Karilyn Parker - Blog Post 4 - Routman Chapter 4

The chapter title, "Teaching With Urgency" grabbed my attention right away. Aren't we all teaching with urgency?!? I mean May comes very quickly and I'm currently hearing Christmas music playing! Time is flying by what could be more urgent than knowing that you need to be teaching with urgency.

As I kept reading, I saw the checklist to make teaching with urgency work.

• Students having a bond with their teacher. (Love my students and I definitely hope that they have bonded with me. I love our small group time, because not only do I get to see what they know but also how they are feeling, what they did this weekend, and what interests them.)
• A knowledgeable teacher who models the values of literacy as she demonstrates, supports, encourages, and affirms. (Do I always do my best with this - not always. The struggle is real some days when your own personal child has a double ear infection and your alarm clock sounded way too early. I need to remember to slow down and encourage & support.)
• A collaborative learning environment. (Yes!)
• Tasks and skills that are worth knowing and doing. (My students and I might have varying opinions on this.)
• Successful engagement with the task. (I love when I walk away from talking with a student or group of students and think, "That activity really benefitted them or that activity did not go the way that my mind wanted it to in the construction process. Successfulness and unsuccessfulness with a task still gives me feedback as to what my students need and how I can help them.
• Enjoyment and pride in learning. (This is huge, because you want your students to love coming to your class. You want them to be successful.)

What I have learned from this chapter is to slow down and make the most of my time. I need to use formative assessments to guide my teaching. Whether it be a pretest, quick activity or an observation, I need to know where my students are with each standard and be ready to get on the level of each student to meet them at their needs.

Jill McDougald Nov. Blog Post #4 Teach Comprehension, Ch. 8 Routman

Comprehension is very hard for first graders to grasp!  Most first graders are developing readers trying to figure out how to read words much less remember and understand what they have read.  Routman suggests, "We should teach comprehension right from the start."  Students need to understand  what they are reading to get the meaning of the story.

Our first grade team has added some key questions this year to our shared reading discussion to help our readers understand our stories better.  Here are those questions:  "What is the genre of the story?",  "Who is telling the story?" and "What is the author's purpose?"  We discuss the genre of the story before our first reading of the story.  We discuss who's telling the story and what's the author's purpose after the first reading of the story.  We use the rereading strategy a lot in first grade.  By the end of the week, our students have had the opportunity to reread the shared reading story at least 5 times.

In reading the section called, "Teach Students to Survey Text Before They Begin to Read" my mind started churning.  Later this year, we will be writing nonfiction animal books.  I will demonstrate this strategy to my students to show them how to "hone in on exactly the information they're interested in."

This chapter has a lot of useful information on teaching comprehension.  I realize the most important thing I need to do is make my thinking process visible to my students when teaching comprehension.

Laura Keller - November Blog - Reflection on Conferencing

Conferencing with the students about their reading is extremely intimidating to me.  I have no trouble working with students individually on Math, but Reading is not my best subject.  I am much better when I think I can help with something that has an exact solution.  It is a good thing that we are being forced to conference, kidwatch,etc. with students about their reading.  Hopefully, practice will make the problem much less intimidating.  

One on one observation is very personal to the student.  The most intimidating part of conferencing with the student is trying to record their miscues/mistakes without making them feel bad because they made a mistake.  I am very slow at this.  I held my blue card, a copy of the script, and a clipboard all while trying to Also, I do not want to distract from their reading any more than they might already be distracted.

Also, another hard part, is finding the time to conference.  While working on the Miscue Analysis, I will grab one student at a time, whenever I can.  I have to use homeroom time, independent reading (of course), and bully meeting time.  In general, I am still working on timing in all aspects of my teaching.  I am finally learning to line up and get to the hall quicker, I am learning to collect papers quickly, etc.  So, I hope that with more practice conference will have plenty of time since I am becoming more efficient.

The most important part of the conferencing, has been learning my student's issues with reading.  I realize how much help some of my students need.  In most cases their reading performance is directly correlated to their performance in math or Science.  I tried reading a test to one of my students that is struggling in the focus group and it made a huge difference.  Reading has importance in every subject!

Valen Egan’s November Blog Post 4: Conferencing

I have always loved conferencing with my students.  I feel like it’s a precious time when I can really get to know my students on a one-on-one level.  Many times, I come away from the conferences much more knowledgeable about what my students need and/or ideas that I can implement to help them.

 

Through the years, I have always struggled to find the time to conference as much as I’d like and the format in which to document the conferences.  I’ve set goals for myself to conference with all students once a month and used all kinds of fancy conference sheets, but over the years, I wasn’t satisfied with the time I was spending and the information I was recording.  I’ve learned that I need to concentrate on what works for me as a teacher, and what information will be most valuable for my instructional planning.  So, I created my own reading conference sheet that includes a small section where I can take a running record, ask them comprehension questions on the book they shared with me, a list of reading strategies that I can mark if they need improvement on, and a place for me to write comments or for the student to set a reading goal for themselves.  I’ve also stopped worrying so much about getting 1 conference per month with each student, and I just do it as much as I can.  Taking the pressure off of myself actually lets these conferences happen more naturally which also provides better information.

 

With my focus group this year, I have really enjoyed listening to them read and observe their book choices.  Through conferencing, I have learned that many of them still struggle with making good book choices.  Some want to read books that are way too easy (probably to cope with the fact that they are struggling readers), and others choose books that are way too hard and don’t even seem to realize.  From my running records and diving more into miscue analysis, I’ve realized that pretty much all of the students in my focus group rely heavily on the visual cueing system.  Since conferencing allows a private time with a student, I’ve been able to take these opportunities to show them other strategies that they can rely on when they make errors while reading.  Sometimes just modeling how they can skip the word, read to the end of the sentence (or sometimes the page), go back and think about what makes sense, sets off a lightbulb in their eyes!  I absolutely love these moments with my students and feel they make the greatest impact with my reading instruction.

Routman; Chapter 3: Share your reading life (Jennifer Pitman)

Whoa, this chapter hit home!  The impact of making connections within your personal reading while sharing can open the minds of others.  I believe that's why we all love to hear a book read aloud, go to the live concert, have play dates with friends, etc.  It simply makes sense!  As an elementary student I vividly remember & enjoyed "Reading Rainbow" sharing new books, as well as, our school librarian allowing us to choose a stuffed animal to hold while listening to her share a book to us--this was way better than our round robin class reading that always stressed me out.

We are always told & encouraged to model, model & model again, its the repetition of learning.  I enjoyed how this chapter made it clear to share your own reading habits.  I read constantly and I enjoy my 'GoodReads' App so I can write a review, store bookshelves of books I'm currently reading, want to read, and see what my friends are reading.  I feel it's much like her journal.  I've never thought about sharing more than what's present in my classroom so I love the idea of sharing photos of my bookcases.  I can totally relate to having favorite authors and having my books pr-ordered for the date of release.  I've never  been a part of a book club but one day, maybe when I retire or my own kids get older I want to join one.  I talk to a lot of by bookworm friends by the GoodReads App but I'd love to hear real-live book conversations.

Being involved with our W.A.M.E. school news show, I'm proud that we take time to recognize our class 'Rockin' Reader & Awesome Author' this can help sell an author and gives children the chance to share their findings.

Suits Blog Post 4: Conferencing

During my conference with my focus group, I learned that I have a group of very different readers.  B, I noticed had incredible comprehension skills. He was able to answer all literal questions and showed inferential comprehension abilities even when I did not ask for them.  He is able to take a topic and talk about it at a high level of intelligibility. T, on the other hand, has incredible decoding skills, but retells the story in broken pieces.  He struggles to understand the main characters and how they connect to the plot line.  He is not able to make connections to the texts we read.  I learned that B and T would make GREAT paired reading partners.  Their reading skills complement each other well.  D and C were both students with weak decoding skills.  D is able to make connections and answer inferential comprehension questions.  His inferences are weak.  He is able to answer literal comprehension questions.  C struggles to any comprehension questions after reading a text on his level.  He makes connections to the story, but struggles to stay on topic in discussions.  E and J are somewhere in the middle.  They are both able to decode words well and answer literal and inferential comprehension questions.  Neither of their answers are deep, but they are always correct. They are consistent as well.

The best information I received from conferencing with my group was how I may be able to group them as we complete our oral reading and paired reading assignments. It will best benefit this group to split them into three pairs, T and B, E and J, and D and C.  With D and C, they will need a lot of direct instructions on how to make inferences and even take literal meaning from a text.  I can guide T and B to help instruct each other using their area of strengths.  E and J will be able to work well with each other to grow steadily as better readers.

Decken Blog Post 4: Conferencing

While conferencing with my focus group, it became clear that it will be a struggle to get a majority of them to read during independent reading (IR). Most students in the group are the students that I am constantly watching to make sure they are actually reading and not "fake" reading.  It is very evident that this group struggles with comprehension of what they're reading.  After being given a passage to read, it was a challenge to answer simple comprehension questions about the text. While some students referred back to the text during these questions, it still did not help them gain an understanding of the text.  I do not think they know how to pull meaning from a text or passage.

For example, four (out of six) of the students could not give me the main idea in the passage.  All of them could give me specific details about it.  Vocabulary was a struggle...they did not gain meaning of words through reading the passage.  Which leads to inferencing...only one student was able to decode what was read and make his own understanding of the passage.  In the future, I will focus on helping this group truly understand what they are reading.  I believe that will have an impact on their "love" for IR time, and they may just actually spend that time reading if they're understanding what it is they're reading.

Trippe. Blog Post 4. Nov. Routman Ch 7. Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

This chapter addressed an ongoing concern of the majority of teacher, administrators, students, and parents I know- assessments, specifically too many assessments. I think Routman addresses this concern perfectly by pointing out that assessments should not be done just for assessment sake, or just for administrators, or just for state requirements, but assessments; should be done to drive instruction and move children forward.  

I particularly liked how Routman stated multiple times that if school or district policies are not supportive of classroom instruction and the best needs of students that teachers should address the concern with school or district administration. I agree with Routman’s statements about how assessments and evaluations should be part of the daily routine. When I was a self-contained special-education teacher all I did was plan, teach, and assess. I had to assess students’ progress through observing and monitoring in order to know what needed to be re-taught to whom, who needed more practice, and who was ready to move to the next step.  As Routman also states, assessment--- whether formal or informal--- has to be woven throughout the instructional day, otherwise we’re just robots going through the motion without concern for the students’ progress.

I also like how Routman pointed out the way to work conferencing in to the daily schedule.  I hear many teachers state that they don't know how they can ever get conferencing done with all of their students. Routman gives recommended time to spend with students at various levels and ages. I will be using the framework she provided for information reading conferences with the students in my Read Well group as well as the student I’m working with the My Sidewalks program.

Routman’s states, “… the most accurate information is obtained by carefully observing the child by your side, in the active reading. And when the students are assessed in connection with a book that they’re interested in---rather than a decontextualized text passage---optimal and accurate assessment is more likely.”  I have definitely noticed this in the library when I’m able to help students find books to read. When students read to me, I ask questions to assess their comprehension and am able to help guide them to “just-right books” if needed.  

Once again, Routman has given clear tips and sound experience to support reading assessment. I think applying the points in the chapter will improve reading instruction in any school. I look forward to using the strategies with students in instructional groups as well as more informally in the library.

Ashley Skow - November Blog

Routman - Chapter 8

     Comprehension is one of the skills that I have noticed many of my students struggle with. However, comprehension instruction in the classrooms I have observed is sporadic, at best. Therefore, I was very interested to learn more about how to effectively teach comprehension to students in a way that would help them become better readers rather than just teaching them to answer comprehension questions. Reading this chapter brings to mind one of my students who, when asked to talk to me about the page he has just read, frequently just recites the last few words of whatever he has read, regardless of whether it makes sense or forms a complete thought.

     One point that really stood out to me in this chapter is that teachers often focus on teaching individual strategies in isolation, but spend significantly less time demonstrating for students how to not just use a strategy but to incorporate meaning-making into reading. Using the "think-aloud" in order to demonstrate for students how a reader thinks while reading, rather than just after reading.

     I love that this book urges us, as teachers, to ask meaningful questions rather than just a greater about of surface-level questions. This suggestion can apply to science and social studies as well as reading. We often ask students straight recall questions about stories they have read as a group, multiple choice AR questions on independent reading, multiple choice or true/false questions on science and social studies tests. We almost never ask students to think deeply or form opinions and support those opinions with factual or textual evidence, and yet we are confounded by our students' inability to show evidence of critical thinking.

Chapter Take-Aways

• Teach students to: make connections, self-monitor, find big ideas, visualize, question, infer, and create new ideas
• Overemphasis on comprehension strategies can detract from reading for overall understanding 
• Comprehension instruction: 20% comprehension instruction and 80% guided practice
• Use think-alouds to give students access to the mental process behind reading for meaning

Terri Gowdy – Blog post 4 – November – Routman- Ch. 8: Teach Comprehension

I so appreciated the perspective on comprehension from this chapter. I know we want to develop deep thinkers that can analyze and apply what they have read to what they already know, but getting my students to independently seek to do that can be a struggle! In an effort to share strategies, sometimes my students seem to get caught up in that as opposed to reading for overall meaning. It was helpful to be reminded to “keep the act of reading predominate.” Limiting the explicit instruction time to about one fifth seems wise, and focusing on helping them monitor and regulate their comprehension is the goal I am aiming to achieve! Routman helped me re-focus on the key processes of comprehension (predicting, questioning, creating images, seeking clarification, and constructing summaries), and then provided some great examples of the most effective strategies her research has found to support these processes. I found this chapter has refocused my efforts on what I believe to be the most important feature good readers need… Comprehension. While I do check comprehension during individual conferencing, I will strive to go beyond just teaching strategies. While implementing strategies and attaining fluency are certainly important in developing good readers, if my students are simply focused on the strategy, and do not understand what they are reading, or are not reading for the information to be gained, then I am failing them as a teacher!

Blog Post #4-Conferencing

Blog Post #4- Conferencing

Karen Rosenberger

One of the most successful years I had conferencing with students was when I had a student teacher in my classroom. It was an absolutely perfect situation. With two of us, we conferenced each day with at least four or five students. I felt as if my independent reading time was effective and meaningful. And then, she was gone! It was like being a first year teacher all over again. I had to start from scratch. My independent reading block was never exactly the way I wanted it to be. I decided to start over. I needed something that I could handle on my own that would allow me to spend quality time with my students to get to know them as readers.

At the beginning of this year, we created some class anchor charts to learn about what good readers do. IPICK, What is Independent Reading?, Just Right Books, and Read to Self are hanging in the classroom for students to reference if they get off track. I love it when students look at the posters to help them remember what good readers should do!  As teachers, we have to model and teach good reading strategies, and then allow students time to apply what they have learned. We are also holding students accountable. Conferencing allows us reteach, set reading goals, monitor the books students are choosing, and check for understanding. Students are actually getting one on one instruction during this time. It is also a time for my students to ask me questions about books I am currently reading.

For me, the key to successful conferencing is to have a plan. It is so important to teach the children what is expected of them during the independent reading block. As I am conferencing with a student, the rest of the class is allowed to “sit around” the room. The most popular choices are the teacher’s desk, cozy chairs, the back carpet, and the “R” stool. I have found that my students enjoy independent reading more when they are in a comfortable spot where they can stretch out and immerse themselves in their book.

Learning how to conference successfully does take time, but it is so worth the reward. Not only does it lead your instruction, it also allows you to learn new things about your students every day!

Carolyn Shackelford Novemeber Blog Post - Routman Chp. 3 Share Your Reading Life

I have known for quite a while now how important it is to connect with your students at the beginning of the year. I usually do this through sharing pictures of my family and stories about my husband and kids. The beginning of Routman's chapter "Share Your Reading Life" discusses how, as reading teachers, we should share with our students how we feel about reading and how reading makes us feel. This chapter also encourages us to share with our students other insights into our reading lives such as; what we are reading and why we've chosen those texts, why we have a personal library, and our favorite authors and books.


I really enjoyed the "Try it, Apply it" sections in this chapter that gave great examples of activities to do with your students that mirror what you do as an adult reader. I especially liked several of the suggestions from the section that discussed how to choose what to read. One of the suggestions was to keep a list of books they wanted to read. I recently stumbled upon this idea quite by accident. When we received our two boxes of new books for our classroom libraries, I was trying to figure out how to share so many new books with my students and spark their interest in them besides just holding them up, reading the back and moving onto the next one. A Pinterest idea that I had saved was to give each student a book, and sitting in a circle, have them open it up and read anywhere for five minutes and then move onto the next book. We did exactly that with our new books. I even included a few "speed rounds" where they only had a few minutes to quickly look at the cover and flip through them. Almost all of the students showed interest in some of the books they came across as we passed the books around the circle. A few started to express concern that they would forget which books they had liked. Quickly, I had them pull out their Reading Notebooks and on the last page write down any titles they were interested in reading later and the lexile level so that they could go to our classroom library and find it later.


In this chapter, Routman emphasizes yet again, what an important teaching tool modeling is for readers. We need to inspire our students to find pleasure in reading not just do it because it is a requirement.

Varley Nov. Blog - Conferencing

Throughout the month of November I have been focusing on conferencing with the specific students in my kidwatching focus group. I have done this in a variety of ways. First, I have met with each of the students as they read their own books to check on their comprehension and reading fluency during independent reading time. I love meeting with my students in this setting because it allows them to feel comfortable and more confident in their reading abilities since it is a book of their choice and they are able to stay where they chose to sit during independent reading time. I like to start by having the student “catch me up” on what they are reading, which is a sneaky way of checking their summarizing skills and comprehension of the book so far. Then, I will ask them to read a little bit of their book to me from where they left off. I take notes as they read if I notice any patterns in their miscues. Then, I ask the students to retell me what they just read, to check their comprehension. With my focus group, specifically, I noticed that the students had a difficult time remembering what they had just read on that page, so I introduced the “read, cover, remember, retell” strategy to them to try. I also like to ask the students what they think their reading strengths are. I have been the most surprised by the answers that they have given me to this question. Two students said that they have none, which absolutely broke my heart. So, we brainstormed together and I let them know the strengths that I see in them as a reader. Then, I made sure to check in with them in subsequent independent reading times to compliment them on and remind them of their reading strengths. Other students were able to say right away things like, “I’m a great sounder-outer”, “I take my time” and more. Knowing how these students viewed themselves as readers helps me to build on their strengths and help them grow as readers. Another thing that I like to do in my conferences is to set a small goal with the student for their reading that we will check in with the next time we conference. When the students create the goal on their own, I have noticed that they are more motivated to reach that goal. I have also sat down with each of these students to complete an IRI passage and answer comprehension questions. This is more of a formal conference because we meet at the back table instead of at their desk and the reading material is predetermined. I do miscue analysis to assess the students’ miscues.  Throughout these two types of conferences with my focus group, I have noticed some similarities among the students in my focus group. One common skill they struggle with is inferencing. Every student in my focus group got at least one of the inferencing questions wrong during their IRI passage questions and often when I ask students to infer in their own books they can, but when I ask how they got their answer they just say “I don’t know”. After noticing this, I decided to meet with them as a small group during independent reading time to do a mini lesson on inferencing. This allowed for them to receive instruction that was individualized to the skills that they need the most help with. It also allowed for them to have more practice making inferences and interacting with the text with their peers. Without conferences I would not have been able to see the common skill that my focus group struggles with and I would not know very much about my students as individual readers. Conferencing allows me to build a reading relationship with my students and it helps to guide my instruction to meet their needs. After seeing these wonderful effects of conferencing, I certainly plan on continuing to do this not only with my focus group, but with my entire class.

Trippe. Blog Post 3. Oct. Miller Section 1: Not This

I loved the topic in this section about finding time during the educational day to support independent reading. I agree with the examples of frequent activities that may not be necessary: calendar, transitions, reading blocks, etc. I’ve talked with several teachers about adjusting their schedules and activities such as these to allow more time to support independent reading with their students. The example of “What Benches Are You Guarding” was great to show how some actions may be repeated year after year even though the original reason for implementation is no longer valid.

I frequently notice how some teachers utilize more time during the school day to capitalize on every second. I’ve seen teachers take advantage of transition times by reviewing facts or spelling words when waiting for related arts classes, lunch, or bathrooms. I’ve also seen teachers with organized and efficient procedures for lining students up that eliminate talking, pushing, etc. that often waste time.

I hope that through this course and especially this section that teachers will consider what activities they can modify during the school day that will provide time in the classroom that then can be used for independent reading. As we all strive to increase children’s reading levels and time spent reading, we will each have to consider “What Benches Are You Guarding” and how we can adjust our routines and implement new techniques to support independent reading.

B. Hardy's December Blog Post 5- Why Not? What Works? D. Milner

This chapter focused on the many benefits of independent reading.  The statistics were pleasantly but not surprisingly alarming for students who read independently a hour a day compared to students who did no out of school reading.  According to the article, there’s clearly a strong relationship between independent reading practices and academic achievement.  One of many take away statements revealed that “best readers read the most and poor readers read the least.”

This section also gave practical tips for students to become stronger independent readers.  The “Genre Wheel” would be a handy tool for the older grades to offer variety where as in our kindergarten setting teacher monitoring, assessment and support during independent reading is vital. 

Lastly I found the section on, “what teacher behaviors lead to student success during independent reading” to be especially helpful.  I’ve found that reading conferences have produced the largest gains among our students.  Not only is feedback essential but setting goals for future reading is necessary and helps to keep students focus and promote growth.   

B. Hardy November Blog Post 4 - Is There Enough Time? By: Debbie Miller

My eyes were instantly drawn to the question posted as the chapter title, “How Can You Find the Minutes?”  The author was referring to the minutes necessary to increase independent reading in a daily schedule.  As I reviewed my current daily schedule, I analyzed and reflected on which instructional activities were essential and which practices I found to be not beneficial and was willing to release.   

I realized that many of the activities throughout the school day dealt very little with real reading.  This chapter also helped me to focus on real questions I should be concerned with.  Most importantly, do the current instructional activities involve ways for the students to make meaning of the text?  Are the current activities allowing the students to grow as a reader and most importantly what issues are the students currently struggling with as they read?

The article helped me to realize one of my major task as an instructor involves monitoring and giving feedback to the students as they are reading which in turn will allow them to become better readers.  I especially loved the statement, “Independent reading in silence without support means children suffer in silence.”  What a powerful visual that speaks volumes!

Trippe. Blog Post 1. Aug. Routman Ch 3: Share Your Reading Life

Routman’s examples, suggestions, and tips are all well and good, but these ideas may seem a bit overwhelming considering the additional demands and expectations of the classroom teacher in a 21^st century public school.  The classroom teacher should not think of these ideas as another series of tasks to add to the school day but as specific steps to incorporate into the framework of the classroom and school. These suggestions will lead to more responsible students who achieve more in the classroom and on standardized testing as well as in society as general while at the same time create avid readers for life.

I specifically liked Routman’s suggestions for teachers to model reading for pleasure, to keep and share their own personal reading logs, to keep and share their lists of books to read next, and to model reading for meaning.  While I do keep a list of books I want to read, I don’t always know which book I’ll read next. I liked the example of the principal frequently asking students and teachers:

                What is your “now” book?

                What is your “next” book?

And Routman’s addition:

                What is your “last favorite” book?

I’ve never kept a reading log of what I am currently reading but am starting one now. I like the idea of looking back at the end of the month and reviewing what I’ve read. I like Routman’s simplified reading log for adults and children. Teachers keeping a reading log with date read, author, illustrator, title, and genre and showing it to students is a wonderful way to show students a variety of reading and reading for work and pleasure. I have never thought of showing them to students. I now see the benefit of sharing them with students and encouraging students to keep their own lists of what they are currently reading and what they plan to read next.

Trippe. Blog Post 2. Sept. Routman Ch 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

As I read this chapter I kept thinking how often the recommendations and examples seemed like “common sense” ideas. But as we all know, common sense isn’t so common now a days. I liked how Routman succinctly put ideas together that although may seem like “common sense”, we too often forget to step back and think what is the best for the children in our classrooms and schools.

When reading this chapter I kept noticing a recurrent theme of “student involvement”. Student involvement was mentioned in the design, development, as well as maintenance of the classroom library. Having students contribute to the design and organization in addition to getting students’ input in categories to develop and expand in the classroom library gives them ownership of the materials in the classroom library and organization of the classroom library.  When students have ownership of a classroom library they are more likely to utilize the materials along with respecting and caring for the materials more.  All of these points seem like “common sense” items to me, that are worthy of pointing out.

Other points that seems like “common sense” points to me were the displaying of the books- with covers facing out. Just like lining up books on the chalk tray or whiteboard tray to whet the learning appetite of students, displaying classroom library books with book covers facing out will catch students’ eyes and lead to more reading. Using mounted gutters to display books is an idea we used in Atlanta twenty years ago, and I think is needed even more in the fast pace society we live in today. Considering the digital age and the May 2015 study by Microsoft that said the average attention span is 8 seconds, we have got to capture students’ attention and interest quickly. What better way to get a child to read a book than to show the cover vs. just the spine of a book. I also liked the descriptions to monitor check outs from the classroom library which also builds on students’ ownership of the classroom library.

The see Routman’s philosophy of a classroom library as an enhanced Field of Dreams. The philosphy “If you build it, he will come” includes: if you provide books- students will read books; if students have a vast selection from which to choose- more students will find something to read; if students participate in organizing and expanding the classroom library- students will feel more comfortable finding books. I hope that more teachers will apply these ideas and suggestions and encourage students of every age to pick up a book and read, then pick up another book and read, and continue to enjoy reading for the rest of their lives. 

Beth Sullivan-Blog Post #4 Miller Section 1: Not This

Section 1 of Miller and Moss’ book brings to light the importance and benefits of providing time for students to read independently each day and shows teachers that the time for students to read independently can be found in an already busy school day.  Miller also stresses that not only do students need time to practice reading they must also be taught and given the tools they need  through instruction to become proficient readers.   There were so many things in Section 1 that really stood out to me.  I liked Miller’s reference to guarding benches as she helped show that there is time in a school day for independent reading.   I think that for most teachers one of the greatest challenges we face is finding the minutes in our day to get everything in and still be effective.  I know that sometimes at the end of the day I am exhausted and my students are exhausted.  I pushed them hard as we flew through the day trying to get it all done.  However, I often feel that in the drive to get it all in sometimes important teachable moments are overlooked and missed.  A large portion of this section focused on a visit to a school in Baltimore where Miller and a literacy coach spent a day examining all that was done in an attempt to find minutes to implement time for independent reading.  The visit showed many lost minutes throughout the day as well as some instructional time that could have been used more effectively. There were many things mentioned in this section that I know that I have done or still do.  This section was a great reminder of the importance of taking a close look at the activities I use in my classroom and make sure that they hold value and are effective and that I am not just using them and doing them because it is something I have always done.

Independent reading time in my classroom is quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of the day.  I love seeing how excited my emergent readers are at reading and how excited they are to share their new skills with me.  This section emphasized that just providing time for independent reading is not enough to help students become readers. I loved what Miller said, “Children learn to read by reading… but not without instructional support.”  Students need instruction and need to be taught and given the tools to become proficient readers.  I think all teachers will agree that providing time for students to read is important if students are to become readers.  This section clearly showed that providing time for students to read independently can be found in an already busy school day but it requires teachers being willing to change and let some things go.  Finally, finding time for students to read independently is just a first step in helping students become strong independent readers.  Students must have instruction and support as they read.  This section left me with lots to think about as I implement independent reading time in my classroom.  

Jayna Lehrer – November Blog Post – Conferencing

Although individual conferencing is an area in which I struggle to get done, due to the high demands of the day, rigorous curriculum and other assessments that need to be accomplished with my Kindergarteners, it is one of my favorite things to do with my students.  I love getting to know them on a more personal level by conducting both reading and writing conferences in my classroom.

By conducting weekly reading conferences with my students I have been able to find out more about them in terms of their personal interests and real world connections. With five year olds and reading, it is almost impossible to make it through a conference without them telling you something from their personal lives that relates to the pictures or words in the book.  You also will have those students who tell you something that has nothing to do with what they are reading.  By conducting these conferences I am able to assess my students in terms of their ability to comprehend what they have read and if they can make text to self-connections. These findings help to guide my ELA instruction.

I am also able to assist my students during reading conferences by working with them on decoding and sounding out words. I can get them to look at a word and think about a particular strategy to sound it out. Strategies that I go over with them during these conferences are:

o   Refer to letter sounds from our Read Well Curriculum

o   look for vowel clues (two vowels go walking, magic “e”)

o   Check for blends

o   check for word chunks

o   look at the pictures

o   skip the word and then come back to reread

I have been able to see vast improvements in my students thus far. I have really enjoyed these reading conferences and look forward to watching my students continue to grow as lifelong learners.

Casey Lyles- December Blog Post- Routman Ch. 9: Emphasize Shared Reading

Routman encourages teachers to make shared reading an integral part of our reading program.  Shared reading can be a great way to demonstrate and support what good readers do.  Students are able to see text, listen to it being read, and then join along.  It can be a powerful bonding experience between teachers and students as well.  Routman includes a great framework for shared reading that can be utilized in all grade levels within this chapter. 

Shared reading is one of my favorite times in my classroom.  It can provide encouragement to students and boost their reading self-esteem by joining in on the predictable text.  Students are often apprehensive about reading aloud out of fear they will not know a word.  Shared reading encourages everyone to read together so even the lowest readers in the classroom can feel included and have a positive experience reading out loud to their classmates and teacher.  Shared reading not only builds confidence in my students but it also builds their fluency and word familiarity as well as provide practice in phonemic awareness.  Shared reading time is also a great opportunity to share a variety of genres with students such as non-fiction and poetry.  I am able to demonstrate tracking the text, reading with expression, stopping at punctuation, as well as assess my student’s ability to make connections, predictions and inferences. Within non-fiction texts, it is a great opportunity to point out headings, italicized words, labeled pictures, diagrams, etc.  Routman mentions many times throughout this chapter that students should be involved in discussing the text with the teacher and peers. I feel like I do a thorough job of this in my classroom.  I use the term “turn and talk” with my students and during that time they are to turn to a neighbor and discuss what we have read/learned.  It is a way to hold them accountable and to also allow each student to talk.  As much as I want to, there is never enough time to let all students share their ideas with me.  Allowing them to turn and talk to each other provides an opportunity for everyone’s ideas to be heard by someone and I am able to listen to multiple conversations to assess student understanding and get an idea of what they took away from the shared reading experience. 

Casey Lyles- November Blog Post- Chapter 4: Teach With a Sense of Urgency

In chapter 4 of Routman’s Reading Essentials, she discusses the importance of teaching with a sense of urgency.  She doesn’t mean “urgency” as in to teach prompted by anxiety but rather make every moment in the classroom count.  Teachers need to be focused and ensure that the instruction provided is engaging and moves students ahead.  We must constantly be aware of where students are, where they need to be, and what we need to do to get them there.  Part of teaching with a sense of urgency includes keeping expectations high for our students.  Teachers must include high-level thinking, problem solving, and questioning within their instruction.  Moving students forward should be a top priority of teachers and we must focus instruction on what kids need rather than on the components of a literacy program to help them be successful readers.  The part of this chapter that spoke to me the most was under the heading “Focus on Language Acquisition, Not Just Letters and Sounds”. In this section, Routman discusses the importance of students hearing stories read aloud which in the madness of a typical day in kindergarten, I don’t always get to.  Students must first understand stories and written language before they can pay attention to print. 

Routman states that “To expect children to become literate before they have a base of language understanding is an exercise in futility.  They may learn to sound out words but that is where the story ends.” I am guilty of sharing read alouds during the time some of my students are pulled for RTI which is discouraged my Routman.  My mentality in doing so is that they are not missing other instructional time….it’s only a read aloud—no biggie! I have been so wrong in doing this!!  After reading this chapter, I understand Routman’s point in providing rich reading experiences and read alouds for students in order to help them develop language.  It is important that all students are able to participate in these experiences and I should make a point to include more than I do.  I feel that we push letters, sounds and sight word recognition in kindergarten and don’t focus enough on sharing stories with our students.  While these mentioned skills are important, isolated skill and drill isn’t nearly as beneficial as providing interaction with rich language in stories read aloud.  “Teachers who read with young children and promote productive talk about stories are more likely to expand children’s language development.” 

Anna Johnson Blog Post 4- Routman Chapter 4 Teach with a Sense of Urgency

In this chapter, “teaching with a sense of urgency” Routman stresses the importance of making every moment in the classroom count, ensuring that our instruction engages students, having high expectaions for each student, and us as teachers reflecting on our own teaching decisions. Teaching with a sense of urgency makes you aware of the students in your class, their needs, and how to push them to the best of their ability.

What stuck out to me the most was the section about working toward independence. My students depend on me a lot during the day and have little independence with it comes to academics. Routman shared that students who remain dependent on a teacher for all feedback and confidence are limited in how much they can learn. When students have all the tools: strategies, confidence, knowledge…etc… to learn on their own, the responsibility shifts and changes from the teacher to the student. As teachers we always know what and how to teach, but it is just as important to provide the following: respect, joy, engagement, success, and encouragement. It takes all of these things to make continuous learning possible and for students to become more independent.

Routman discussed his top five things to do to ensure students become excellent readers

1.       Demonstrate that I am reader.

2.       Provide an excellent classroom library.

3.       Let students choose books when they want to read and give them time to read them.

4.       Teach strategies students need to know to process and understand text.

5.       Evaluate students regularly, giving them feedback and helping set goals.

Teaching students and keeping the high expectations are always priorities in my classroom. After reading this chapter it got me thinking to reflect back on my habits and practices. I need to incorporate my own reading life and model how I think, behave, and talk as a reader. 

Sheryl Elliott. Chapter 4, November Blog Teach with a Sense of Urgency

I especially liked the checklists: Top five things we do to ensure students become excellent readers and top five things I do to ensure students become excellent readers.  This list gave me a mental checklist of things I need to do more of in my classroom.  I know I need to give students more time to discuss their reading.  I have been having book discussions on itslearning, which has been a huge success.  The interactive reading paragraphs really interested me.  We are on our third chapter book read aloud.  The students seem to love it.  I think I’ve done a good job of discussing the book after we’ve read, but I need to do more interaction as we are reading.  I love chapter book read alouds because I love to see the students’ reactions in certain parts of the books.  Using the chapter book read aloud during my mini lesson is effective too.  The students are familiar with the characters and the plot, so it is easy to discuss.  For example, we have been working on theme.  We are reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  This book allows us to discuss theme a lot.  I guess I just never thought of that as interactive reading.  That’s a really cool way to describe it! The author states that students become readers and writers when they are introduced to massive amounts of texts.  I agree with this 100%.  Shared reading and writing and having a great classroom library are very important part of a student’s reading and writing success. The last page of the chapter really spoke to me.  I know my expectations need to be higher for some students.  The author really stepped on my toes.  I’ve got to forget about home life, all kids can be held to high expectations.  

Donna Lowe Blog for November on Conferencing

Conferencing with my students has become such a important part of each day.  If it is missed for some reason, I just feel out-of-sorts.  What is really great is getting to spend that little bit of extra time with those kids in my focus group.  One day this week I concentrated solely on my focus group. What I found was that those students have made many more gains with their reading than I thought.  That was a great surprise!  It also made me aware that I need to keep challenging them so that they continue to progress.
Each day I begin my conferencing time with a mini-lesson from one of my Beanie Babies.  Yes, Beanie Babies-the stuffed animals.  For example, Questioning Owl helps remind my students to stop and ask themselves questions as they read.  Chunky Monkey teaches my students how to look for the "chunks" (little words in big words, consonant blends, endings) in words to decipher the word.  My favorite beanie baby example/lesson is with Skippy Frog.  Skippy Frog helps me teach my students what to do when they come to a word that they don't know and can't seem to chunk.  Just today, one of my students used that strategy so well with his Clifford book.  I filled out his conferencing bookmark with encouragement to keep on using the Skippy Frog strategy.  My students relate well to stuffed animals, as most six and seven year olds do.  When it is their turn to get to spend the independent reading time in the corner reading center, they get to hold the stuffed animals while they read.  I see them back there holding those animals while reading and sometimes reading to the animals. 
Conferencing is kind of an emotional time.  It's a time to connect with my students.  I try to remember what it felt like to read to my teacher when I was little, and actually how intimidating it can be.  First-graders do not want to be wrong.  They don't like to make mistakes. They want their teacher to be proud of them.  So, I take the opportunity of conferencing to build them up with their reading.  I always show them something that I noticed that I am really proud of.  I always give them a goal to work towards.
Conferencing has become very rewarding to me, my students, and especially my focus group.  I see this time as extremely beneficial and now I don't know what I would do without it! I don't know how I taught for so many years without doing it. It makes me sad to think that I might have missed out on learning something really important about my students as readers when I didn't conference on a regular basis.  I'm thankful to have learned this important part of teaching.