Kylene Construction

A long time ago, my husband and I were building a house in Vermont. Our builder went belly-up in the midst of our house, and we had to fend off his creditors and angry well-drillers. We became the contractors. One day a lumber yeard truck pulled up and delivered boxes of new windows that should have had "Anna C-------" on them but instead read "Anna Construction". It seemed apt then ...and now as a metaphor for this book. What a useful, user-friendly book! I like Kylene's voice here -- and her emotional honesty in her retrospection. Whether George is one real student, or a composite, the idea of George as a thread through the book works well... I too had to figure it out on the job. One year I was in a district-wide study group for teachers of struggling readers. The book that stuck with me from that was Chris Tovani's "I read it, but I don't get it" -- a wonderful toolbox as well. Beers' structure works well -- discussion, visit to a class, out-take and student work samples, the strategy, teacher questions and reflection functioned for me to unfold the concepts clearly. There's lots of take-away with this book. Lots of actual co-construction of knowledge going on in the keyhole classroom visits. Her distinction between independent and dependent readers is useful. I really liked how she told the brass ring story )pp. 8-10)...Leah's persistence and the one-on-one situation created a condition where it became possible for Kylene to actually (eventually) hear Leah. Eegad. how many of my students haven't I heard? I wished I had this book much earlier.....I've got a book full of notes....