I found Plan for and
Monitor Independent Reading most interesting. Independent reading has always scared me as
an educator and a parent. Routman makes
a great point when he says that, “if students are reading mostly difficult
books, if they don’t understand what they read, if no one is monitoring their
progress, not much changes.” I have the
fear that students may not actually be reading when they are reading
independently or silently to themselves.
I am always scared that they may be day dreaming are just pretending to
read. I also have the fear that students
may be just decoding and true comprehension is not taking place. This happens often with ESOL students. Therefore it is vital to the success of
readers to be monitored, assessed, and evaluated on the books that they are
reading or independent reading is a waste of time.
I like the idea of maintaining a reading record and book
talks discussed in the reading. The reading
record is solid evidence of what and how much the student is reading. It can also be used as a source of
pride. My son loves to show me how many
books he read. And when children discuss
their reading it gives them a chance to claim ownership of their reading and
highlight their reading to the class.
I think that it is important for students to choose ‘just
right’ books. The research shared in the
topic shows why students should choose ‘just right’ books and the consequences
if they choose books too easy or too hard.
However, I wish the article would have touched more on how the teach the children to choose
just right books.
Valorie, I am so glad that your son loves to share the books he reads with you. I know you have spent alot of time fostering his love for reading, and that his older brother helped foster that love too, by reading to him when he was little. You are right, we as teachers must monitor their reading closely. We will be discussing conferencing techniques in upcoming R2S sessions that will help us know more about the monitoring we need to be doing.
ReplyDeleteHi Valorie,
ReplyDeleteExcellent job with your chapter reflection. I appreciate the ways that you are utilizing the author's suggestions of book logs and book talks to ensure that students are making meaning out of their reading and not just de-coding or "fake reading." These activities are way more than assessments when done thoughtfully, they can add value through building comprehension and support for reading as well, not to mention motivation because discussing and reflecting on reading with others can be enjoyable. Thanks, Dawn