Rachel Johnson-blog 2 (Sept)- Miller Ch. 2

                This chapter was very beneficial to me because it told the “what” of IR.  In the previous chapter I was sold on the fact that students need IR time every day but this chapter explained what students need to be doing in IR time and what my role as the teacher is.  The two parts of the chapter that really spoke to me were that students need to be reading from different genres.

            Miller stated that students need to be reading from different types of genres.  I have seen this over the past eleven years in my social studies classroom.  Every year I have some students that are wonderful readers and score well above a fifth grade level on standardized reading tests but fail to perform at that same level with reading comprehension work and passages in my  classroom.  When they read the type of genre they are used to, the student is great.  However, when I have them read nonfiction material and historical documents (that are on a fifth grade level) I noticed these students floundering.  Over the past few years I have worked to introduce my students to more nonfiction/historical text.  I started having a basket of books or magazines on my front table that correlate with our current unit.  I introduce the books to students at the beginning of each unit and call them supplemental text.  In other words, I’m not making the students read the books but the books are there if they choose to read them.  Rarely are there books in the basket.  In fact, there is usually a waiting list for the books.  Most of my students LOVE reading the historical books and learning more on our class topics. 

            While I am thrilled that my students are reading from different genres and sources what made me even more excited was the growth I saw in their comprehension when reading in those areas.  Reading nonfiction and historical material is different than reading a fiction book. Once they discover how to read the different genres they see themselves succeeding with the material.  Then I have happy, successful students which makes a happy teacher!