Re: Why.. students can't read directions

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

> I wonder if my students are different?
I think the question should be am I any different.  The consensus of people
I have talked to is that teachers are worse at reading directions than
students.

My wife who works for a large law firm has to highlight, underline, and put
arrows pointing to important information that attorneys have requested,
otherwise they call and complain that they can't find the info.  I thought
attorneys were supposed to be able to pick out fine details!!!  Executives
all have secretaries who do this sort of drudge work for them!

Part of the problem is that we are overloaded by information, and we tend to
skim rather than read every word.  Students have learned that just throwing
out relevant sounding terms will often get them through, and that they do
not need to understand things deeply.  The results should be obvious.
Students when reading a problem tend to pick out just a few words along with
the numbers and try to solve the problem from there.  They never develop
expert like problem solving skills.  Indeed most of the textbook problems
even encourage this.  They are organized in groups according to the type of
equation required, and as a result little thought is needed.  Similarly
students know to use ratios because they are in the ratio section of the
math book.  As soon as the section is over they immediately forget the
technique.  When doing problems many teachers even tell them to just look
for certain words as keys, and ignore other words.  No wonder they do not
read the whole section.

One way of training them to read is to give them games and books of hints
that allow them to beat the opponents who decline to read the hints.  This
will train them to read the manual at the beginning.  My children have
actually learned this skill, but it has only partially carried over into
school work.  By making them read sections of the book rather than answering
their questions directly, I have managed to partially train them to read
when they are having trouble.

A technique that helps them is to ask them to read the instructions when
they have a question.  Then make them read them again if they still have
questions.  Then use Socratic dialog to help them to understand.  It is well
known in education circles that students have trouble with expository text
even though they can read novels.  Most reading instruction is done with
stories, and little attention has been paid to expository text.
Unfortunately the educators tell teachers that students need training with
this problem, but they seldom train the preservice teachers how to go about
it.  I suspect the reading professors don't know either.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX