Routman: Chapters 6 & 7 “Plan for and Monitor
Independent Reading/Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner”
If only we had
ALL day, every day to have a “carefully designed, structured reading program
that includes demonstrating, teaching, guiding, monitoring, evaluating, and
goal-setting with voluntary reading of books students choose.” What a wonderful time would be had by all in
the classroom!!
The computerized
program the district provides can enhance and benefit independent reading for
all children if, and only if, it is closely monitored and implemented with fidelity.
Routman’s suggestions and Accelerated
Reader can “play nicely in the sandbox together” when there is a complimentary
blend. AR was always meant to be a
companion to the existing reading program- it was never meant to replace or
take precedence. Indeed, it does not
teach strategies or skills. It is only a
practice component that assists the teacher and student in finding the child’s “just-right”
zone so that the child is not reading too easy or too hard all the time. I do allow flexibility when choosing a
book. Yes, each student has a ZPD, or
reading range of books to choose from, but it is okay to read a book below (just
because it will be fun or it is a favorite) and it is fantastic to challenge
with a book that is above. The kids just
beam when they read a book with a level that is not listed on their index card and
then do well. The guidelines on page 85
are exactly in line with the best practices recommended when implementing
AR.
I love that as a
class the children can quickly settle into our independent reading time and I
can immediately begin conferencing and providing feedback. The components of an independent reading
program listed on page 88 are wonderful guidelines. I can see that I need to work on more time
for sharing and book talks. I LOVE the Chatterbox idea…will be trying it
soon! And I have not incorporated partner
reading into the daily time. I have
noticed that some children share and partner anyway, so it is time to include
it in a more structured way.
My one-to-one student
conferences are improving, but I need to focus more on assessing and evaluating
on the spot. I agree that a whole book
provides a better opportunity to check comprehension than a short, unrelated
passage. I am beginning to encourage students to set
individualized goals such as “Go Back….Revise!”, “Slow Down the Zoom, Zoom, Zoom…Enjoy
the Book!”, and “Pay Attention to the Ending Marks”. I’ve
created posters to remind them of these strategies. They enjoy spending time with me and discussing the books. I take the time to again conference quickly
with each student when an AR quiz is completed so together we can celebrate
success or discuss how to be more successful with the next book. The Child-Friendly Reading Goals on page 106
provide confirmation that I am on the right track. We just used some of them last week!!
Independent
reading time is a favorite in my room.
If other activities interfere with the daily schedule, it is not a good
idea to skip this as the students quickly voice their disappointment! While I still have many improvements to make,
we are on the road to becoming life-long readers!
I love it when students look forward to reading independently. When I team taught, I remember classes lining up at my door and I would very often here, "Are we going to read today, Mrs. Wolfe?" They couldn't wait! My response was always, "Of course we're going to read!" It was a non-negotiable. If we had interruptions in our schedule, we always got in IR . . . too important and too enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that you are feeling more confident in conferencing. It is such a valuable tool for knowing our students as readers . . . and as people. They look forward to that one-on-one time and attention. I would love to share with you some specific strategies I learned a few years ago that helped me accomplish more in less time while conferencing.
Thank you for your post, Rhonda. Routman is good at making me think critically. I can tell she does the same for you! :)
You are so right--conferencing is key! I love that you are working on setting individualized goals with kids. That's personalized learning at its finest! I can't wait to hear how some of your shared and partner reading innovations are going! :-)
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