Rigor & Relevance: Critical Reading during COVID-19 - Academic Approach

Dear Academic Approach Families:

In today’s message, I highlight the importance of critical reading, rigor, and relevance while our students learn at home.

Rigor
With the first week of e-learning drawing near an end, we can see that it’s challenging to replicate the rigor of consistent classroom learning at home. As educators and parents, we are being asked to find more opportunities for learning and engagement to keep students consistently growing.

Relevance
I remember 20 years ago as a graduate student teaching in the core curriculum at Columbia in NYC trying to find ways to engage my freshmen writers. 19 persuasive essays, 1 semester—I had to make it relevant to get their buy-in. I focused on debates, controversies, often with direct relevance to our campus. If the text spoke to my students, I received strong engagement and persuasive argument from them in response.

Critical Reading during COVID-19
NYTimes Learning Article of the Day provides a great resource for nonfiction texts to read and study with students. If you select today’s lesson, “We Live in Zoom Now,” it provides a relevant article and very practical prompts for discussion and writing: How do you celebrate with friends in a world of social distancing? What are ways to teach our grandparents to use technology to engage? What is the most challenging thing about living online?

Making text-to-self connections has always been the most immediate way to get student buy-in and engagement. Science, technology, politics—no longer can be dismissed with that common student refrain: “What does that have to do with my life?”

That means this time is a teachable moment: a time to encourage students read rigorous and challenging nonfiction texts, and reflect on them seriously. The critical reading and thinking skills they’ll build will keep students on-track for their return to school and on the path to college readiness.

Be well,
Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Founder & CEO

Dear Academic Approach Families:

In today’s message, I highlight the importance of critical reading, rigor, and relevance while our students learn at home.

Rigor
With the first week of e-learning drawing near an end, we can see that it’s challenging to replicate the rigor of consistent classroom learning at home. As educators and parents, we are being asked to find more opportunities for learning and engagement to keep students consistently growing.

Relevance
I remember 20 years ago as a graduate student teaching in the core curriculum at Columbia in NYC trying to find ways to engage my freshmen writers. 19 persuasive essays, 1 semester—I had to make it relevant to get their buy-in. I focused on debates, controversies, often with direct relevance to our campus. If the text spoke to my students, I received strong engagement and persuasive argument from them in response.

Critical Reading during COVID-19
NYTimes Learning Article of the Day provides a great resource for nonfiction texts to read and study with students. If you select today’s lesson, “We Live in Zoom Now,” it provides a relevant article and very practical prompts for discussion and writing: How do you celebrate with friends in a world of social distancing? What are ways to teach our grandparents to use technology to engage? What is the most challenging thing about living online?

Making text-to-self connections has always been the most immediate way to get student buy-in and engagement. Science, technology, politics—no longer can be dismissed with that common student refrain: “What does that have to do with my life?”

That means this time is a teachable moment: a time to encourage students read rigorous and challenging nonfiction texts, and reflect on them seriously. The critical reading and thinking skills they’ll build will keep students on-track for their return to school and on the path to college readiness.

Be well,
Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Founder & CEO

Dear Academic Approach Families:

In today’s message, I highlight the importance of critical reading, rigor, and relevance while our students learn at home.

Rigor
With the first week of e-learning drawing near an end, we can see that it’s challenging to replicate the rigor of consistent classroom learning at home. As educators and parents, we are being asked to find more opportunities for learning and engagement to keep students consistently growing.

Relevance
I remember 20 years ago as a graduate student teaching in the core curriculum at Columbia in NYC trying to find ways to engage my freshmen writers. 19 persuasive essays, 1 semester—I had to make it relevant to get their buy-in. I focused on debates, controversies, often with direct relevance to our campus. If the text spoke to my students, I received strong engagement and persuasive argument from them in response.

Critical Reading during COVID-19
NYTimes Learning Article of the Day provides a great resource for nonfiction texts to read and study with students. If you select today’s lesson, “We Live in Zoom Now,” it provides a relevant article and very practical prompts for discussion and writing: How do you celebrate with friends in a world of social distancing? What are ways to teach our grandparents to use technology to engage? What is the most challenging thing about living online?

Making text-to-self connections has always been the most immediate way to get student buy-in and engagement. Science, technology, politics—no longer can be dismissed with that common student refrain: “What does that have to do with my life?”

That means this time is a teachable moment: a time to encourage students read rigorous and challenging nonfiction texts, and reflect on them seriously. The critical reading and thinking skills they’ll build will keep students on-track for their return to school and on the path to college readiness.

Be well,
Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Founder & CEO