instruction.  These include:

• Assessing the text that the students have to read.
• Providing a model of the thinking process you, as the teacher, use.
• Defining a purpose and reason for the students to read and write.
• Teaching students to hold their thinking and give them plenty of opportunities to use that information.

     "I want to lose 30 pounds and and eat chocolate cake all the time.  It's not going to happen."  This is how Tovani approaches teachers who want their students to "do it all."  Tovani says that this is a trade off.  The teacher must decide what is important enough to keep and what can afford to be dropped for the benefit of the students.  Maybe substituting something more interesting for the students to read that would teach them the same thing would be more beneficial to the students.  They would enjoy reading it, maybe make a connection to the reading, and be able to explain what they have read and learned from it after reading with an opportunity to do so. 
     Lastly, Tovani closes with some teaching points that work.

• Always be asking yourself WHY you are doing something and HOW it will help students think, read, or write even in a certain content field.
• There is NO one right way to introduce comprehension tools to students.
• Make your activities GENUINE and AUTHENTIC for the students.
• Use the STUDENT'S work and comments to plan lessons from day to day.

     I personally love the idea of the double entry diary.  I am going to be a health educator and a lot of articles out there in cirrculation use complicated language.  Viruses and diseases have long and hard to pronounce names, ingredients in medications are almost impossible to read, and there are so many different topics in health to cover in one semester.  With this double entry diary, it can deepen the child's understanding of the reading, possibl the severity of the topic, and most importantly, maybe the student will connect with the reading in a way where they can share the information with friends and family.  My goal would be to create an atmosphere where the child then becomes the peer educator from a deep understanding and connection with the content through reading.