Miller Section 1
I really enjoyed reading this
section from the book. It is so important to know our students as readers and
to use that information when we plan our reading time. As teachers, we need to
make sure that we find the time to allow students to engage in reading numerous
times during the day. I know just like any teacher knows that time is very
precious and hard to come by! After reading this section, I know that I need to
allot more time for my students to be actively engaged in reading. We all know
how vital reading is for the students so why shouldn’t allow more time for them
to grow as readers.
Another point that really spoke to
me was that we have to model good reading to the students with read alouds so
that they can see what good reading looks like and what should be happening
when they are reading. I grew up reading with the DEAR program and because I
was always an avid reader, I loved this awesome time of the day where I could
curl up with the book of my choice and read. Fortunately, I knew how to read and
started at a very young age, with my mom actively engaging me in my reading and
teaching me those skills. However, after discussing this with my husband, he
had a very different view of DEAR. He said he very rarely read during this time
and that if he did he definitely didn’t comprehend what he read. He never liked
reading and had a hard time with it so this was the time he usually found
himself finding excuses to leave the room or getting in trouble. This really
helped me understand some of my students and their struggle with having
unstructured reading time. I love how Miller pointed out that we have to be an
active part of their reading time and not only model but discuss and conference
with them individually about what they are reading. I love doing this with my
students and just asking them questions and listening to them discuss the book
can tell me a lot about their reading. I
am going to start making this a part of my daily reading time. Also, I
completely agree that we should use what we know about our students to help
them choose books that are right for them. Based on their interests and what we
know about them as readers, it can really help them find books that they may
have never found on their own!
That's great that you heard your husband's take on his reading experience! We do have to consider that some kids are not naturally interested in reading. Keep searching for the books that highly interest those kiddos!
ReplyDeleteHi Lacey,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing both your experiences and your husband's experiences with a sustained independent reading time. Like you, I loved any time I had in class to read and would get in trouble when I read during times I wasn't supposed to. As a classroom teacher I have seen first hand though how some of my students needed support for their independent reading and how much I needed to know what they were reading and what they were thinking as they were reading. Providing support for our readers during independent reading through instructional mini-lessons and conferences allows us to teach into and out of this time. Thank you! Dawn