Radical Reflections: Passionate Opinions on Teaching, Learning, and Living

by Mem Fox

Book Overview

The internationally acclaimed children's book writer and educator offers her insights into the learning process, language education, and the pleasure, growth, and power that reading and writing can... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 015607947X
• ISBN13: 9780156079471
• Release Date: May 1993
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An absolute must for teachers, parents, administrators

I just finished reading this exquisite book, and have sent emails to all my friends who are educators and/or parents. Fox writes with such passion and voice that I couldn't put the book down once I started it. Her ideas are needed, her style is eloquent, fluent and mesmerizing. This is a book I will read again and again, especially at the start of each new school year. What she says is as important for high school learners as for kindergarten. She has stated so succinctly why it's essential to keep the heart in education. She shows how children can come to the love of reading, writing and thinking. Her diatribe against fill-in-the-blank worksheets is convincing. I will give a copy to every teacher that my children will have throughout their schooling.

Why teach reading

I like to read this book just before I start a new school year. It reminds me of the reasons children want to learn to read. I teach remedial reading. The programs my district uses focuses on phonetic instruction. My students do need specific instruction to decode words, but they also need to be motivated and to know the pleasures of reading. This book helps keep my priorities right .

wow

If you are a teacher, or you are in a teacher education program, or a parent and you haven't read this book you are missing out!!! Every teachers ed. program should require this book. It was an amazing read. Mem takes you to places in education you never knew existed! Thanks Mem!

Life changing book for me

This is the one book I kept from college and the one that convinced me to teach. I re-read it from time to time to recapture my vision for reading and writing in my classroom. What can I say? A must read for parents and teachers.

If you teach reading or writing you have to read this book!!

"Those who write well have more power and therefore have more control over their lives" (p.21). If this is indeed true then Mem Fox is a very powerful woman! In the midst of the phonics vs. whole language war being raged in the media, this book is a call for reading and writing teachers to examine their practices and strive for truly purposeful, artful teaching. Fox's insights into her life as a writer, teacher and mother make this a truly inspiring and intensely challenging read. I have always believed that to be an effective reading teacher, I must be a reader, able to share my passion for books with my students, but Mem Fox points out that unless I am a writer as well, I will be unable to know the difficulties, fears, hopes and needs of my students as writers. I plan to thoughtfully explore the forms of writing I use, examine the writing process I go through and share my writing with my students on a more regular basis. I am convinced that we will all grow from the experience!!