Well, today I'm one of the lucky ones. Gosh. That, in fact, is A Thing I Now Know.

Well, you actually learned "declasse," because I'm an idiot who can't fucking spell because French is ridiculous. But the point stands.

Also I think there's an accent in there somewhere? But I am le tired.

(I am pretty sure the text was a 19th century novel, so like: OBVIOUSLY there's some ~stuff~ around the idea of morality being a luxury for the working class. But the notion was basically: it is very hard to be concerned about, like, petty theft when you are starving.)

I read it if it's really hard, so they can hear it read fluently, because sometimes that helps with meaning. But if it's not too hard, they read in small groups, and I ask them to read it aloud to each other. They think it's silly, but they're getting much, much better.

In a class I'm teaching right now, we have a TON of 18th and 19th century sources we examine, and they're so very challenging for students. So I generally read them aloud, and have the kids highlight or underline words they don't know as we go.

I think phonics instruction is really important to help students be able to read fluidly, and be able to "hear" a text in their head, so it feels more natural-- and not like something they have to wade through.

But my sister, who is only three years younger than I am, got the whole language, three cueing stuff like a shotgun blast to the face. And it really mattered, I think. She liked reading, but it wasn't easy. Not like it was for me. And we read aloud differently, too!

It's a good one. Didn't write for them myself, but my dad did, and so did some of my friends. Turns out some solid journalists!

No shit. I read this and thought about the Red and Black, the student paper at UGA, which went fully independent in 1980 and operates off-campus for just this reason.