My Beliefs About Reading

In regards to reading, I agree with Shauna that after reading the Beers' text, it became obvious that I have a lot of learn. Here is a little sample of what I do know. It is my belief that proper modeling, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency are all equally important in producing strong readers.
People- students and adult peers- will always do what you do. Hence, modeling can be extremely advantageous or disadvantageous. A think-aloud in which teachers model the reading process is always a great learning tool. However, I am a firm believer that it must be done repetitivly and utilize all the strategies you wants students to learn.
I view vocabulary to be important because it is at the root of all language acquisition. How can a student comprehend a statement or a text if they don't understand the words that make up the statement? However, vocabulary building exercises must be strategic. For instance, I use words that are the names of skills. For example, a few of my vocabulary words are Compare, Contrast, Inference, Plot, Main Idea, and Figurative Language. This way, students can readily define the concept and use Context Clues, Inferencing, and Prior Knowledge to identify the element when they see it in a passage. If students can recognize what strategy or element the author is employing, they can usually answer any comprehension or analytical questions that follow.
Obviously, comprehension is important, not just for the sake of comprehending, but because it is the foundation for higher order thinking skills. In my opinion, comprehension of a text is the most basic expectation for a reader. In other words, the least and contrastingly the most, we expect from readers is that they comprehend the plot of a story.
This is where fluency arrives. Fluency helps make comprehension an easier task. It can make reading more interesting for struggling readers and provides students with the opportunity to use their imagination while reading. Fluency seems to be the driving force that can make reading, comprehension, and vocabulary more cohesive and fluid. Ultimately, one can't and shouldn't exist without the other.