Inner-Voice Sheet

Many people have asked me why are we spending so much time on the Inner-Voice sheets. As a teacher, it is hard to explain to students why I do what I do without saying the words "because I said so" but I will try to explain. When we read a novel like this, it is hard to see whether students are reading and understanding, or whether students are bored and just looking at the words on the page. Also, when we read to comprehend the text, we lose so much of the potential for getting smarter. The Inner-Voice sheet combines both comprehension and making connections into one.

 For example, if I am reading "The 3 little Pigs", and I understand and remember the story, that is one thing. This is what most teachers focus on and they will say that this is enough for them. However, it is my belief that we need to connect what we are reading to things that we already know so that we can build a strong background of knowledge. The sheet also allows students to ask questions and make predictions. As learners, if we can do these things, then go back and answer them ourselves, it increases the amount of mental processes that we are doing all at once. All of this combined with actual reading, enhances out intelligence must faster than reading and answering simple comprehension questions.

Attached is the Inner-Voice sheet along with two short YouTube videos discussing the uses of making connections while we read.