Independent Reading (Blog 5/Module 6)

There is no greater impact on students' reading growth than giving them time to read.

This quote introduces the Afterword in No More Independent Reading Without Support.  Ellin Oliver Keene states that when she heard those words in 1979, she was terrified of the responsibility that had been laid on her shoulder.  She, like many other teachers, wanted to learn some magic trick to teach children how to read.
If it were only that simple...

Keene goes on to say that what she did know in 1979 was that children needed "the support of clear, focused instruction."  This is the basis of this book.  It has allowed me to consider what practices might work best and what might inhibit students from learning to read.  Reading is the basis for every other subject and without the ability to read, we miss out on so much that school has to offer.  As teachers, we need to find more time for our students to have meaningful reading experiences by letting them select their own books.  They need access to books and lots of them with a wide variety.  To be meaningful, they need explicit instructions on what, why, and how readers read.  Teachers need to monitor the progress of the students and then last, but certainly not least, students need to talk about what they read.

Now, if there was only a magic potion to make my 9 year-old enjoy reading....