This is the second in a series of posts about Maryanne Wolf’s Reader, Come Home. You can read the introductory post along with links to other posts in the series here. “The crux of the matter is that the plasticity of our brain permits us to form both ever more sophisticated and expanded circuits and also ever less sophisticated circuits, depending on environmental factors.” Maryanne Wolf, Reader, Come Home The above quote sums up brain plasticity. A more familiar way to say it is, “Use it or lose it.” A lot of what Maryanne Wolf has to say depends on the concept of brain plasticity. The circuitry of our brain…
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Reading: The Canary in the Mind
“Let us begin with a deceptively simple fact…human beings were never born to read.” -Maryanne Wolf, Reader, Come Home Maryanne Wolf loves words. She has a prestigious background in reading research, but it’s her use of words that betrays her true facination. She’s one of those people I would read no matter what she wrote about–dump trucks, ceiling fans, plastic. Fortunately for me (and for you reading teacher!), she focuses on a topic that is both dear and relevant: reading. In her book Reader, Come Home, she reminds us how the reading brain works, how it can be altered by digital media, and how we can help our students (and…
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Brainy or Breezy? Four Books to Enjoy this Summer
Summer is the best time to get in some reading, but the question remains–should I focus my reading around professional development, or let my mind wander off campus? Here are four books to satisfy either inclination: Fiction Gilead by Marilynne Robinson will make you feel bright and whole. It’s narrated by the elderly Reverend Ames. Initially, Ames decides to write down his “begats” for his young son, but he is increasingly distracted by current events. His godson Jack has returned to the town of Gilead and his unsettling presence leads the Reverend to reflect on the town’s history and its very personal consequences. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is a…
