Book Snap #4 Lessons from the book

The authors introduce three levels of text representation: surface level, textbase (macrostructure and microstructure), and the situation model.  I have read other sources that stress the importance of text structure to reading comprehension, so I especially noted what the authors had to say about the "macrostructure- using the text's structure to aid undersanding." 
Because narrative text structure is so concrete, they say that teachers spend too much time and focus too much on it.  Students grasp narrative structure easily.  Teachers are better off focusing more time on informational text structures, which are not as simple and intuitive, but will assist students' comprehension when they notice and understand them.  For example, "if students notice the information is structured as a problem-solution, they will first identify the problem and then have their antennae raised to look for proposed solutions.  If readers are aware they're reading a persuasive text, they'll be on the lookout for the argument and compelling evidence.  If readers know they're reading a description, they'll be aware that they should gather information that identifies what's being described."
I like this way of describing text structure to students- that it helps them know what to read for in a text.  I have never seen it explained that way before!

On page 26, the authors provide a real-world example of "retrieval practice":
Q: What did you have for breakfast yesterday?
Q: In what year did King Tut become pharaoh?
Q: Do you remember how old he was?
Most importantly, the justification the authors provide for this questioning technique is as follows:
"What's with these harebrained questions?  Well, they help us talk about something that's tough to pinpoint - learning.  In this example, you may have learned something at some point, but forgot it (e.g. King Tut's age), or you simply think back and bring something to mind even if you didn't intentionally learn it (e.g. your breakfast yesterday).  You may have a fond memory for something you haven't thought about in a while (e.g. your favorite vacation) or you can probably remember something you recently learning with a little bit of effort (e.g. one thing from this book)........Learning is complex and messy.  It's not something we can touch, and it's really hard to define.  You might even say that the learning process looks more like a blob than a flowchart.

"Students rarely think that they are in math classrooms to appreciate the beauty of mathematics, to ask deep questions, to explore the rich set of connections that make up the subject......they think they are in math classrooms to perform."
This excerpt highlights a major issue many middle school math teachers face.  Students often view math as simply getting the right answer rather than understanding and exploring ideas.  At the Middle school level, students are forming long term attitudes towards about math, so it is critical to shift their mindset from performance to curiosity and growth.  If teachers focus only on correct answers and speed, students may develop anxiety or disengage.  However, by encouraging discussion, problem-solving, and making connections, teachers can help students see math as meaningful and creative.