This week we began our first novel. We are reading On My Honor, a short chapter book by Marion Bauer. During reading groups, detailed discussions take place as the students lead the book talk. We have recently been working on analyzing texts at deeper levels, using Blooms' Taxonomy. Bloom's Taxanomy involves six levels of questioning and allows students to analye and interpret the readings using both lower and higher order thinking skills. When students are evaluating and judging using higher order thinking skills they are more likely to retain information. It is also thought that using higher order thinking skills can help achieve the ultimate goal of becoming a lifelong learner.
Students write a question from each level of Bloom's Taxonomy and then answer their own question. In reading groups, each child chooses a question to pose to the group to contribute to the book discussion.
