Blog #4 Teaching Comprehension

In chapter 8, Reading Essential, the author stressed the importance of teaching comprehension right from the start.  For example, she discussed how in the earlier grades, teachers focus on automaticity, word calling, and fluency.  By do this, students are more focused on trying to pronounce words when reading text rather than thinking about comprehending the text.  Also, she explained how as teachers we assess student’s comprehension skills.  However, we fail to   teach them how to think critically when they read.  The author stated, “Most students can give us the rudimentary facts but rarely an analysis of what they’ve read.  We are turning out lots of superficial readers.  They look and sound competent.  They read smoothly and can retell what they’ve read with some detail, but they are unable to go further-to discuss why characters behave as they do, to give a concise summary, to discuss the theme or big ideas, to talk about the author’s purpose.”

                Routman explained the importance of teachers teaching skills and strategies to help students with their comprehension.  She provided a list of strategies that proficient readers use when they are reading.  For example, proficient readers, make connections, monitor your reading for meaning, determine what’s most important, visualize, ask questions, visualize, make inferences, and synthesize. 

                The author stressed the importance of being careful about how we teach comprehension.  She talked about how teachers read books to learn strategies for teaching reading.  Often times, teachers take strategies they learn too far. Therefore, students are exposed to many strategies, but they are not sure as to how to apply them.  She stated, “So much emphasis on comprehension strategies can actually make reading harder.” 

                Routman expressed how teachers should balance explicit instruction with time allotted for application.  She stated, “We need to be careful, too, about the amount of time we’re devoting to strategy instruction the act of reading still needs to predominate.  Many students are held back by too much explicit instruction and too little guided practice.  Keep in mind a 20-percent to 80-percent rule.”

                At the end of the chapter, Routman provided strategies teacher can use for teaching comprehension.  For example, teach rereading s the single most useful strategy, use writing to help recall key points, teach students to survey text before they begin to read, teach self-monitoring as crucial to understand, and many more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teach Comprehension

In chapter 8, Reading Essential, the author stressed the importance of teaching comprehension right from the start.  For example, she discussed how in the earlier grades, teachers focus on automaticity, word calling, and fluency.  By do this, students are more focused on trying to pronounce words when reading text rather than thinking about comprehending the text.  Also, she explained how as teachers we assess student’s comprehension skills.  However, we fail to   teach them how to think critically when they read.  The author stated, “Most students can give us the rudimentary facts but rarely an analysis of what they’ve read.  We are turning out lots of superficial readers.  They look and sound competent.  They read smoothly and can retell what they’ve read with some detail, but they are unable to go further-to discuss why characters behave as they do, to give a concise summary, to discuss the theme or big ideas, to talk about the author’s purpose.”

                Routman explained the importance of teachers teaching skills and strategies to help students with their comprehension.  She provided a list of strategies that proficient readers use when they are reading.  For example, proficient readers, make connections, monitor your reading for meaning, determine what’s most important, visualize, ask questions, visualize, make inferences, and synthesize. 

                The author stressed the importance of being careful about how we teach comprehension.  She talked about how teachers read books to learn strategies for teaching reading.  Often times, teachers take strategies they learn too far. Therefore, students are exposed to many strategies, but they are not sure as to how to apply them.  She stated, “So much emphasis on comprehension strategies can actually make reading harder.” 

                Routman expressed how teachers should balance explicit instruction with time allotted for application.  She stated, “We need to be careful, too, about the amount of time we’re devoting to strategy instruction the act of reading still needs to predominate.  Many students are held back by too much explicit instruction and too little guided practice.  Keep in mind a 20-percent to 80-percent rule.”

                At the end of the chapter, Routman provided strategies teacher can use for teaching comprehension.  For example, teach rereading s the single most useful strategy, use writing to help recall key points, teach students to survey text before they begin to read, teach self-monitoring as crucial to understand, and many more.

Purpose, Authentic, Choice, Explicit Instruction = Successful IR

In this section of No More Independent Reading Without Support, making the most of independent reading was discussed. The authors suggest doing four things: giving IR a purpose, make sure it is authentic, let students have a choice, and give students explicit instructions.

So why should we do this? There are many reasons. The book states, "When teachers are explicit and children have a clear purpose for their reading work each day, it engages and motivates them to want to read and work hard." I have seen this first hand in my classroom. If I just tell students to read, then what I get is students looking around the room at everything but their book! I have tried lately asking students what we are learning when they are reading, or relating what we are working on in class to their IR time. They have LOVED finding and analyzing figurative language in their own book choices this week.

Authenticity is also something that we have lost in education. We have become so focused on standardize test, that we often forget to tell children why what they are doing in class is important. This can by changed asking your students simple questions, discussing with them their reading, and even comparing books they have read to current situations in the world.

Third, we need to have student choice when it comes to IR, but more importantly we need to teach children how to make the correct choice. I have found that several instances in my classroom of students not reading during their reading time is because they have chosen books entirely too hard for them. The textbook states, teachers need to give children many opportunities to get to know themselves as readers and explicitly show them how to make wise decisions." By giving them choice, but also showing them how to make the correct choices, we are benefiting them greatly.

The last part of "PACE," is explicit instruction. We have to show our students how to make meaning of their text. This can be done in many ways through conferencing, discussions, writings, and so much more. We cannot just let our students read without support (the whole basis of this text) because we are setting them up for failure if we do so. By giving students instruction, and supporting them through their readings, we can catch early on if they are not comprehending a text and make the changes needed for their IR time to be more successful.

Don't Forsake Independent Reading

    Teachers have to make it a priority to ensure students have time for independent reading.  There are a number of things that can hinder teachers for allotting time for reading independently.  Therefore, teachers must make a conscience effort to make sure independent reading is taking place in the classroom.  Students can benefit greatly in their reading skills, especially struggling readers.  .  If teachers are truly aware of the value of setting time  for reading, they will never forsake this time for their students.  According to Routman, Reading Essentials, teachers should consider allocating at least fifteen to thirty minutes a day for independent reading.  
     Research has proven that struggling readers improve their reading skills by reading.  According to Routman, a longstanding, highly respected body of research definitively shows that students who read more, read better, and have higher reading achievement.  For this reason, teachers independent reading is vital in the classroom. 
     Teachers are often pressed for time due to the demands of teaching.  Therefore, the first thing that gets put on the back burner is independent reading.  This happens because most teachers feel that students are reading in other subjects.  Therefore, it's okay to take the independent reading time to complete other assignments.  This is unfair to all students, especially struggling readers.

Classroom Library

     There are a number of factors that impact students' ability to read.  Without access to various genres, many students are less likely to read.  Therefore, teachers should provide students with lots of books and choices.  According to Routman, Reading Essentials, it is difficult to maintain a strong independent reading program without an excellent classroom library.  Therefore teachers should make it a priority to provide students with a creative, attractive, and accessible library.
     In today's classrooms, teachers have so many demands on them.  Therefore, this can affect how they view classroom libraries.  In order to have an effective library, it takes time and planning. Teachers can remove some of the burden of setting of the library by allowing the students to help set it up.  According to Routman, when student help create the library, they use it more.  Too often, we teachers do all the work.
     An unorganized library will  affect students' reading  because they are less likely to read if they cannot find books that interest them. 

What's Your Theory of How Reading Works?

Blog #3  Module 4
Lori Roberts
     As I read chapter 2 of Catching Readers Before They Fall, I began to really think about the question, "how do children learn to read?"  The last section of this chapter, What's Your Theory of How Reading Works?, opens with "Having read this chapter, has your vision of how reading works shifted or changed?  How do you understand beginning reading?  Do you have a theory of how children learn to read?"  At this point, I had to stop and really think.  My answer to the first question would be, yes, my vision of how reading works has changed.  Before reading, I would have been like the teacher quoted in this section, "I'm not really sure how the kids in my class start reading, but they do.  Sometimes it seems like magic."  After reading and studying this chapter, I understand that reading is a process and that children develop.  This process includes a network of strategies working together in a students brain to help him/her understand reading. 
     This section talked about two contrasting theories, "the simple and the complex."  Before reading, rereading, and going back through this chapter my thinking about children learning to read was more of the simple theory.  "The simple theory proposes that the teaching of letters and their sounds, sight vocabulary, parts f speech, and other such visible items are paramount."  This is not to say that children do not learn to read with this type of learning or teaching, most will and do.  However, as it has been mentioned, it is the struggling readers who need more.  This chapter described the complex theory of reading.  "The complex theory proposes that as the reader is learning various letters, sounds, words, and other items, he or she is also developing neural networks in the brain (the invisible part of reading), which help him or her perform strategic actions to make meaning of text.
     As I continue to read this book, I hope to better understand reading process so that I can help my struggling readers build their reading process system.  I want my children to enjoy reading and become lifelong learners. 

Blog #4- Teach This, Not That- Rewards of Trimming the Fat

The last section of No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss helps to lay out a plan of attack for teachers who want to implement independent reading. Basically, there is a focus lesson where the teacher “explicitly teach them what readers do and how they do it” (Miller 42). Then, students go practice what they have just worked on in the focus lesson. Lastly, they share their reflections on what they have read and on themselves as readers. Also included is a handy pie chart to structure your time. ⅓ should be spent teaching with ⅔ spent reading, writing, discussing, conferring. Simple, right? Makes me wonder why I made it SO very complicated for so long! Also, it makes me wonder how I can use this structure in my social studies classroom...

This framework also comes with a primer on how to find the time and gives specific examples from a school in Baltimore, MD, and how they found the time. The authors encourage you to ask yourself to “be objective- what things are absolutely essential to ensure students learning, growth, and success?” (Miller 44). Remember way back to my first blog entry when I started reading this book? I looked at ways I could shave some time and incorporate more reading into my content area class. Gone are the daily geography and/or test prep bellringers. In their place are read alouds from folktales, info texts, and biographies that we are studying. After we read, I have begun to use a weekly share strategy. On Monday,  I model the strategy whole group after the read aloud. Students then practice it as a group and individually as the week progresses. I also use the strategy as an exit slip! I got some much needed feedback on how this was working the last two weeks during student-led parent conferences. One student shared with his parents that “Mrs. Whitlow reads us the most amazing stories. You wouldn’t believe the one from India.” Another student shared that my “storytime” was one of his favorite parts of the day. Our ELA teacher told me that their abilities to summarize had improved dramatically! No one has missed the “geography bench” that I was guarding…

Blog #3, Module 4
Reading Essentials: Teaching Essentials
Section Three of Routman's book is titled Teaching Essentials. It encompasses chapters 8-10.  Chapter 8's focus is Teaching Comprehension, and stresses the need for explicit instruction to develop reading comprehension, and time to practice strategies and skills. Our District has used a benchmarking assessment in the past that required less complex comprehension. We had students who could read words but could not truly analyze and think deeply about or beyond the text. Now we are delving into this focus on teaching more deep comprehension, and studying strategies and research relevant to how this is best achieved. Routman described rereading as the primary strategy for comprehension, "yet we rarely teach rereading as a primary strategy"(Routman, 122). 
Chapter 9 stresses Shared Reading. She explains the importance and use of shared reading in other content area.  She even gives a framework for shared read alouds. I have been working with a colleague on using reading and writing and inquiry and communication skills in a science unit.  By changing the way we plan the instructional unit, we are able to incorporate more opportunities for students to read texts at their own level and practice reading skills, but also to have more autonomy, interest, and investment in the unit as they select texts within a given topic, plan in group work, and present their learning.
Chapter 10 has Routman telling us to Examine Guided Reading and important considerations. She explains her view of guided reading as any one of several learning contexts used to guide "one or more students through some aspect of the reading process" (151). Routman cautions Teachers to consider groupings flexible, and insists that "When guided reading is strictly interpreted to mean meeting with students with similar reading processes, we do a disservice to students"(Routman, 153). 
Routman provides guidance on choosing books for guided reading, and creating a purposeful schedule for guided reading.  Throughout the book and in this section, she reiterates the need to "have students spend most of reading time reading" and "model exactly what you expect students to do", whether those expectations are within guided reading, independent reading, or purposeful, useful literacy centers.

Blog 3 – “EXTRA! EXTRA!...HIGH EXPECTATIONS!!!”

Sometimes I think the education system sells many of our students short.  Some things are watered down because the thought is that that some students will just never get something or be able to something.  In section two, The Essential Reading Day, of Reading Essentials by Regie Routman there are so many challenges for educators to keep expectations high and put a lot of responsibility on the students.  “We need to support students in becoming more self-sustaining, thoughtful, independent readers and writers” (Routman 39).  Teaching with a sense of urgency by making every moment that you have with students count, is just so true.  Helping the students learn to put thought and take responsibility through the optimal learning model helps them with not only becoming better readers but also with self-confidence.  “Their reward for their successful learning is intrinsic, personal pride and pleasure in their accomplishments” (Routman 47). 
As you are trying to build the responsibility of the students, allow them to have a lot of input with things like what is included in the classroom library.  “A great way to begin organizing your library is to find out what your students like to read” (Routman 68).  Then when you have a good classroom library setup, allow and schedule independent reading time.  “A study of middle school students found that students preferred independent reading and teacher read-alouds above most other activities” (Routman 97).  So again, the main objective is getting students to read…so give them the time to read things that they find enjoyable, and trust them to choose challenging selections! 
Then make sure that their progress is assessed, and “used to improve teaching and learning” (Routman 98).  When it comes to assessments…

“Assessments should bring about benefits for children, or data should not be collected at all.” – Lorrie A. Shepard

It all comes down to challenging your students, pushing them to have high standards for themselves, letting them have a part in choosing things that they are interested in, placing some of the responsibility on them, and tracking the data to see that they are improving.  Basically, having high expectations for each of them! 

Zone of Proximal Development

In Catching Readers Before They Fall, the basics of the Vygotskian Theory was highlighted. There are three major ideas in the Vygotskian Theory: zone of proximal development, understanding that language is the key, and sociocultural aspect of teaching and learning. My focus for this blog is the zone of proximal development.

Vygotsky "defines the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) as where the child can do it with your help." When teaching we want to find the ZPD because this is where students have the highest potential for learning. So how do you find ZPD you ask? Well, believe it or not.....you may have already found it but just haven't realized it!! Visualize a target or dart board. The bullseye or center is the zone of actual development (ZAD). This is where the student can do the task on his own. The student is in complete control and is able to complete the task without any assistance. "The ZAD includes all that you know, your background knowledge, and all the tasks you are able to perform independently."  This could be an assignment that you give the student to complete at his desk because you know that he is able to complete it without any assistance. Right outside of the bullseye on the dart board there is another ring, this is the zone of proximal development (ZPD). In the ZPD, this is where you teach or model a new skill because the student cannot do it on his own but can do it with your assistance or guidance. You want "activities that challenge children but that can be accomplished with sensitive adult guidance."  The last ring is called Out of Reach. And you've got it!!!! These are skills or tasks that the student cannot do even with guidance. These are skills that are too advanced for the student or the student may need to learn other skills before this particular one.

Let's go back to ZPD. While in the ZPD, you need to focus on explicit modeling and a gradual release of responsibility. "Teachers must keep independence as the goal." This means that after modeling and demonstrating, you have to back off and lessen the amount of help that you have been giving. This may be guided practice. As children gain more control performing the task given, they are moving closer and closer to independence (which is pushing these tasks closer to the bullseye on the dart board). The goal for the teacher to be able to pull tasks and skills from the Out of Reach circle into the ZPD with modeling, demonstrating, and guided practice. Then after instruction and less guidance allowing the students to gain more control of the tasks or skills they will be able to push them into the ZAD where they can do these own their own.

Engaged means enjoyment/Blog 3 module 4

While I continue to read from the book No More Independent  Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss I keep coming back to "one of biggest teacher concerns about IR...relates to engaged reading."  I can say that this is an important concept that I find myself questioning each day. What can I do to ensure that my students are engaged in what they are reading.  While teaching high school, I find my female students are a little more willing to and interested in reading when the time is given.  I am currently working to build a more interesting and broader range of topics provided in my classroom library for my students to choose from, but am also looking at options of working on how to truly know my students are engaged.
Miller and Moss stated that when "students are engaged in their reading , they can read for longer periods of time, read through more difficult texts and increase their reading achievement."  After reading this statement I felt it was crucial to make sure that I find books that my students can find themselves engaged in to help build reading achievement.  Over the past few weeks, I have noticed with two specific students some improvement in reading fluency and reading comprehension since we have been working harder with book selection.  I plan to continue to work harder to help these students in book selection over the next  few weeks and hopefully see more gains in the reading levels!

Teaching Essentials

"Comprehension has become a long over due reading focus" (Routman,119). In chapter 3 section 8, Routman discusses comprehension and the need that we have for students to understand what they are reading.  She talked about how it begins in the younger grades, and it can't start in third grade.  We are focusing too much on word calling, fluency, etc. and emphasizing to students that meaning depends on words.  She also talked about how we, as teachers, pick a reading strategy and spend weeks teaching and practicing it, but students don't really know how to apply it in their own reading. "We need to think deeply about our own reading processes, and trust what we do as a reader to guide our teaching" (Routman, 121).  That's a powerful statement!  I'm guilty of getting caught up in teaching standards and "what's right", but tend to over look what's reality.  Routman talked about rereading being the number one strategy for comprehension, "yet we rarely teach rereading as a primary strategy"(Routman, 122).  I was in shocked about this.  I always teach reread and pound it in the ground in all content areas. 

In section 9, Routman discusses the importance of shared reading time and how important it is in every reading program.  In my classroom I use shared reading to do a lot of my teaching, especially in Science and Social Studies. As Routman states, this shared reading gives students something to talk about and that boosts their comprehension of texts. 

In section 10, Routman shares about guided reading.  Routman states "I view guided reading more broadly and see it as any learning context in which the teacher guides one or more students through some aspect of the reading process" (151).  So we aren't suppose to be consistently meeting in reading level groups in upper grades?! Which goes into another point that Routman made about how she sees the return of homogenous grouping and that students need to be in mixed ability groups.  "When guided reading is strictly interpreted to mean meeting with students with similar reading processes, we do a disservice to students"(Routman, 153).  YES! The answer I've been looking for. Now, I do believe and Routman stated that in early grades K-2 grouping based on to focus on reading strategy is important.   I know that reading level guided groups is also important for my lower readers, but not 24/7.  Routman continued on to talk about fitting guided reading into your schedule, but how it should not dominate your reading time.  Independent reading is the most important! 

"Hot" Books & Assess For a Purpose/ Blog3

     As I continue to read Reading Essentials by Routman I am amazed at the spot on great ideas she is presenting. Many of the ideas that she is offering in her Try It Apply It sections are very helpful and I have either seen them work or use them myself. There are some that I am considering trying that are new to me.  Make books and book talk "Hot" is one of them. I love that she gives the students so much say so in the books they read and love. The students can decide which books they like best (or think are HOT) from the classroom library using a chosen criteria and create the best seller wall.  "Vote on names and books of winners" is such a great idea. This gives the student a say instead of the teacher always having her favorites shoved into the hands of the student reader.

    The attractiveness of the places to read for a student is also mentioned. I cannot agree with Routman more about this. There is nothing better than a comfy and cozy place to read. Even as adults we tend to find that just right reading spot. “Involve your students in library design and organization" Letting the students help create this spot as well as the classroom library can increase their joy of reading. A student based classroom with guidance from the teacher can keep the reader more involved and excited about being in class.

    “Make assessments work for you and your students” is crucial. As I read the bullets Routman had broken down in this section I found myself shaking my head yes and agreeing out loud. So often we collect data and observe our students but the information isn’t used. The information collected has to be useful and helpful to the student or else why do it? Set a goal for the student and assess that goal. Analyze and adjust to meet the needs of each student.

Beachbags and Books

Thank goodness for parent conference half days which allow me one more opportunity to head east and spend some time soaking up the sun on the shores of Surfside Beach. Even more exciting is my beach bag full of books that I plan to dive into (since the water might be a little too chilly) while the world slips away. My joyfulness at the thought of having many hours of uninterrupted reading time has me feeling like I’m walking on sunshine (couldn't refuse another 80’s music reference thanks to Katrina and the Waves J).

All of my anticipation over this long awaited weekend of reading and beaching has me wondering about my students and their love affairs with books. Are they as hooked on books as I am? Do they find reading something they can’t get enough of?  Does reading a book bring them intense pleasure? Routman’s book Reading Essentials stresses the necessity of an independent reading program in order for students to become lifelong readers. “Any reading program that substantially increases the amount of reading students do will impact their reading achievement” states Routman on page 83. She cautions, however, “that not all students automatically improve their reading just because we give them time to read.”  Progress must be monitored, books must be “just-right,” goals must be set, and conferences must occur. Without strict guidelines and ongoing assessment we will not move students forward.

 While I agree with Routman’s recommendations and philosophies, I struggle in my own classroom with putting them into practice.  Teaching reading strategies and using the optimal learning model often require large amounts of instructional time and independent reading often becomes a classroom management issue. Struggling readers constantly complain that reading is boring and they hate it. Despite my best efforts to match books to their personal interests and reading levels, the spark needed to start the fire is missing.  Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Heeding Routman’s advice (on p. 121) that “we need to think deeply about our own reading processes, and trust what we do as a reader to guide our teaching,” as I head out for a weekend of some book lovin’ and soul searchin’ has me hoping that one day my students, too, will fall in love with reading like I have and experience the satisfaction that comes from spending a sunny day on a beach with an irresistible book (and maybe a glass or two of fine wine). 

Cheers to reading!

Pick a Parrtner

" Partnered ,or paired, reading is a terrific way for students to read independently and grow as readers. " (ROUTMAN 91)  In my classroom, we use both approaches and I find success each year!!  My kids LOVE to read and can't wait to get in the classroom to choose a book basket for their table for the day! They immediately take a book out and start reading. They are allowed to make connections and share with their table mates, as well as myself. I have seen children start the year out hating to read but after being exposed on a daily basis to books of their choice, the love for reading blossoms. This helps them to grow as readers throughout the entire year. They also are allowed to sit on the floor, or even lay on the floor, to partner read. It is amazing at how well six year old children handle this. They have an audience in their partner and with that being said, they begin to use "voice" and not read so much like a ROBOT. ( seriously, that will put anyone to sleep..... LOL) It has gotten to the point that my children are making connections and are wanting to write about them in their writing journals as well.
     I listen to my children so much during this time or as Routman says, " I depend on partner reading as an easy way I can manage guided reading groups and still accomplish important reading work (91). I love the partner reading guidelines and plan on making a smaller version of this for my classroom. These children can use this to help themselves and one another.
     This book has been easy to read and is full of such useful information that is easy to implement!!

Even More on Learning Independent Reading the Right Way (Blog 3/Module 4)

Strategy 5 to grow as independent readers - students need access to texts.

According to Miller & Moss, "For children to find things they want to read, they need access to lots of materials."  This strategy could not have come at a better time.  I have just been introduced to NewsELA (thank you Melissa) which is an online resource for informational texts.  I created a FREE online account and will be able to assign students articles to read online (at least during the trial for the next 30 days).  But wait....here's the BEST part....I can vary the difficulty level of the text!!!!!!!!!  So I can give my students articles that they will be interested in (there's a good many on sports, current events, health, etc.) AND it can be on their level!  There are quizzes to test comprehension and writing prompts too!  Boy, I cannot wait to look at this more!!

Strategy 6 to grow as independent readers - students need teacher monitoring, assessment, and support during independent reading.

Research shows that "time spent reading without teacher guidance has a limited effect on achievement."  What better week for us to learn about Reading/Writing Workshops?  This week, I used Nancy Atwell's Writing Workshop strategy to help a student who was writing a scary story in English.  And it was so easy!  (Time-consuming, yes, but EASY!)  As a high school teacher, I have never used a Reading or Writing Workshop, but I think this is something that could easily be implemented in my present self-contained class (even if it is a math class, we can still read).

Stay tuned for next week's 7th and final strategy....

Converting Struggling Readers into Independent Readers

This blog post is focusing on just one two page section of No More Independent Reading Without Support. In this section the discussion is about helping struggling readers during independent reading time, specifically Kamli's 2008 study. In this study students were put into three groups during IR time. Group one received an incentive program, teacher professional development, and informational books. Group two received information books and an incentive program. Group three received nothing. The first group ended up showing great gains in not only fluency, but comprehension (which is something I think many of our students today are struggling with). This is something I feel most schools are lacking. We have found the time for independent reading, we have incentive programs, but we are not training teachers on how to effectively conduct independent reading time.

The book also states that, "One of the most interesting findings of the research is that many of the IR activities suggest in this section, such as small-group instruction, are even more beneficial for striving readers than for average and above-average readers." This spoke volumes to me. This is the group of students that, for years, schools have been trying to find a way to grasp them and bring them up to grade level (*ahem*... No Child Left Behind.....). Struggling readers, and those behind in grade level reading, are so hard to catch up. I have even had students come to my sixth grade classroom, reading on first and second grade levels. These students have struggled so much that sadly, they get lost. If we fixed our independent reading techniques, and trained our teachers on successful ways to conduct IR, we could close the gap on our reading levels. Some suggestions the book gives for activities to support struggling readers during IR time are:

1. help in selecting books
2. time for reading in and out of school
3. during reading support
4. instruction focused on reading strategies
5. opportunity for small group discussion

Many teachers say they do not have time for independent reading in their classroom, but if we had the training and knowledge needed to partake in successful independent reading times, we could see a huge change in the literacy in our classrooms.

Blog Post #3

            As I continue reading No More Independent Reading Without Support, I find myself needing to do more with my students even at middle school age.  I am not sure what my students have been taught about Independent Reading in their elementary schools.  According to the text, “Students need explicit instruction in specific strategies unique to reading and writing in particular genre if they are to successfully negotiate the many text types they should encounter as part of IR.”  During Independent Reading time, that I have since found out that our principal has changed the name to Independent Reading because he is wanting to gradually change from SSR to IR, I have the inclusion class so they may need more support than other classes.  I even had a conservation with my principal about the differences in Self Selected Reading and Independent Reading, which I had completely forgotten about until I started reading this book.  I am glad to see that our new administration sees the need to have a culture change in our school. 

            After reading a quote in this book, it reminded me of our district motto. Our district motto state that Union County Schools and its stakeholders commit to students first in building community, excellence, and lifelong learning, it fit with the quote from the book.  The quote states, “If we want children to become lifelong readers, we need to give them materials that interest them, and to do so means including informational text historical fiction, poetry, magazines, graphic novels, and other genre.”  I go back to it is all about choice.  If I am given a book that does not interest me I will not read it or not want to read it.  We are wanting our students to have a love for reading and if we give them materials that they are not interested in then we are defeating the purpose.  Sure there are times when we must give them a required text to read about, but during IR it needs to be their choice not ours.  We have to let go so the students can enjoy and develop a love or at least toleration of reading.  Students need to read to learn as well as read for enjoyment.  If we include all genres in our classroom libraries this allows students more choice in what they read.  We have to have a variety so we don’t bore our students are turn them off to reading altogether. 

Blog #2: My continued battle for next semester

As I continue to read No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss I am finding my self in this battle with what I should do next semester.  I know I want to allow my students time to read, but how and what is the best approach to go about this.  My daughter's teacher uses the AR test in her room.  I love this  program, holding some accountability with the test, but would students struggle with books on grade level.  I know that we will read books together as a class, but that is not necessarily a time for them to read books that reach their interest.  I feel that reading comprehension is going to have to be one of my key focuses in my class, so how do I reach this best while doing practices such as SSR???  I want to ensure to the best of my ability a love of reading, I feel this may be a somewhat hard task, but I am up to the challenge!

Share Your Reading Life

   In chapter three, Reading Essential, Routman explains why teachers should share with students why they read. Hopefully, by doing so, students will sense that reading is important.  Therefore, they may be more apt to read.  I think this will work for some students but not all because some students do not like to read.  Most of the time, it doesn't matter what tactics you use to hook them, some are not interested  in reading. 
     According to Routman, not only should teachers  share their reading with their students.  They also should let students know the next book or series they will read next.  This will send a message that reading is vital.  Routman explained, "Students don't have to see us read each day, but they do need know we read and value reading. "   I believe the best way to express this is reading before them. The students will know that teachers are passionate about reading.  Hopefully, this will encourage students that do not like to read to read more.
     As a parent, when my son was in elementary.  I really knew the value of reading, but I fail to realize that it doesn't matter what  students are reading.  For example, my son loved to read books about football.  I wanted him to read informational text. books.  I was told by his teacher, it doesn't matter what he's reading, we just need to make sure he was reading.  The light bulb came on for me I stopped pressuring him about reading various genres.
    It's vital for teachers to explain to students how they choose books to read.  Hopefully, this will help them when they are choosing books to read. Routman explained many ways teachers can share with students about how they choose books.  For example, she stated, "A student's excitement about a book often compels me to read it." 

Blog #3-Three Strategies to Build Comprehension

The next section of No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss is full of “critical practices” for making Independent Reading (IR) successful. Barbara Moss gives a brief overview of seven must-do strategies including reading in class, students choice, explicit instruction, how to increase text numbers, access to text, teaching monitoring, and time to talk about what has been read.

The last section on student conversation about their reading struck me the most because of the emphasis on peer discussion. My middle schoolers adore talking to each other. Here’s a way to channel that talent! “Peer discussion is one way that students can demonstrate their knowledge of their reading, which helps to make them accountable and improves comprehension. “(Moss, 35). The author goes on to recommend two approaches: Instructional Conversations and Questioning the Author. I need to research these strategies and see how they can fit into our study of world history. Another strategy explained is Reciprocal Teaching. This strategy “helps students monitor and develop their own comprehension”  by questioning, clarifying, summarizing, and predicting (Moss 36). About half of my class struggles with social studies content comprehension.

I am excited to learn more about these strategies and test them out in my classroom.  I would love for them to head to seventh grade with the ability to self-monitor their reading comprehension!

Bonding with Your Students

     In chapter two of the book, Reading Essential, the author expresses the importance of teachers bonding with their students.  Routman describes how bonding works.  For example, she stated, "Bonding depends on teaching that incorporates a learning model that assures success for all children.  This is through demonstrations, invited participation, guided and independent practice, in an accepting and encouraging social and academic environment, students gradually become confident learners." 
     I believe that students don't care about what a teacher teaches until they know how much they care.  Therefore, I believe Routman view points concerning  bonding with students are vital.  Children are not interested in the number of standards teachers have to teach.  They enjoy class when the classroom environment is very inviting.  Students know whether or not the classroom is a safe place to take risk.  According to Routman, teachers need to work their magic with their students. 
     Routman stated, "You can't bond with someone you don't know."  Therefore, in order for teachers to bond with students, they have to get to know them first.  Teachers get to know students by interacting with them and giving them choice in the classroom.

Blog 2 Why Aren't All Kids Successful Readers? Lori Roberts

Struggling readers have not developed what is referred to as "a reading process system."  This is described as an integration of strategies that proficient readers use to make meaning from text.  It is mentioned in the text how important it is to be "early rather than late" when identifying struggling readers.  Often times struggling readers plod through the early grades falling further and further behind.  We need to get an early start with these students and begin building the reading process system.  When students continue with poor reading habits and lack of strategies these habits become harder and harder to overcome as they get older.  As teachers it is our responsibility to become knowledgable about how reading works (how children learn to read) and to help students integrate their system of strategies.

Model, Shared, Guided, Practice.... Repeat!

The Essential Reading Day is Routman's chapter 2 of Reading Essentials.  I was anxious about reading this chapter b/c chat.1 had referred to several things that was discussed in this section.

In section4, chpt 2, Routman said "we need to get down to the essence of what we believe and what we do to ensure our students become excellent readers who choose to read (pg.42). She talked about knowing your students as readers and moving them forward. I feel this is a weakness of mine and it's something I've struggled with each year.  I like the guided reading framework (pg. 170-171) she provided in another section but referred to in this section and feel like that is something I can use.  I found it ironic that Routman says "whole class reading is now routinely frowned upon, but it's the approach to it that can make it productive"(pg. 52).  I was glad to hear that. Sometimes I feel like whole group teaching of a story is a BIG no,no.

In section 5, chpt 2, Routman discusses classroom libraries. I love my classroom library and that is one of the few things I have always been blessed to have. " It is disheartening to see classroom libraries in which most of the books are leveled" (Routman, 69). Wow, that is powerful. That's another push these days, leveled reading. In my class we don't do leveled reading in our bookshelves, we do CHOICE of "just rights". I couldn't have been happier to have read that statement.  I like her statement " it really doesn't matter much what kids read as long as  I hey read and enjoy what they're reading ( Routman, 65).

In section 6, chpt 2, the basic take away for me was that independent reading with just rights books of their choice is essential. Gosh, that backs up my classroom! I could relate to a lot in this section and I finally feel like something I'm doing "is right". (Referring to my last blog).

In section 7, chpt 2, assessment....assessment....assessment...is that all we do?  Routman discusses using informal reading conferences(pg.104-105) and making it very relaxed and not something dreaded for the students. I like the form she's provided an example of on pg 109 and I plan to use it with my students. Once again this is a weak area for me, conferencing during their independent reading. I'm often too busy doing running records, groups, individual readings, etc. I've got to make this one of my essentials.   AIGH! How do I fit it all in?

(I apologize for any errors, had to peck on my iPad b/c my laptop has been updating for 2hrs)

Independent Reading - Module 3, Blog 2

As I continue reading No More Independent Reading, I find myself nodding and agreeing more and more with each section.

In middle school one thing I have notice is that we as teachers like control. In the elementary setting they can take a little bit more chaos than we can, and I think that is partly why independent reading is much harder in middle school classes. As the book states, independent reading is key to students success. Why do we feel the need to control our students reading? Independent reading does not mean that we tell them what book to read, and watch as they read it independently. It means that the students have a choice and a say so in what they read. As stated on page 18 of the textbook: "Students read more, understand more, and are more likely to continue reading when they have the opportunity to choose what they read."

Does that mean we completely step away and let them read without any support? Absolutely not. I am guilty of this myself. I have often used our independent reading time as an extra 20 minutes for me to get things done, as we all know we struggle for time as teachers. However, I have taken the advice from our textbook and began conferencing and discussing with students. I have also cut out all of the other things that students would like to do instead of reading. While they may feel it is harsh that I'm not allowing them to study, draw, etc.... I now see how important independent reading really is, and how I have put it on the bottom of the priority list for far too long.

The book clearly states what we can do to support students during independent reading on page 33. These teacher behaviors include:

1. teaching students how to find books on their level,
2. modeling reading strategies for students,
3. feedback on their reading,
4. conferences with students while completing running records, discussions and goals,
5. student accountability,
6. and large and small group discussions about text.

These are just six of the many ways we can make independent reading more meaningful, and less of a "free time."

What are some ways you have made independent reading more meaningful in your classroom? (I am especially interested in you other middle level teachers, as our kids are often either all for it, or totally against it.)

Have you tried any of the six methods to support your students? What was the outcome?

Reading Process System?? What's that?

"In order to recognize struggling readers who are not building a reading process system, it's beneficial to start observing children who have efficient working systems"(15, Johnson and Keier). You've got to know what you are looking for before you can fix it. Being able to understand how a child is making connections, predicting, questioning, and inferring is a key to knowing what you are looking for in a struggling reader. Struggling readers do not make connections or inferences. They won't form images in their minds or even ask questions. They won't attempt to figure out that hard word because they don't have an efficient reading process system. We have to make our struggling readers think out loud. A few ways this can be achieved is through modeling, thinking aloud, and doing shared demonstrations. This helps to make thinking visible for those readers.

" 'Literacy involves lots of brain parts working together as a symphony...' (Dana Foundation, in Clay 2005b, 102) For the struggling reader, there is little or no orchestrated symphony of strategies going on. What is happening is more like cacophony!" (20, Johnson and Keier) This quote was a perfect description of the struggling reader. They are all over the place with no rhyme or reason of why they are making the miscues that they are. They struggling reader may have all of the strategies but they are just bouncing around in their head because they cannot relate them to each other or make that connection of how they word together or can be integrated.

More on Learning Independent Reading the Right Way (Module 3, Blog 2)

Miller and Moss, authors of No More Independent Reading Without Support, suggest 7 strategies to help students grow as independent readers.  When I set out to have my students read more this year, I thought, "this will be easy."  Pick out a book, give them time to read, and have them complete a reading log.  Simple.  Or is it?  According to the text, students will not benefit from just simply independent reading.  The first two strategies, classroom time to read and choosing what they read, was simple.  This blog will look at two more strategies that may prove to be a little more difficult.

Strategy 3 - Explicit instruction about what, why, and how readers read

According to the text, "productive student IR experiences depend on teachers who help students identify appropriate, interesting materials, incorporating a range of genres and difficulty levels."  As I thought back about taking my students to the library to select books for independent reading time, I realized I had not quite used this strategy.  I did assist my students in selecting books, however, I was more concerned with selecting books that would interest them versus books that were on their instructional level.  This will prove to be a difficult task because I am dealing with 18 year-old boys who read on about a 2nd grade level searching for books in a high school library.  Instead of just selecting books that these students can relate to or would be interested in, I need to find books that are not too difficult for their low instructional level.  We do have a small selection of lower level texts from American Reading Company that may interest  my students.  Even thought the selection is going to be smaller, this may be a better route to go for 2nd 9 weeks.  Purchasing more appropriate books is certainly something I want to consider the next time I am asked what I need in the classroom.

Strategy 4 - To read a lot:  a large number of books and variety of texts

According to the text, "By increasing reading volume, students can improve reading achievement."  Easier said than done.  For students who struggle in reading, getting them to read is a chore, much less read more.    I doubt that my students are doing much, if any, reading outside of school (other than reading texts or emails), so this makes the time set aside for reading in the classroom even more important.  The book suggests one way to increase reading is to use informational texts because these "comprise the majority of adult professional reading."  My students watch CNN Student News everyday, so one way to encourage more reading may be to find articles that give them more information about topics discussed on the daily news show. 

Stay tuned for more strategies for IR in my next blog.....