Emily Plumley - December Blog - Routman Ch. 6: Plan For & Monitor Independent Reading

Teachers have heard for a long time how important independent reading is within the classroom. I could not agree more. Growing up I fell in love with independent reading time in the classroom, especially in my elementary classrooms. I also had several teachers that would model what a good reader does. Those teachers would have independent reading time, at the same time we did! While we all sat in a comfy spot with a good book, my teachers would do the same. They didn't grade papers, make lesson plans, or any of the other many things teacher's have on their never-ending to-do list. Watching my teachers take the time to get lost in a good book, made me fall in love with reading more, because I was watching the people I looked up to and aspired to be, model to me what a good reader is and does. I've always wanted to model this same thing to my own students. I would love to say that I've done a fabulous job of this......but unfortunately, I have not. I get caught up in my never-ending to-do list, and don't sit down with a good book during independent reading time to model to my students what they should be doing. BUT this is definitely something I want to become better at!

Also, I believe meeting with students one-one-one during independent reading time is very important. One-on-one time with your students is always important, but to share with them the love of reading...how special that is! A simple conversation about the book a student is reading can lead to so many other conversations (Why did they pick this book? Does it remind them of something they've experienced? Does it remind them of something going on in their lives right now? How does this book make them feel about these experiences?). Plus meeting with students about the books they're reading, shows them that their teacher cares about what they're interested and their success in being great readers.

One more thing I enjoyed in this chapter was partner reading. I love this idea! I can remember doing partner reading throughout elementary school, specifically when I was in 3rd grade and my class would go to a 2nd grade classroom to be book buddies with 2nd graders. I remember feeling so responsible being able to help a 2nd grader read their favorite book, and them teaching me new things as well. Or just partner reading with my classmates was always a fun activity that led to interesting conversations about the book we shared (and the occasional rabbit trail that's bound to happen with 2 kids are talking, lol). I would love to implement more partner reading in my classroom, whether it's during independent reading time, or during our content in science. Since students love getting to talk about what they're learning in class, why not let them talk with each other about what they're learning?

Jennifer Pitman- Dec. Blog; Ch#6: Plan for & Monitor Independent Reading, R.Routman

This chapter clearly lays it out there from all we have heard from research and reading classes to have a successful reading class we need to demonstrate, teach, guide, monitor, evaluate, & set reading goals along with student choice reading.  This year I have seen more reading, more books being checked out, more conferencing, & students asking each other about the book they are reading.

 In my new teaching position, as the Horizons/Gifted & Talented Teacher, I teach around 86 students and get to briefly walk-in many classrooms to pick up my students.  Often I have seen independent reading & teacher lead conferences taking place.  It's a very inviting classroom to enter.  I've been very impressed how much our students have adapted to our new reading strategies and how quickly our teachers have accepted & tried new reading strategies.  The main thing, we as teachers need to focus on is monitoring the students progress so that the independent time is beneficial & useful.  As a child I always heard "Practice makes Perfect" with that in mind it totally make sense for us to allow our struggling reading to practice reading everyday!  In the book, Page #85, sets the bar & makes it clear to see how "independent reading" should be performed to have increase reading scores.  As a parent, you heard & read to help your child grow in brain develop & quality time just read to them daily.  From birth til adulthood, any book can be used for entertainment & brain development.  Not only does the child become a better reader it also can connect the student & teacher.

   During reading talks in my room it has helped build our classroom community & shows me what they are interested in.  Throughout my teaching career I have been involved in the DEAR, SSR, SRA & Daily 5 Model.  All have pros & cons like everything!  I've always enjoyed listening to students read & like to see them "Think, Pair, Share."  I enjoyed & felt that if I was pulled back into a regular ed-reading class I would reference to this chapter often due to the charts, checklist, just the right book checkpoints & examples.   This chapter could make a struggling reading teacher master & improve their reading class development very quickly & easily guides you in how it should look & feel.  I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter and hope all reading teachers get the chance to read it too.

Dawn Mitchell's Share Your Reading Life Regie Routman's Chapter 2

During the month of January our application we are working on learning about Socio Cultural Learning theories and strategies that help support student talk.   In our required reading this month Richard Allington identifies student talk as one of the essential components that characterize the most effective teachers’ classrooms. 

In January’s blendspace you will find a variety of resources we’ve included for you including the four theories that we are sharing with you such as Owocki and Goodman’s kidwatching excerpts that focus on sociocultural learning and talk and Chorzerpa’s suggestions for utilizing Socratic Seminar to promote active student engagement in learning.  You will also find in our blendspace an example of an award-winning podcast in the link to NPR’s “This I Believe” podcast series as well as a link to try out a very user friendly podcasting tool for students called vocaroo (vocaroo.com) 

This month for my blog post, I have chosen to read chapter 3 “Share Your Reading Life” from Routman’s Reading Essentials for many reasons.  First of all, I believe that this directs to the importance of talk in our classroom.  How many of us love to read and love to talk about what we are reading?  I know that many times I have read a book that has deeply affected me as a reader and I have immediately wanted to share that experience with another human. 

When I was in the second grade and read, Charlotte’s Web I remember sitting beside my best friend at the time, Amanda Ravan just a crying over the loss of Charlotte and the heart warming knowledge that I at 8 had experienced the joy of friendship.  When I was in the fifth grade and read Where the Red Fern Grows I remember vividly having to re-read it at night to my twin brother because I wanted someone else to know those two coon dogs, Little Ann and Ole’ Dan that had stolen my heart and made me love the outdoors all over again.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit to you that in college when Greg and I first met I read Nicolas Spark’s The Notebook and was so smitten by the idea of a love like that I asked him would he please read because I hoped that the new love we had found might grow into a lasting life time love like the two characters based on the author’s grandparents had found.  I know cheesy right! 

As readers we connect to what we read and we are compelled to share our thoughts with others.  When Lily Grace figured out what Severus Snape’s heart was really about in Harry Potter she had to run downstairs and tell me that he wasn’t all bad and she couldn’t believe I had let her peg him wrong all this time when I knew he actually helped save Harry in the end!  I told her that I was waiting to see her reaction and I didn’t want to spoil the discovery of loyalty in his character for her.  We then both concurred that J.K. Rowling had magical writing abilities to draw out his character development.

Our students need time to talk about what they’ve read, to transact with others who may affirm their thoughts and more importantly, who may challenge them and open them up to a new way of thinking.  In my first summer of the Spartanburg Writing Project, my book club that read and wrote under the influence of Barbara Kingsolver’s work that summer challenged my thinking and my writing in ways that grew me. 

In this month’s article, Allington states,  "..if we want to increase substantially the amount of reading that children do (and would I argue that this is one absolutely crucial step toward enhancing reading proficiency), it is important to give children books they can read and choices regarding which books they will read. Likewise, crafting a supportive conversational environment in which students talk to their teachers and to their peers about the books they are reading is an important component for sustaining increased reading. And active teaching of useful reading strategies expands the array of books that children are able to read. Finally, shifting evaluation to focus on effort and improvement enhances students' motivation for reading."  (Allington, 2002 pg. 8)

One of the strategies that Routman made in this chapter is to share your now and your next book and to have a record of your reading.  In my writer’s notebook I have a running list of books I’ve read so I can remember them for mentor texts and for the memories.

Each month I visit Mr. K’s Used Book store in Greenville (in Verdae Shopping Center off the Motor Mile) and buy my stack for the month.  Below is my picture of my Now Book stack.  Every single book in this stack was recommended to me by a friend.  Keri Lyles from Arcadia recommended Outlander (she was right, it is full of adventure, history, suspense, and a little romance too!).  A friend of mine I met in Kentucky when Tasha Thomas and I presented at a Writing Conference there recommended The Goldfinch to me on facebook and The Martian was highly recommended to me by my parents. 

Here is a picture of my Next Book Stack and both books on this list made the list through talking with others.  The Rick Bragg book is on my next stack because he is an all-time favorite of mine and two friends, Susan Cox and Pam Ray recommended this one to me recently.  The ESV Bible was given to me for Christmas by my husband Greg because two friends of mine recommended this translation to me. 

Other take aways for me from this chapter include:

*Favorite Author Area – page 30

*Baskets of Recommended books – page 30

*Keeping a Simple Reading Record – page 35

*Demonstrating How You Read and Your Love For Reading – page 36

Routman says on page 24 that it is important that we share our love of reading with our students.  “I want students to know I am compelled to read.  It is almost impossible for me not to read.  It’s much more than enjoying a well-told story, increasing my knowledge about the world, following directions, or say, understanding philosophy.  Reading pervades my life and sustains me the same way friendship and love do.  Reading gives me joy, comfort, perspective, new ideas, questions to ponder, and connections to other lives.  I want nothing less for my students.” (Routman, page 24)

I agree whole-heartedly.  #readersareleaders

Sincerely,

Dawn

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!

Rachel Johnson-blog 7- Routman Ch. 12

          The last chapter of Routman’s book, You Only Have So Much Time, really hit home with me.  Every year there seems to be changes, new teaching programs, and more testing.  It is very easy to get overwhelmed-I’ve been there.  However it’s important to put everything in perspective.  As Routman states in this chapter, there is only so much time in the day and time in the year.  Good teaching cannot happen when the teacher is stressed, nitpicking every new program for the wrong, and complaining about new testing.  It is important to see what you can change and what you can’t and only make time to stress about what you can change. 

          At the end of the day my job is to teach the seventy students in my classroom to the best of my ability.  While I incorporate new ideas and try new strategies in my lessons, I also stick with what I know works.  As Routman stresses the importance of making every minute count.  Through her book this year, as a grade level we have significantly cut out “less meaningful” time.  We have count transitions between classes in half and cut out meaningless segments of our day.

          Since we only have so much time in the day-use it wisely! 

Donna Lowe Blog Post for December: Routman, Chapter 8

I really enjoyed this chapter on teaching comprehension. So often as primary teachers we are seen as the ones who teach children how to read - meaning how to read words..  What's missing is when we focus so much on the words that we forget to teach meaning behind those words, stories, authors, etc.

Routman suggests that teaching comprehension in isolation can actually make reading harder for children. "While it's fine to introduce and practice strategies one at a time, remember that when we read we use all these strategies at the same time and that our comprehension is largely unconscious."  Largely unconscious....that really made me think.  When I read do I think about what I am doing?  No, I don't. It's just like picking up a pencil or getting a drink of water.  I do it without thinking about it.  So, how do I teach comprehension properly?  Am I doing a good job with the methods that I am already using?  "Comprehension is a subtle, difficult-to-define process that changes according to the demands of the particular text."  So this means I have to prepare my students to be able to make meaning from all sorts of books.  

After reading this chapter I am convinced of one main necessity: Modeling. Modeling. Modeling.

In order to teach students how to apply comprehension processes, I have to make it look effortless. Natural.  Unconcious.  But, I have to be able to talk about it.  Discuss it.  Have a conversation with my students about what I am reading.  It's acting.  It's pretending to read it wrong or not understand something.  It's pretending to be a young reader so that they can identify with it.  It's making the thought bubble (like a speech bubble) come alive.  Personally, I feel as if I do a lot of this already but I did find it useful that Routman said to teach rereading as the most useful strategy. I think most children get in a hurry and want to just finish a book.  Rereading slows them down.  But, it makes them think.

In closing, I appreciated everything from this chapter.  I will refer to this chapter again.  I see how teaching comprehension is an integrated part of reading.  The strategies can't stand alone.  They must be able to apply strategies as they read.  "When we read, we simultaneously and seamlessly employ a whole range of strategies, and we are constantly making refinements and adjustments according to the demands of the text and what we bring to it.  Our comprehension process is invisible and difficult to document."  As a teacher, I must make the invisible, visible.  

Rachel Johnson-blog 6-Routman ch. 8

In teaching social studies and science I am constantly focusing on reading comprehension with my students.  Just because my subjects aren’t “reading” class doesn’t mean they can through everything they have learned in reading class out the window.  In fifth grade students really begin to see how subjects intermingle with one another.  For example, when giving a social studies assignment, students may be asked to read a historical passage an answer questions, compare two events in written form, and analyze a graph over the population of an area.  All of these items deal with other subjects-specifically reading.  Being able to successfully comprehend content reading passages is essential for my classroom.

            Reading in the content area is different from reading for pleasure.  Most of my students when reading for pleasure I notice read fiction or science books.  In the content area, most of our reading is nonfiction and from primary sources. Thus you have to read and comprehend it differently.  Routman discusses teaching and modeling several reading strategies with your students.  However, it is important to find the balance and not overload students with strategies.  I have found when students are shown too many strategies they become confused and overwhelmed as to what to use.  When teaching reading comprehension for the content I have found two strategies that seem to work well for my students.

            One strategy that seems to work well for my students is looking at the questions to guide the reading.  When reading for content, most of the time we are reading for a purpose.  Thus we need to know that purpose before we read.  By knowing the questions they are looking for, students are usually more focused and successful with their content reading.  Another strategy that works well in my room is highlighting important information.  This allows students to pick out essential information while reading and use this information to help answer questions at the end.

            I truly believe that successful reading comprehension is essential for all classes and grades-not just reading class.