Kim Bresette Not This - Is There Enough Time?

There is always time for what one finds important.  I think we live in a era that we try to fit too much in, and ultimately many things suffer.  This is true in the school environment as well.  There are many programs and philosophies to which educators are expected to implement in the classroom.  It seems so obvious that if you want to be a better reader, then you would read.  If you want to be better at a sport, you practice that sport, typically with someone who can give you feedback on your performance to assist you in improving.  Shouldn't this be the same with reading?  If we don't provide the opportunity, there are students that will never learn the joys found in escaping through a book.  It is vital however that there is follow up to see if the student is getting any thing out of "reading" their book.  If they do not have the skills to comprehend what the story is about, there is a great likelihood they could find reading a waste of time.  Why would they spend time reading all these words and walk away, time after time, not having any idea what they had just read?  Working with students who have learning disabilities in the area of reading, too often I see a kid who struggles to read, or doesn't understand what they have read, therefore disliking the thought of having to read a book.  I see they whys of having to have instruction,otherwise independent reading time is an opportunity for potentially getting in trouble with the teacher as "reading" for 30 minutes can seem like an eternity. Pairing instruction with independent reading is a way to cultivate the love, or at least the like, of reading.