A Publication of Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Lee, L. & Bushby, B. (2000). Thoughts
and Notions. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Reviewed by Joan Hamilton
Heinle & Heinle's Thoughts and Notions
by Linda Lee and Barbara Bushby is the second in a series of reading practice
volumes, this one designed for high beginning readers. Like many other reading
practice texts, this one presents short readings accompanied by various exercises
intended to extend students' vocabulary, map skills, and multi-media skills
(video and tapes accompany the text), in addition to developing specific reading
practices.
The
text's authors note that their chief goal was to develop their readers' vocabularies;
consequently, the text is heavy on vocabulary activities--matching, clozes,
crosswords--as well as grammar activities. A typical reading selection will
be followed by a cloze activity, an exercise using the new vocabulary in new
contexts, and a review of the preceding vocabulary. In addition, the text uses
periodic study units that address other reading needs, such as dictionary use
and utilizing context clues. Further, the authors have included other necessary
post-reading activities, including a comprehension check, an activity eliciting
inferences, and a main idea assessment.
As
already noted, the post-reading exercises in this text are considerable and
nicely done; however, one should not neglect to mention the readings themselves,
which, while relatively short and, therefore, suitable for beginning readers
of English, have attempted to provide students with a variety of high interest
and unusual topics. For example, one unit presents articles on mundane inventions
(the zipper and the umbrella, among them), others, unusual sports (curling,
for example), food (one of them puffer fish), mysteries, and finally articles
on contemporary business. Each article is prefaced by a related photograph or
graphic and pre-reading questions. Furthermore, the articles increase both in
size and in difficulty as the text proceeds; easier-to-read and more familiar
material is placed in the first unit of the text to help students to develop
confidence and familiarity with the class.
Thoughts
and Notions does not present itself as either a writing text or as a literature
text. The selections offered are strictly reading for information, and the exercises
reflect that bias. As such, I do not believe that the text can stand alone in
the reading curriculum but must be supplemented by additional reading that provides
students with opportunities to develop critical reading skills at the same time.
Furthermore, since the specific target of this text is vocabulary building,
post-reading activities are aimed at that goal, and, while some attention is
given to other specific reading-for-information skills, the bulk of other types
of reading skill practice will have to come from elsewhere. However, the area
of greatest weakness in this text is in writing. While the text suggests writing
topics with each unit's close, the suggestion marks the extent of the writing
activities. Moreover, even those activities have been limited in scope: students
simply provide answers to the no-more-than-three questions asked by the text.
Since Thoughts and Notions does not attempt to address oral skills, without
the writing practice, students do not receive the opportunity to use the newly-learned
vocabulary in creative ways.
Despite
the above caveat, I liked Thoughts and Notions. I am always looking for
collections of readings suitable for this reading level, and this one provides
some readings that are entertaining, informative, and skill-building. My students
would enjoy them as supplementary readings and activities. However, I would
need at least one other text in the classroom to provide other types of reading
and communicative activities.
Joan Hamilton teaches at Omaha South High
School in Omaha, NE. She can be contacted at hamiltoj@ops.org.
