August Blog-Is There Enough Time?...

Are 180 days enough time to fit in all that I need to teach to my students?  Of course not!  There is always that feeling of not enough time but reading is the foundation for everything else that my first graders will need to do from now on.  Therefore, I have to find a way!  

Debbie Miller points out that "in order to become thoughtful, strategic, proficient readers, children need to read.  A lot."  What better time to read a lot, than independent reading time?  It is such an important time and although easy to "skip" here and there, I have to remind myself that it is not something to skip.  Overall, I have found that most children really enjoy this (somewhat) quiet reading time, especially when they have a choice of what to read.  Just last week, I had several different students ask, "Are we going to read from those bags again?"  I was met with quiet cheers when I answered "yes."  In the past, I have practiced spending a short 4-5 minutes with a student finding out what he/she is reading, and having him/her read a short passage to me.  Even in that short amount of time, I can take note of a lot about that child as a reader.  I enjoy learning more about my readers and try to make independent reading time enjoyable for them as well.