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.
When I taught third grade I so loved to do shared reading! The students always enjoyed it and it helped to build community and rapport. However, when I moved to teaching a content area in the 6th grade, I struggled with how to incorporate shared reading. Sadly, the first two years I taught sixth grade we did very little with shared reading. This year, I have made a commitment to use more shared reading. This reading has mostly taken the form of poetry or readers theater. Thanks for giving me a boost to use more!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see your classroom! It is very different to schedule and plan at the middle level, but reader's theater and poetry open up opportunities for students that are especially important for students at that age and developmental level. Kudos to you for continually growing too!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYou shared how your district is focusing on assessments that really require students to comprehend the text at a deeper level beyond just a superficial decoding of the passage. You shared a Routman quote that emphasized the importance of re-reading as an effective comprehension strategy. I've learned when students are explicitly taught how monitor their own comprehension and determine when there is a lapse in understanding, they are able to use re-reading to help build meaning when they know they missed a key part of the text. You shared how you are working on implementing Routman's suggestions for shared reading and for guided reading in your current unit plans. Both are great scaffolding tools to help improve students' ability to independently read.