"Look, I teach Math, not Reading!"

"Look, I teach Math, not Reading!" I remember this frustrated exclamation from a colleague after hearing that all teachers in our district would be required to establish silent reading time in their classes. "Reading is Fundamental"..."Drop Everything and Read"...We've all seen these slogans and initiatives, but they are often met with resistance from non-Language Arts teachers. My colleague's frustration was that teachers who don't specialize in reading should focus on their content area and not be delayed by some bogus reading activities. While I didn't agree and I understood that reading was the foundation of learning, I still didn't truly understand the mechanics behind reading deficiencies until I saw these videos from Rick Lavoie.

I've gotten chill bumps from watching them because even though I teach students to read, I now realize that I've discouraged some of them and misunderstood their difficulties. These video clips are a MUST SEE for every educator -- not just in Special Education or elementary. The video was made in 1989, so it looks dusty, but trust me, it will rock your socks. I'd love to hear what you think about it.