Suits Blog Post 5- Routman Ch. 8 Teach Comprehension

I had a conversation with a student at the beginning of the school year that went something like this:

Student: Why do I still come to you for reading? I already know how to read.
Teacher: I would miss you too much if you stopped coming to me!
Student: I'm serious Miss Suits.
Teacher: You are really great a reading words. I know you are. You know you are. You can read all the words that your teacher puts in front of you, can't you?
Student: Yes.
Teacher: Do you always remember details about the characters and events that happen in the story?
Student: Why does that matter? I can read about them.

"When we spend most of our energy focusing on words, students get the message that reading is about words rather than meaning.(p.117)" The above conversation (where I responded with perfect teacher words every time :)) came to mind the second I read Routman's statement.  As his teacher for the past two and a half years, it really hit hard.  I do teach comprehension.  It is a big part of the stories we read everyday.  We do a picture walk through and talk about gaining meaning from pictures and captions. We stop after pages or paragraphs to review what we read and connect it to previously read text.  We use thinking maps with every comprehension skill! How did this kid miss that reading wasn't just about calling words?! When I examine a typical reading lesson in my room and even break it down by time spent.  We spend most of our time word working and fluency bulding.  Comprehension is usually at the the end of our lesson.  Our brains are worn out and we're all watching the clock to see how long until the next transition.  I was encouraged by reading the think out loud strategies and other comprehension strategies in the "Try It, Apply It" sections (love!).  We are doing a lot of those.  I just need to slow down and spend more time on them.  

"...it's rarely a lack of word work that prevents students from understanding.  It's almost always not having the background, prior experiences, or knowledge of the way texts and authors work that stumps them...(p.118)"  This chapter has allowed me to have a mini reality check.  I love it! I wonder what would happen if I split work work and fluency and built time for reading comprehension in the middle of the lesson. I really want to experiment with different ways and times to teach reading comprehension. I love having something new to try!