Angela Jackson Blog Post #4 Routman Chapter 4: Teach Comprehension

In this chapter Routman discusses the different reading strategies and cautions how we should use them to teach comprehension. Further, it warns us that teachers have wrongly made strategies synonymous with comprehension when students do not get the big picture of how it all fits into reading to understand.

The piece explains that many students are held back by too much explicit instruction and too little guided practice. I believe we are all guilty of this and can scaffold our instruction to be more student-led as it relates to reading. The chapter states that we need to be careful about the amount of time we devote to strategy  instruction and that actual reading still needs to be the dominate goal. 

I sometimes feel as if I am fighting a losing battle when it comes to teaching my students to read to understand or read for meaning rather than "read for fun." Our parents also had a hard time realizing that students needed to be deeper thinkers in third grade. Furthermore, making connections to what we are reading is the best way to comprehend what we are reading. It has been painful, yet I am looking with great interest over the next week to see student progress on STAR testing. I am hopeful that something I have taught or the way I have taught it has made a difference.

Blog Post 4: Olivia Boykin’s Routman Chapter 5

 As Jeff Foxworthy might say, “You know you’re going to be a teacher when you buy books from yard sales and library rummage sales for your future classroom library – when you are still in high school!”  That is exactly what I did, though, and still find myself doing 20+ years later.  Routman did state the truth when she wrote, “When classrooms do have adequate libraries, most often, teachers have spent large sums of their own money.”  I honestly don’t want to think about how much money I’ve given Scholastic, Trumpet, Lucky, etc. over the past 15 years and I do wish teachers were given a certain amount at the beginning of the year simply to purchase books for their classrooms.  This would allow students to have a say in what is chosen for the library and would help to keep the classroom libraries more current.  

Sadly, I feel like my classroom library is no longer current.  This is, I believe, partly because I started spending money on my own children instead of books for my classroom.  I can no longer justify purchasing $30 worth of books for my students every other month or so when my own children love to read and need books that interest them and quench their need for literature.  Another reason my classroom library is no longer “current” is the fact that the students’ abilities and interests have changed so drastically even in the past 8-10 years.  I have series books like The Boxcar Children & A Series of Unfortunate Events and books by famous authors like Beverly Clearly that don’t get read anymore.  The students now tend to lean toward reading Arthur books along with other picture-type books.  Seeing one of my students read and/or finish a chapter book is no longer the “norm” as it once was. 

I do like that Routman says, “It really doesn’t matter much what kids read as long as they read and enjoy what they’re reading.”  She even lists “books” like comic books, magazines, and picture books that are more appealing to some students because they seem more “manageable.”  As I was reading this chapter I also thought about my own children and their reading habits.  I have one child who embraced reading in 4K and has yet to stop while my other child loves books but not necessarily the reading part.  What I think is interesting is the correlation between the television and the books….  There have been some words that he has “read” that I know he wouldn’t know had he not watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Ninjago – Masters of Spinjitzu.  He’s proud of himself for reading the hard words and I’m happy that he is feeling some success.  As long as I continue to find books relating to his favorite toys and television shows I think he’ll embrace reading.  Hopefully one day he’ll realize that it goes so far beyond a few television shows and he will loves it just because. 

Our library definitely jumps out at visitors because it does take up a large portion of one wall.  It looks nice but isn’t what I see in my head as the “finished product.”  There are numerous genres in our classroom library and I do stock books by well-known children’s authors.  Are some of the books “dated?”  Absolutely.  L  Have the students been involved in the selection and organization of the classroom library?  Absolutely not.  L  Can the students find/put away easily?  Yes, they can.  J  I normally do rotate book baskets after the winter break so the students have something new to peruse if they happen to have a few “extra” minutes to read.  Again, though, I don’t know how ready some of them are for the more advanced books but we’ll soon see.   Trying to get some of them to read for more than 5 minutes uninterrupted is a major hurdle.  Some students are also down on themselves because of their “level.”  To that I say, “Who cares?”  Level, schmevel.  J  Routman states, “It is disheartening to see classroom libraries in which most of the books are leveled.”  I agree wholeheartedly.  When a child says he/she can’t get a book because it isn’t on his/her level or isn’t an Accelerated Reader book I have some major concerns.  L              

I do think starting a top ten list of books is a great idea.  I am going to try to start that by working on units and finding books that go along with that unit of study.  I especially love it when a student brings me a book to read and I see it’s about something we’ve been studying.  J  I want all my students to be excited about reading and I think a top ten list will definitely help us reach that goal.  I do wonder, though, if Routman thinks the classroom library should be reorganized from head to toe each year so the new students have some ownership.  When I think of how long it takes to organize the library each year and then I think about redoing it I feel a little woozy.  Whew!  J  

Anne Maddox #4 "Teach with a Sense of Urgency"

The title of Chapter 4 "Teach with a Sense of Urgency" suggests to us to teach like we are going to a fire, which I often find myself doing!  Instead of teaching with a fury, Routman hopes to guide teachers to help our students find joy and passion in reading, and further their autonomy in their own learning and problem solving.

The Optimal Learning Model contains four tiers for teachers to aspire to achieve.  I am in agreement with the author that teachers must have a mutual like and trust of their students, along with success with meaningful tasks which will create a love and pride of their work.  Like Routman, I also do most of my teaching as Shared Demonstration and was most pleased to have this method validated as a powerful teaching method by Don Holdaway. It was also a nice validation to have Holdaway state that we should be choosing challenging above level texts for shared reading.  This statement varies widely from school to school. Some schools require that one read texts on level, yet others require that books be chosen  to challenge students above their level.  
 Considering our students' economic level and background, evidence shows that the students who are the farthest behind need their reading, spelling, grammar, and writing all integrated so they understand how they fit together.  This way their knowledge can be applied and used over and over in relevant ways.  Most of our children do not have parents who read each day.  If our students aren't seeing reading at home, then they probably aren't doing much reading at home either.  Teachers are their role models and we have to give them the practice.  I know I need to continue to progress from the Shared Demonstration and use more of the student initiated learning because that is how our students will achieve higher levels of understanding.

Alexis Howlett Blog Post #4: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

I chose to read and discuss Routman's Chapter 5:  Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library because I agree that all classroom's should have a classroom library, but as a teacher new to the Gifted & Talented program I am struggling how to best set this up in my room.  I completely agree with Routman's statement that "Books contribute more strongly to reading achievement than any computer software does."  I despise AR and STAR for this reason.  There is so much emphasis placed on how much or well a student does on their STAR test that I find a lot of my students are focused on how many points they are getting rather than expanding their reading skills.  Hence, the need for a strong classroom library.  As Routman, points out that access to a classroom helps struggling readers so that they can see how to "light read" or as I like to say for fun.  I also believe this statement can help even GT students gain exposure to titles they might never have considered.

Her suggestions for how to equip your library from using programs like Scholastic points, approaching PTO for funds, and used book stores is essential for us to expand our libraries.  I also agree with her approach to involving students to help design and organize the classroom library.  How cool would it be to have access to a library that actually interested our students and what pride they must have because they helped create it.  I believe a strong, diverse classroom library can open the eyes of a person to a world they only dreamed of seeing.  How awesome is this insight for all levels of readers.

Caroline Josey Blog post #4 - Routman Chpt 2

Bond With your Students

"Through drill and memorization, we can get students to complete assignments and pass tests. But there is a price to pay for such short-term accomplishment."

One of my biggest fears as a teacher is that I am not letting my students think out of the box, or for themselves. I forget that for students to thank for themselves they must become confident in themselves as learners. In order for them to become confident we must "reach into our students' hearts." (Routman 12) Routman says "No one talks about bonding, and we need to." I think we constantly talk about bonding and making relationships with our students. Teachers know they need to have a bond to to reach their students. The question is are we really listening and connecting with our students, are we making them want to become life long learners?
I have a student who reads on a kindergarten level and she constantly says "I can't read." I never know how to reply to her but we have worked together on not saying those words. I do know that she will shut down and not want to learn to read unless I find books that are her "just right books." I loved how Routman promised the students she was working with would be able to read their "We Can" book by the end of the week. I think this would be a great idea to use with students who are struggling to grasp onto strategies they may not be ready for.

Margaret Tiller: Blog # 4: Chapter 4: Routman “Teach With A Sense of Urgency” Reading Essentials

 

For my fourth blog post, I decided to analyze chapter 4 in Routman’s Reading Essentials: “Teach With a Sense of Urgency.” To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about how Routman would support the need to teach with “urgency, “however, I discovered that the author equates urgency with PURPOSE rather that equating urgency with pressure. I agree with the author’s sentiments about making every minute count. So often in this profession, we feel the need to cram each minute, even each second, with as much academic fact as possible. However, I think it’s important to recognize that teaching with urgency does not necessarily mean teaching as much academic information as possible; teaching positive social skills could also fall under the umbrella of teaching “urgently.” I came to this realization after Routman stated that “I teach each day with a sense of urgency [specifically], […] I am aware of the students in front of me” (Routman 41). Sometimes teaching urgently can mean simply taking the time to make sure that the student and I are “on the same page” in terms of goals, strengths, and needs. My personal teaching philosophy is that given the right tools and support, all students, regardless of academic level, can become self-motivated and driven learners. For this reason I was thrilled that Routman mentioned: “The learners are proud of their ability, aware of their progress, and involved in setting new learning goals for themselves. Their reward for their successful learning is intrinsic, personal pride and pleasure in their accomplishments” (Routman 47). It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of testing, etc.; however, it is so important that we, as teachers, remind ourselves of the ultimate goal for our students: is it to cram as much information into their heads as possible, or is it to inspire them to become free thinkers? In my opinion, it is of utmost importance to keep our ultimate goal in mind so that we may continually “teach with a sense of urgency.”

Elizabeth Graham Post 4: Routman's Chapter 8: Teach Comprehension

As I read Routman's chapter entitled, "Teach Comprehension", I connected with ways to employ effective comprehension strategies during library lessons and read alouds. As I am reading to classes I can model and demonstrate by "thinking aloud in front of the class". Some key strategies that I can focus on:

• Predicting
• Questioning
• Creating images - visual pictures 
• Seeking clarification
• Constructing summaries

An important point that may be obvious to most, but was an "aha moment" for me, is that "proficient readers use many strategies". There is not one single step to good comprehension, but many strategies that need to be used together and to be practiced in an authentic way. Media specialists are taught to embed information seeking skills and search strategies within the curriculum, not to teach skills in isolation. Reading comprehension works the same way: students should use comprehension strategies and skills at the point of need, while they are actually reading. 

Link to article by C.S. Adler on Reading Rockets webpage: Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension. Useful resource for teachers and parents.

Heather McCraw: Blog #4: Routman Chapter 3: Share Your Reading Life

I really enjoyed reading this chapter...unusual since I have no reading life of my own! As I was reading the chapter, I had a lot of "aha" moments about what good readers do. Because I've never considered myself a good reader, I have never known or used these strategies on my own. The thing that struck me the most is how the author always knew what she would read next. Our students should know what they want to read next! Too often, students wander aimlessly in the library looking for a book on their level with an interesting cover, or picking up a book because of the number of AR points it offers, or perhaps even just making a completely random selection. If students had a list for what they want to read next, library selections would be a breeze! Students wouldn't have to be made to read; they might actually WANT to!

It was also interesting to see what Routman thinks of reading logs. At our last PLC meeting, reading logs came up. Each teacher was sharing their own opinions about reading logs. Some stated they saw no value in reading logs. These folks felt like reading logs were merely a paper parents signed to verify that some amount of home reading was done - whether it actually was or not. Another piped up and said, "Reading logs have lots of purpose." As she proceeded to tell how you can see if students are reading too many pages in a short amount of time. You can visibly see a record of types of books students are reading and encourage students to try different things. You can see if students need to develop stamina while reading, etc. I sat without any input just thinking about my own opinions of reading logs. When I taught everything, I did have my students keep reading logs only as a way of showing reading homework. It was pretty pointless. Routman suggests that reading logs are appropriate and necessary but do not need parent signatures as then they simply become something else to check off. She values reading logs as they are her history as a reader, and she prides herself on that.

I do believe that if teachers shared their reading lives with students, more students would learn to love reading. As the math and science teacher, I believe I possess the ability to teach students to enjoy these subjects - at least to some degree. I never felt that I possessed the ability to teach students to learn to love reading. After reading this chapter, I do believe it is possible. Students can learn to love reading as well as they can learn to love any subject. If we share our reading lives with kids, that's all it would take.

Melissa Parris Post #5: Conferences With My Focus Group

I have always enjoyed reading with individual students during "Reading Party," but keeping notes on these conferences and using those notes to drive my instruction has been helpful.  I chose  group of students all of whom read below grade level...some well below grade level.  I have learned that this particular group of students responds well to the Reading Recovery strategies for figuring out unknown words.  Read Well and our basal reader are both highly phonetic programs, so using the Reading Recovery strategies gives them a different kind of strategy to figure out unknowns. These particular students respond particularly well to "check the picture" and "say blank and keep reading."  I have found, in the past, that as students become more fluent readers the "go back and re-read" strategy works well, but his group of students does not yet have the fluency necessary to use this strategy. The reading conferences with these students has allowed me to emphasize these strategies with my focus group.  Because these strategies were so helpful for these below-level readers, I have been reminding the whole class about them and encouraging them to try these strategies.

On a different note, I was impressed with some reading that a couple of my students' growth in reading and wanted to celebrate them so I let those students read aloud to the class.  The rest of the class thought that was great so the following day, almost every student in my room wanted to read a few pages aloud to their classmates. It was great to see the children cheer each other on celebrate each others' successes.

Kelli Wolfe Blog #5 - Inviting Literacy Environments

Studies have shown (and teachers have known) for years that the more contact children have with books, the better readers they become.  Being in a title one school with so many students from low-income homes has helped me realize the importance of surrounding children with good literature.  So many of our students don’t have parents who read independently or who encourage their children to read.  As a result, taking time to visit the public library or purchase books with hard earned money is not something that is even considered in the homes of our students.  That is why it is imperative that we provide print rich classrooms.   And, I have to say . . . the teachers here at WHES take classroom libraries seriously and have very inviting reading centers.  In addition, I am thankful for a district that sees the importance of literacy and is willing to invest financially in providing books for their teachers.  

Much of what Routman says in Chapter 5 of Reading Essentials rings true with my spirit.  There are so many ways to increase the number of books we have on our shelves, and we must be proactive in using the resources that are available.   As a classroom teacher, I was so thankful for Donors Choose!  I was able to stock up my shelves with books that generous donors provided through financial contributions.  One year I noticed that many of my students LOVED a good mystery.  I had very little books in this genre to provide for them.  As a result, I applied for a Donor’s Choose grant and was awarded two boxes full of good mysteries.  My students were so excited.  When I read what Routman said on p. 65 about high school readers being asked to suggest what books should be added to the classroom library, it reminded me of my experience that year.  

In addition, I always love Routman’s “Try It” and “Apply It” ideas.  I wish that I had provided more time for “Book Talk” in my classroom.  I very often choose a book for myself based on someone else’s recommendation, and even today wrote down the name of an author a friend told me she enjoys. I should have given my students the same opportunity.  I believe it would have encouraged students to read genres or authors they may not have read before.  I will definitely encourage teachers to try out book talks in our classrooms here at WHES.  

Finally, I especially like the idea of creating a Top 10 Favorite Book list . . . and even creating a bulletin board that showcases the favorite books of a specific classroom.  What a great idea!  I can see how a bulletin board in the hallway would be great advertisement for some fabulous literature!  With the help of some WHES readers, I think I will give it a try!

Organize and Outstanding Classroom Library

Cindy Pridgen
     The author suggests that the better the classroom library, the better the reading achievement.  I am in agreement with the importance of a well stocked, attractive classroom library however our media center plays an equally important role.  At WHES, students can check out up to 5 books a day.  You will not find this happening at most schools.  We know with high poverty, supplying lots of good books for the home is key as there are very little books there.  "Light" reading works great for those who are not as interested in reading....there is less pressure and magazine and comic books-high interest material can be used.  We have also found that "series" books are a hit with our students.  Once they read one book of a series and like it, they want to read more.  Magic School House books are a good example of a series which have been a hit.  There were some good suggestions posted in the article to promote reading.  I took the book talk idea and decided as principal I would share 2 books each week in a quick hook summary (one for upper grades and one for lower grades) to promote interest in various books and reading.  Just started today....we will see.  As a teacher, I would use the top 10 list each student can generate and check off once read and then add more titles to the list....neat way to keep students motivated.  We also have in place the reading tournament for grades 4 and 5 to promote some really good books, teamwork, and reading carefully.  Reading is a priority in the classrooms and school.  Reading rocks!

Detra Stevens #4 Chapter 6 and 6 Plan for and Monitor IR, Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner

I am currently working on how to improve independent reading in my classroom.  This chapter begins by pointing out why children need to read more.  In the chapter it states that any reading program that substantially increases the amount of reading students do will impact their reading achievement.  Not only should children spend more time reading, but they should be reading more on their level.  The chapter states that students should choose “just-right” books to read.  I think I have done a great job choosing books that are on their level.  I have a container for each child with books on “their” level. The children love to get “their” container and read the books they chose.  They really get into reading and want to read every chance they get.

I still feel that I need to be with each individual child during independent reading. I want to be able to help when I see the help is needed for all children.  

Something I need to work on is assessing.  This is not apart of my daily routine.  I need to work on using the assessments to drive my instruction.  The chapter states that implementing this will improve instruction and learning.  I would like to try conferencing with my students on a daily basis.  I feel like I can use the strategies mentioned to begin a successful conference time with my students. It’s all about finding the time and finding what works and what does not work when I am conferencing.  

Christie Summers #4 Teach with a sense of urgency

  As I began this chapter, my immediate thought was, "I know just what the author is talking about!" I feel that sense of urgency each day in my kindergarten classroom. It is a sense of knowing where my students are, where they need to be, where I need to take them, and trying to find the time to get them all there. Honestly, like any teacher, I feel overwhelmed by this. But, yet, I think that sense of urgency keeps me on the track of motivation and willingness to teach my students in the best way that I can.
  I like the top five things that the author does to ensure students become an excellent reader. I think the most important one is to allow students to choose the books they want to read. If a teacher forces a child to read what she chooses, this is a recipe for disaster. If a child is not interested in the book, he or she will certainly put forth no effort into reading it. If this continues, that child is more than likely to dislike reading. As an avid reader myself, I know what I like to read. I could choose professional books for the reason of advancing in my field of education, i do choose these types of books on occasion. However, I love a good mystery! When I find a mystery, I am motivated to read and to keep reading.
  I also agree that demonstration is necessary as we help our children become readers. If I am modeling and demonstrating, how will my students know what to do? I think that some teachers may believe there is no time for modeling. I spend lots of time demonstrating in my classroom. It all goes back to the children first being taught through the teacher actually doing what they will do later. This allows more success in my students. If I practice what I preach, I am showing them that I am a learner too!
  There is something to be said about getting out of the leveled book thought of mind. I think that students can get stuck on the leveling process. Some may not be able to process that the goal is to move to another level. Some may develop low self concept as readers if they cannot move past the current level. I love the idea of book talks and top ten lists.These ideas are awesome ways to encourage and motivate our students to develop their reading skills.

Teach With a Sense of Urgency

     Good chapter!  Shares teaching smarter not harder.  Regular evaluation and reflection and then wise teaching decisions are key in a successful classroom.  The top 5 things to do to ensure students become excellent readers are right on target.  ...demonstrate I am a reader, provide an excellent classroom library, let students choose books and give them time to read, teach strategies that help students process and understand text, and evaluate student regularly, giving them feedback and helping them set goals.  I think I will make small posters of this for teachers to hang in their rooms near their desk when planning.  I would want this nearby as a good reminder.  We know a safe environment where there are relationships and risk-taking accepted works best. The Learning Model would work great in any classroom.  One of the most interesting comments in the article is: "Students who remain dependent on a teacher or program for all their feedback are limited with how much they can learn."  Students need to transition to independent learning with their own passion for reading.  The teacher works as the facilitator. 
     As an administrator, I need to support those who are using the Learning Model or Balanced Literacy and helping those who are not to see the wonderful possibilities this provides.  I would so be using this as a teacher.  I have seen far more teachers stepping out to try these approaches this year...good!  I attend PLCs and class with them...they need to see me as a partner.  Next step is to work in a center in a few classrooms.  I wish I could have large blocks of uninterrupted time to be an instructional leader...unfortunately I have to run a school also..lol

Kelly Schachner Blog#6 Jan.

Routman Chapter 6

    I am LOVING what I am currently doing to meet student needs in reading (and in math)! I allow 30-40 minutes of independent reading time/AR time every day, first thing in the morning. Then, I teach four reading groups on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I am using lessons that meet the needs of each group and I am meeting them on their level. We discuss a strategy, I model it, show them a visual to remember it, and then encourage them to use it. We also discuss previously learned strategies and talk about how they are helping. Students share how they have used the strategies.
   On days where I am not doing reading groups, I am conferencing with students independently. I either conference with them on their reading or their writing. We discuss what reading strategies they used when they read to me, what strategies they are NOT using that they could be using, and also what strategy they might try next. While conferencing on writing, I use the same approach. I use the prominent features analysis for each student and go from there to encourage them through their weakest skills in writing. Each child's conference is catered to them and where they are as learners.
   Student choice is vital to this learning, but occasionally they need to be guided to more appropriate text choices. Some want to read chapter books, but they are not quite ready for that yet. This is where I could add in Buddy Reading or Partner Reading. This would make a great addition to my reading block.
    I also want to become good at doing running records and miscue analysis. I think if I begin with my focus group (the lowest readers in my class) then I might be able to keep up with their reading since they don't read as fast as some of my other students. I am going to try this very soon! The information that I will gain from it will be too valuable to do without. Especially when I am able to determine exactly what types of errors are being made. It will be so much easier to individualize my conferences and hit specific points that each child needs to become a better reader.

Kelly Schachner Blog #5 December

 Routman Chapter 5

     A few years ago I was fortunate to be the third grade teacher who was selected to be the "model classroom" reading library recipient. I was given approximately 350 books to build my classroom library. Every teacher was to be getting this library (at the time), but things didn't go according to plan and I was the only third grade teacher who received ALL of the books.
    I was also very lucky that I had two avid readers at home to help contribute to even more reading material being placed into my library. I went to my children's bookshelves and cleaned out any books that they were finished reading and added those to my library. There were simple easy reading books as well as longer chapter books.  WOW! Talk about a lot of books! I had nearly every genre covered. I even had an assortment of magazines (Ranger Rick, Nick Jr., Discovery, and SC Wildlife). The students especially loved the magazines! Many of them had never had access to magazines prior to this because at WHES third grade and up are the only ones to be allowed to check out magazines. They were thrilled! They couldn't get enough of them. As a result they didn't last long and were torn up or "missing" after a few shorts months.
     When setting up the library, the students helped classify, sort, and put colored stickers on them with me. We put each genre in a bucket (or buckets) and they were very excited to see so many new and wonderful books. They were so many books and so many different levels and types that nobody EVER complained about having to go to the library to check out books.
     Having access to such a variety of literature right in the classroom ensures that children can find SOMETHING that they will be interested in reading. My current classroom library has book baskets (sometimes more than one) with the following labels: Chapter Books, Easy Readers, Fiction, Science, Social Studies, Biographies, Tall Tales, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales and (just recently) new Non-fiction reading materials.
     The students generally try to keep the books organized in the correct bins, but they are not very good at it. The bins have labels and sometimes they don't want to take the time to find the correct bin and just drop in anywhere! They rush to trade books and occasionally appear to only be browsing instead of reading. Maybe it is because there are too many books??? Is that even possible?
   
   

Sharon Doyle Blogpost #4 - Guided Reading: Chapter 10

First, of utmost importance, is a universal understanding of exactly what guided reading is.  Routman describes guided reading is most often defined as that time when a teacher meets with a small group of students while guiding and supporting them through manageable text (p.150).  Routman broadens her definition as a time when the teacher guides a student or students through some aspect of the reading process.  While she acknowledges the small group model is perhaps the mainstay of guided reading, it is not in and of itself the entire strategy of guided reading.

Guided reading can be equated to the concept of guided practice.  It is the time when students begin to exercise a level of independence under the watchful eye of the teacher who ‘guides’ the process. Another important understanding is that guided reading can only be successful if the students have experienced quality teacher models prior to exercising their own practice with the process. During read alouds, conferences, and shared reading activities; students gain the skills necessary to branch beyond this level of support and begin to practice concepts and skill on their own.

The grouping is an interesting aspect of the strategy for me.  I agree with Routman in acknowledging that flexible grouping is a necessary key to success.  Students cannot hope to make progress if they are not permitted to flex in and out of the groups that will be of the most help to each of them.  Students who get ‘stuck’ in the same group throughout the year have not had an opportunity to experience valuable input from other students, have generally not received adequate challenge or support for their reading processes, and have not experienced a variety of techniques for supporting them as learners.

Selecting appropriate texts is also important.  Students must have adequate challenge, be able to understand a text in order to make reasonable predictions, and must be able to read most of the text with minimal teacher support.   It is also helpful in my opinion, that students have opportunities to read materials with others that are engaging, of student interest, and supports their curriculum to help reinforce integrated learning.  Time is also needed for opportunity of students to evaluate the materials that they are reading.  A goal also needs to be to guide students to becoming independent readers beyond the teacher’s guidance at grade level.

The guided reading time should be a time to address those mini-lesson topics and can be one way to group students for learning.  Routman suggests that guided reading at the kindergarten level may be less successful due in large part to the necessity for K5 students who are not in the group to be on their own independently for periods of time.  I would say that I agree with this premise knowing the necessity of teacher attention to kindergarten students roughly every 4-5 minutes, leaving students independently for periods of about 20 minutes of time during guided reading seems counterproductive. K5 guided reading requires extreme attention to those independent activities to genuinely allow for practice in needed activities. I especially like the comment that the goal must be learning-centered reading instead of group-centered reading leading to best practice decisions by all teachers of reading.  The independent activities that are happening during the guided reading time does seem to be an integral factor in success of the technique.

Successful guided reading groups depend upon a multitude of ideas.  The literacy centers of work used by the other students must be of value, worthwhile to the learning process, and have a meaningful purpose,  Teachers must model what they expect students to do during guided reading including the concept of no distractions or interruptions.  The text provides excellent examples of guidelines, possible activities for those not in the reading group, and even suggestions for when a problem or emergency occurs.   Consistent evaluation of the process is an important idea to consider as one constructs the lessons for all of the students. The chapter provides excellent samples and scripts for dealing with a variety of levels for reading.  The greatest challenge to guided reading I would think is the extreme amount of planning.  Were I to do guided reading groups, I believe I would write sample scripts designed for the lesson and level of the students as part of the planning process and use anecdotal records on post its to note issues, problems or general information during the lesson for future reference.  I do like the idea of chunking the lessons into about 20 minutes of time which allows all students a minimal amount of time to be on their own independently.

Blair Wright Blog #4 - Organize an Outstanding Library

Having a well stocked and organized classroom library is a "literacy necessity" according to Chapter 4 in Routman's book and I happen to agree. When it says well stocked, this means having different genres, authors, and even types of books available in your classroom library. The most difficult part about making this a reality is how do you make this happen? Books are expensive, so if you want to create a literacy rich classroom with children who love to read, you need to have a library that encourages them to do so. I, personally, faced this challenge with changing grade levels this year. I had books mostly ranging from 4th to 6th grade, with very few picture books. I knew that I needed to find books to help fill up my new 3rd grade library. Here are some ways I went about find books for my new classroom:
1) Ask other teachers - sometimes people had multiple copies of a title and would let me have one of their extras, or even books they didn't need anymore.
2) Check out discarded books - these might have a few cosmetic flaws, but the words were there!
3) Scholastic - I used most of my saved points to try to buy books that were on lower levels and also I always checked out the $1 and $2 books available each month
4) Retiring teachers - I bought books from Mrs. James when she had her classroom sale
5) The Really Big, Really Cheap, Really Good Book Sale - this book sale is amazing and benefits the Greenville Literacy Association
6) Asked friends and family - I mentioned to friends and family that I was changing grade levels and I was on the look out for younger books

After all of this, I still feel like my classroom library is not as full as it needs to be for my students, but continue to try and add new books as often as I can.

I love how our district is supporting literacy, which was evident a couple of years ago when we all got a classroom set of books to help boost our libraries. I really saw an excitement in my students when we got these new books. I think it would be nice if each year money was set aside for books so we could have new titles to add to our libraries. This way they keep current and encourage students to read new authors and books. Keeping this excitement for reading can be a big struggle in lower income schools such as Woodland Heights. In this chapter, Routman also discusses the importance of outstanding and organized classroom libraries in lower income schools with struggling readers. She claims that giving these students more access to books and other types of literature can give them a more even playing field in life. It is fueling the fire of reading in one way or another that helps to boost a student academically and creates more opportunities for them to be successful. Is that what we all want for our students....and having a great classroom library could be the start of it all.

Angelica Guevara Blog #4 – November: Student Conferencing and Data Driven Instruction

I have been conferencing with my students during independent reading time. Sometimes I have sat next to them and listened while taking notes on miscues, errors, and their sneaky yet tactful way of omitting words they don’t know. I try to be sneaky myself as I observe them without them knowing I am listening to their reading. Other times I have asked an individual student to conference with me. I tell him/her to read to me and to listen to some “special” advice I have just for him/her. There is one particular student who I have had for 3 years and is one of my chosen students for the focus group. He is in 5^th grade and was working on a 1.5 independent reading level for the past year and a half.  I think he has matured some in the past few months and has begun to realize that he has a responsibility as a student to work hard if he wants to learn. He has become more self-conscious of his work, he is working harder and his confidence has increased. He has moved up 2 months in reading level since the beginning of the year. All of the students in my focus group have moved up at least 1 month in reading ability since September, that for a self-contained student is a big jump. During our conferencing in the first months of school, I noticed they wouldn’t even try to read a word they did not know. They would ask me or other peers for help with the word. That led me to instruct them to try reading the word before asking for help. I started to make them write the word down before asking me how to read it and then I had them break down phonemes and blend the word together. Making them do extra work was not fun for them, so they started trying to blend the word before asking for help. At times they are still unable to blend unknown words but at least they try now and that has helped them to read better than they were 3 months ago. Now when they aren’t able to read the word, they will come to me and try to read it to the best of their knowledge. Once I see why they are having a difficult time reading the word I am able to do a mini lesson on that particular phonetic sound or blending combination. The students in my focus group have all increased in reading ability and comprehension thanks our conferencing and guided mini lessons. One of the problems I noticed they were having was understanding the different sounds the vowels make (short and long). Seeing this allowed me to concentrate mini lessons on (oo) long o (ee) long e sounds. For example when (oo) is together it makes the (long o) sound and same for (ee). Now they come up to me every time they see the words they so strongly focused on (teeth, meet, soon, moon) and brag about knowing the long vowel sounds.

December- "Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library"

Rhonda Dickerson

December- “Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library”

    I felt good after reading this chapter. My classroom library is inviting and diverse.  I have a good selection of fiction and non-fiction.  During independent reading time, the children are allowed to get comfortable and sit wherever they like.  There are crates, rugs, and a rocking chair in the classroom.  The children take turns sitting in the rocker.  Lamps are turned on and quiet music plays during reading time.  Most of the children look forward to independent reading time.

   I am fortunate to have a friend who works for a foundation that supports reading in schools.  The foundation supports AR and helps Harlem schools get started by supplying books, computers, and training.  The director sent me over 200 books last year for my classroom library.  Most were non-fiction and the children have loved them!  I already had a large selection of fiction books.  On holiday months, I add an appropriate basket of books and invite the children to enjoy those also. 

The students are expected to read within the suggested range from the STAR assessment.  I do not block them from other books unless their comprehension percentage is suffering.  I feel that there have to be some parameters at this young age as these students are learning to read.  They cannot just choose anything and be expected to understand what they read.  So I disagree somewhat with the section “Pay Attention to Students’ Interests and De-Emphasize Leveled Books”.  Between the WHES library and my classroom baskets, there are plenty of interesting books for children to choose from within their suggested ranges.  These books are not leveled readers from the textbook company, but rather real literature of a rich and varied assortment.  And again, I do not block them from reading those they are interested in, I just encourage reading within the range for comprehension purposes.  We have "freebie" days when they can read whatever they wish, whether higher or lower.  They are allowed to check at books from the library outside the range.  I am hopeful that these practices strengthen their comprehension and help them develop good, strong reading strategies.

Carly Painter Blog Post #4 Teach With A Sense of Urgency

  In this chapter, Routman states, "We need to  support students in becoming more self-sustaining, thoughtful, independent readers and writers."  How true this is, but hard at the same time, especially with first graders!  It is often hard for me to "let go" and allow my students to try a task on their own.  I know that this is best for them, and most of the time, when I do "let go," they excel.  I have to remember that I've provided the tools for them to use and now they get to try it!  The optimal learning model Routman suggests seems to be a great tool for student success.  I also like what she says about interactive reading.  Often, time is too short, comments are too many, and I just don't stop during a read aloud for discussion.  But this is when you see all of those connections (text-self, text-world, text-text) that students make.  This is the time to point those out and help my young learners see the connections when they don't realize that this is what they are doing.  Although titled, Teach With a Sense of Urgency, this chapter taught me that I need to slow down and take time to listen to my students and let go and let them try on their own more.

Julie Brown's 4th Blog Post

Blog Post #4

Julie Brown

Teach with a Sense of Urgency

I feel my blog post this month will be somewhat scattered as there are numerous things going through my mind as finish this chapter.  I love the definition of teaching with a sense of urgency.  At first this word “urgency” brings about a connotation of being frenzied and harried……..however, her definition is so enlightening.  It is what we all should be doing.  “…making every moment in the classroom count, ensuring instruction engages students and moves them ahead, and using daily evaluation and reflection….”  Who could ever argue that this is where we all need to be?

The teaching model of demonstration, shared demonstration, guided practice and independent practice is great as well.  The remainder of the chapter discusses this teaching model and how to incorporate it into our classrooms.  So many times I think we skip one or more of these steps in an effort to “save” time.  Using each of these in our teaching will add so much more depth to our lessons and content.  I love seeing this in practice.  I feel like the older students get the less we rely on all these steps.  We need to use techniques that work across the disciplines and grade levels!

Dawn Mitchell's Blog 4: Conferencing Experiences and Regie Routman's Chapter 7 – Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

Dawn Mitchell's Conferencing Experiences and Regie Routman's Chapter 7 – Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

During the month of November  our application of formative assessments such as analysis of miscues, conferencing, kidwatching, reading response and more to guide our instruction and provide valuable feedback to our students.  

In November’s blendspace you will find a variety of resources including examples of using msv to analyze running records, yyn to analyze miscues, conferencing questions to guide both peer and teacher- student conferencing, excerpts of articles, suggestions for strategies to use with students after analysis, and relevant activities to help you to apply authentic reading assessments with your students.

This month I worked to apply the informal conferencing strategies that I learned about from Routman’s chapter 7 Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner.  In last month’s blog post I shared Routman’s Framework for informal reading conferences she outlined on page 104.  I loved how she began by asking students to bring her a book that they could read pretty well. 

Last week I met with my focus group of second grade students before school and we had a group reading conference.  I wanted to share that transcript with you and then share what I learned about my students from it. 

Favorite Book Conferencing

11/5/2015

7:15-8:15

Student I:

Book chosen: “Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green by Eileen Spinelli”

Why did you choose this book:  “Because her whole class had to take care of the school.

What did they do:  “They helped pick up trash.”

What else did they do? Can you give me some more details?:  “They all saw the principal and the teacher riding a bicycle.  Then they tried to ride a bicycle too.”

Would you recommend this book to someone:  “Because it’s helpful.”

What did you learn:  “Always try to help your school.”

Can you point to your favorite part and tell us a little bit about it?:  (Turns to page 26 and 27).   “They pick up trash without the teachers telling them to and they have a surprise party for the teacher because it is her birthday.”

Will you read this favorite part for us?  “Yes.”

*reads with accuracy and fluency

Would you like to write a book review?: “No, I want to write my best friend a letter about this book instead.  She will want to read it then.”

Okay, Let’s talk about what you could put into your letter?:  “I want to tell her how this book will make you want to take care of your school!” 

Student K:

Book Chosen:  “Meekats by Kari Schuetz”

Why did you choose this book:  “Because they stand on two legs.” 

What did you want to learn about Meerkats: “They dig holes.”

Why did they dig holes?  “They need homes.”

What did Meerkats make you think about:  “They have black eyes.”

Okay, I want to model/show you how to do a nonfiction book talk.

*I modeled how to do a book talk on Sharks. Student P engaged and discussed what he learned about sharks and student I chimed in and we had a shark talk.

What did I do in my book talk about sharks that you could do in your book talk about Meerkats?:

“You told us cool things about sharks and you told us that Eli used to be scared of sharks and wouldn’t get in the water but now that he has learned about them he likes learning about them and he knows they probably want eat him in the ocean because they like fat seals.”

Okay, so can you try out looking through your Meerkat book and decide what you want to tell us about Meerkats?”  “Yes!”

*After Student P shared with us about Henry and Mudge, Student K said he was ready to share with us about Meerkats.

“Meerkats live in groups of mobs.  One mob can have 40 meerkats.” He asked, “What is a mob?”  We talked about how a mob is a large group and how meerkats live together in big families.

Next, student K said, “They eat scorpions and insects, and bird eggs!”  Student C said, “What! That’s crazy!”

Student K shows us a grasshopper!  Student C says, “They have a stinger in it and they could sting the meerkats!” 

“How do you think the meerkat keeps from getting stung?” Palmer said, “I think they bite the tail off.” Student C says, “I think they use their teeth to crunch it up.”

Student C said he could learn more about them on direct tv on called Nat Geo Wild!  “I watch it with my dad sometimes!  They show us about meerkats sometimes.”

Who do you want to recommend your book to a friend?:  “Yes!”

Student P said, “Pick me!  I want to read this one.  I want to learn about animals and I like that scorpion page!”

Student K began writing his letter of recommendation to Palmer.

Student P:

What book did you choose:?  “Henry and Mudge and the Best Day of All by Cynthia Rylant

Why did you choose this book:  “Because the dog is so big and he jumps all around and he licks a little boy.”

What is the little boy’s name:  “Henry, but what I don’t like about it is that they don’t they don’t tell you Henry’s mom and dad’s name.  They just tell us Henry’s mom and Henry’s dad.”

Student P can you give us a book talk?”  “Henry has a birthday and they have a piñata and they have it outside.  They bring a fish birthday cake! (He shows us the picture! Student K laughs and says, I love this book too).  They have these three games that they made.  They had ring toss, go fishing, and a potato sack race.  The winner got rings and baby goldfish.  The winner of the potato sack race got potato chips.

Who would you recommend this book to?:  “My friend Will B.”

Why:  “He’s your friend and he goes to my church and he was in first grade with me last year.”

Why do you think he would love this book?:  “He has animals at his house too. I think he has a kitty.”

What is your favorite part that you want to read to us?”  “He chooses page 24 -26 where they hit the piñata.

He read fluently and Student K began reading with him. They both proceeded to read together through page 29.

Student K asked, “What is taffy?”  (Taffy was in the piñata)  We discussed what taffy is.

Student P began writing a letter like Student I to his friend Will to recommend this Henry and Mudge book.

Student C:

What book did you choose?:  “Big Max by Kin Platt

Why did you choose this book?:  “Because it’s about a detective who is helping people find their missing stuff.”

Can you do a book talk on this book and tell me your favorite parts?”  Student C begins to read it out loud.

*One thing I noticed is that Student C substituted cell phone for telephone in the text. J

Student C said, “I already took an A.R. test on this and I made a 100 on it.”

What is your favorite part?:  “My favorite part is when the elephants dance.”  He turns to page 54 and begins to read with expression.  He paused for punctuation.

Tell me why you loved this part?”  “I loved this part because it’s about a birthday cake and my birthday just passed.  I turned 8.  I had birthday cake too.”

Student C would you recommend this book to someone?:  “Yes, I think they might like it because they might like detectives too.”

Who do you think would like it?:  “Haden because he probably likes detectives like me.”

Would you like to write him a letter too?:  “Yes.”

On page 107 Routman reminds us to teach intentionally.  She says, “Any time we spend with a child is an opportunity to teach.  If we make an assessment and don’t use it to move teaching and learning forward, the assessment is largely a waste of time.  Use your informal reading evaluations to do need-based teaching.  Ask yourself “What’s most important to teach in this moment for this child to move him forward?”

In conferencing with my small group I noticed that our students were re-telling their books or starting from the beginning to read the book without really engaging in a conversation. After “I”s conference I asked her if she wanted to do a book review because she seemed to really love her book and she said that she’d like to write a letter to her friend K instead.  We went with this and I saw it as a teachable moment.  While she was starting on her letter, student “K” began his conference and while he told us random facts he really struggled to engage us in the book or to cohesively really explain why he chose the text and what he got out of it.  I saw this as an opportunity to introduce the concept of a book talk. 

The book talk mini-lesson provided students with a model for talking about their books and it served to inspire the rest of our focus group to consider writing a letter to a friend to recommend a book. After modeling a book talk about an animal Eli and I loved learning about, “sharks”, we discussed how a book talk allows you to really share not only what you read but what you learned, why you loved it, and how to engage others in wanting to read it to, kind of like “I”’s letter only in person.  It worked and inspired “P”’s book talk, “K”s book talk, and “C”’s and it led us to want to use the same language and purpose in our book talks in our letters to our friends recommending the book to them.

I enjoyed my conferencing time with my small focus group this past week.  That time was valuable for us to share books of choice that we’d read about topics or characters that we were interested in.  I learned a lot about my students which by itself was a valuable outcome of our time.  Having the opportunity to connect a real world experience of sharing our love of a good book with our peers through a letter (which wasn’t even my idea but “I’s”!) made me thankful for the reciprocity of reading and writing and for the teachable moments our students provide us. 

Sincerely,

Dawn