I remember, a long time ago, thinking that a question about snow on a reading test was unfair because the answer required an inference based on the prior knowledge that you can both hear and feel the "crunch" of the snow under your shoes or boots when walking in it. The majority of my students could not successfully answer that question because they had never lived where it snows enough for you to experience the "crunch" of snow underfoot.
We recently went to Colorado for a magnificent reunion of Peace Corps Volunteers from Honduras. As we drove up to an altitude of about 9,000 feet in the mountains, we were surrounded by snow. I remembered my students who couldn't connect with the snow question and made sure we walked off the beaten path so that my husband could experience the "crunch" of the snow. I felt better knowing that at least one person who had never been in the snow could now add a real snow experience to his schema.
Many times, as teachers, we aren't aware that our students lack a pertinent experience that's necessary for them to make connections in their reading and their learning. I found that riddle questions are helpful in identifying our children's gaps in their schema or vocabulary. In all riddle sessions, I always give clues rather than answers. Sometimes, when even the best clues don't help, I know I have a teaching moment. That's happened many times. One example was a riddle about a blackboard. Most of my students had no idea what a blackboard was, so I had to find old classroom stories with pictures and we had a great discussion about the similarities and differences between blackboards and whiteboards.
That was a few years ago. Today, that same discussion would have to include smart boards!
Since riddles are timeless, you will inevitably find some that ask about something that simply doesn't exist anymore or is difficult to understand because of old unfamiliar vocabulary. That, I found is another advantage of adding a daily dose of riddles in my classroom. I prefer to think of the process as one of enriching my students' schema rather than that of pointing out how old and out of date I really am!
We recently went to Colorado for a magnificent reunion of Peace Corps Volunteers from Honduras. As we drove up to an altitude of about 9,000 feet in the mountains, we were surrounded by snow. I remembered my students who couldn't connect with the snow question and made sure we walked off the beaten path so that my husband could experience the "crunch" of the snow. I felt better knowing that at least one person who had never been in the snow could now add a real snow experience to his schema.
Many times, as teachers, we aren't aware that our students lack a pertinent experience that's necessary for them to make connections in their reading and their learning. I found that riddle questions are helpful in identifying our children's gaps in their schema or vocabulary. In all riddle sessions, I always give clues rather than answers. Sometimes, when even the best clues don't help, I know I have a teaching moment. That's happened many times. One example was a riddle about a blackboard. Most of my students had no idea what a blackboard was, so I had to find old classroom stories with pictures and we had a great discussion about the similarities and differences between blackboards and whiteboards.
That was a few years ago. Today, that same discussion would have to include smart boards!
Since riddles are timeless, you will inevitably find some that ask about something that simply doesn't exist anymore or is difficult to understand because of old unfamiliar vocabulary. That, I found is another advantage of adding a daily dose of riddles in my classroom. I prefer to think of the process as one of enriching my students' schema rather than that of pointing out how old and out of date I really am!
Here we are in the snow!
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