Schmidt Blog Post #7

Routman (2003): Chapter 9- Emphasize Shared Reading

April 11th, 2016

        Shared reading is a great way to demonstrate good reading to young learners. They get the chance to watch the teacher model, and work on skills that are essential to successful reading and fluency. Then they get the chance to read with their peers and work together. It is a fun way to learn reading.

        When doing shared reading in the classroom, there are different roles. The teacher gathers the materials, models to the students, asks questions, and provides demonstrations to the students. The role of the student is to listen, talk with others, respond to the teacher, and think about what is happening. The text that the teacher chooses is a text that is very engaging, and is worth the students' time, a book that they will enjoy and remember. (In our classroom, that would be the "Jack and Annie" books, Magic Treehouse . There are many purposes of shared reading, but one that I find to be extremely important is the give all students a chance to be successful. If students feel successful, they will work harder to achieve more goals. There are also many advantages to shared reading. All voices are encouraged to be heard, there is a lot of teaching and practice in not a lot of time, it is effective, it builds confidence in struggling readers, and it goes beyond just listening to a text.

        When doing shared reading in the classroom, there should be a lot of turn and talk. Many questions are to be asked, questions that help build comprehension in students, really getting them to think. It is important for teachers to "show" students what they are thinking, so that they get an idea of what to be thinking when they are reading a text on their own, or with a partner. Most importantly, students should get the chance to see what should be done, and have the opportunity to practice what they have learned. In the end, it will help students become more successful readers.

     I most definitely want to do this more in the classroom. I think it would help if I saw it modeled myself, but I know this is something I eventually want to incorporate in my classroom on a regular basis.

Teresa Knox Chapter 12 You Only Have So Much Time

As I was reading this article, the first quote stood out to me from Routman. "We are not only role models for learning; we are role models for living". This explains why we need to use real-life experiences in the classroom because it teaches our children how to live their daily lives in school and outside of school. When students are in school, they become better at what we teach them if teachers spend more time on instruction and have lots of time to read and talk about books or math problems. Another example that was stated was "To trust your own judgement and knowledge as you teach". When we teach, we should use the knowledge that we learned throughout our educational classes and apply that information into our planning to make it more interesting for our students. We should not rely heavily on textbooks to tell us how to teach. I try to use the resource books for a guide of how to get started and then create ways to teach the concepts by adding technology, writing, etc. This strategy will continue to keep work meaningful so that more value will come from the students.

Keeping work simple that students can do without the teacher's assistance will help the teacher observe how their students work and be able to help some students in a small groups if needed. When teachers teach a skill and assess, they check different levels throughout the day. During shared reading and writing, you can notice strengths and weaknesses to move a student forward to build confidence. Teaching that keeps students engaged saves time for the teachers and energy. Sometimes you can find yourself spending too much time discipline a student in the middle of the lesson when that time can be used for something else.

Jan/Feb blog-Ferguson

Blog Post: Jan/Feb

Emphasize Shared Reading

Below I have used a table that I saw on Dawn Mitchell’s post for a previous chapter. When I saw this I immediately showed my SRA reading group because I had them complete this same table for one of the chapters in our novel study.

Author’s Words	My thoughts
“Shared Reading is an important missing piece in many reading programs, especially in grade 2 and above.”  P.130	This first thought in the chapter really caught my attention. This statement is so true. I tend to stay away from shared reading because I want to give them all the time to read. I need to spend more time in my classroom reading to them and modeling good reading!
“In shared reading, a learner---or group of learners—sees the text, observes an expert (useullay the teacher) reading it with fluency and expression, and is invited to read along. P.130	(Before reading I thought) *What is shared reading???? Then I found this quote (see left).
“Shared reading is also powerful because it helps teacher and students bond” p. 130	I think trust and a relationship is so important between teachers and students. Rotuman states that  shared reading helps form bonds. I can totally see how this could help form relationships. You can learn a lot about students as they make text to self connections. As I think back I can recall several times when I have learned something new from student when reading with them.
“…we see that shared reading is not just a pleasant frill but a critical learning context for demonstrating and scaffolding learning”  p.131	Scaffolding is such an important thing even in the second grade. The more I model and scaffold learning the more success I see in my students. Shared reading would help me scaffold a larger group (or small group) and provide me more time for them to read during our small group instruction time.
“Shared reading is ideal for showing how any text works…” p. 132	Shared reading would be a great idea for introducing students to new text. I will be adding shared reading  to my lessons when introducing new text.
*Checklist on page 133	Great list to keep handy for trying to incorporate shared reading into a lesson.

The next section of the chapter provided a framework for shared reading. This framework will help me to make sure my shared reading is meaningful. I have done shared reading several times but never knew if what I was doing was meaningful and help students become better readers. I believe so much in scaffolding and modeling, that I am very interested in completing shared reading as a way to model and teach students.

The next section provided example lessons. I really learned a lot from the informational book shared read aloud lesson. I loved the way the teacher got very excited about the book. I liked the pace the teacher took with reading/thinking. I like that towards the end she got the students involved in the thinking/talking.

I am eager to get started using shared reading in my classroom! 

Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library Blog # 7! Tori Miller

While reading Routman chapter 5, Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library, I focused on evaluating my classroom library using the chart found on page 66-67. I decided to evaluate my classroom library so I could focus on things I needed to improve on for the next school year.

1.       My classroom book nook does jump out at me and others that come into my classroom. Many times this year others have walked into my room and commented, “I love your reading garden.”

2.       My classroom library does look beautiful and contains an inviting display of plentiful reading materials.

3.       My classroom library does include a variety of genres and literary forms. Poetry would be the least that I have so I do need to focus on getting poetry books for my kindergarten room. Any ideas where to find any? Or suggestions of good poetry books for a kindergarten classroom?

4.       Yes, most of the books in the library are written by well-known children’s authors such as Bill Martin, Eric Carle, Mo Willems, Lucille Colandro, and Dr. Seuss.

5.       I have current books that accurately and aesthetically portray other cultures but not enough. I definitely could use more of these!!

6.       Like number five I could use more books that have the students’ language and culture in them, I have a few Dora books that have Spanish words but do need to increase my books selections for this.

7.       I have made all of the selections and organizational decisions about the design of the library and how books are to be grouped and what reading materials to include. I do change out the books based on our studies at the time and the students’ interest but I haven’t let them give much input on the grouping and design. This I will try to change.

8.       Struggling readers can easily find books that they can read and want to read. I have books that just have one or two words, sight word books, picture books, and leveled readers that are leveled by letters (A-D) and colors (red, blue, green).

9.       There are comfortable areas for students to sit and read. I have a child size Adirondack chair with a lime green pillow in it, lime green rugs on the floor with pillows for the students to sit and read, a floor chair with a Pete the Cat pillow, a child size chair and couch, and a bus tent for the students to read in.

10.   I do add to, change, and rotate to my collection of books based on the needs, interests, curriculum of my students.

11.   My classroom library does include children’s favorite authors, books, and series and is based on the students’ preferences and not mine.

12.   My classroom library is a place that children love to go to seek and find wonderful reading materials. My students love to find the “new books” that I rotate in and see if they can read them. They get so excited when they can read the books!

Through this self-evaluation of my classroom library I have a list of things to improve on for the next school year to improve my classroom library that I might have the OUTSTANDING CLASSROOM LIBRARY that every student deserves!

Lori Lonon- Blog #6 R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 10: Examine Guided Reading

Guided Reading (AKA “Small Group Reading Instruction”) was one of the hardest things for me to manage when I first learned how to teach reading effectively.  I would struggle with how to group kids, what book to choose, what strategy to teach and what to do with the rest of the class.  With experience and practice my guided reading instruction has evolved. In Routman’s Optimal Learning Model, guided reading falls between shared reading and independent reading.  It is the first step in the gradual handover of responsibility from the teacher to the student. Routman warns about how ability grouping beyond second grade can send a message to students that they are less capable.  I am keenly aware of this and try to mix my groups up throughout the year.  Even my “lowest” group is given a text that closely resembles, in page length and font size, the books that other groups receive.  The author also warns against creating too many groups that can create a management problem.  I personally try to keep 3-4 groups at a time and meet with 1-2 groups on three days of the week..  This means that students of varying levels end up in the same group working together and I actually find that to be a benefit.

Choosing quality books that aid in the instruction of a specific strategy or genre are critical.  Routman’s checklist (pg. 155) is invaluable for this purpose.  She also suggests integrating Science and SS texts into guided reading in order make the most of your instructional time. In addition she warns against keeping the same daily schedule for reading instruction and against trying to meet with guided reading groups daily especially at the expense of independent reading.  Students get easily bored with the same routine.  For this reason I mix up my instruction daily but with purpose-the days I do not meet with guided reading groups I use that time to conference with students about reading and writing.  Routman suggests several methods of checking comprehension of a text used in guided reading, but only after students have done a second reading of the text either independently or with a partner.  I try using variety here as well, since students would become bored with the same reading response tool week after week.  Keeping it fresh also encourages their best effort.

Several pages of the chapter are devoted to managing student behaviors during literacy center time (typically when guided reading will be happening).  Basically she suggests outlining clear expectations, modeling appropriate behaviors, encouraging and giving feedback as the key to management.  She suggests holding group evaluations after guiding reading.  I have been using the Daily Five model for Literacy Centers for several years and find Routman’s suggestions to be in line with that model just not in as much detail.

The most important part of this chapter, in my opinion, is the section that focuses on purpose for guided reading and what “Teacher Talk” would sound like in a small group with focus on decoding vs meaning.  So many teachers do small group instruction because they know other teachers do it, or they read somewhere that they should.  I have personally had teachers ask me “What should my small group be about?” I think this is a common difficulty for lots of teachers, but once I began to conference with students I found that planning guided reading became so much easier.  I used my notes on each student about what strengths and weaknesses were evident and that helped me not only create the groups but also determine the focus.  My students cheer when they see their group is “meeting with teacher” today and I love that they enjoy that time as much as I do!

Blog Post #6, Chapter 7, Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner, Valorie Whiteside

Blog Post #6, Chapter 7, Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner, Valorie Whiteside

In the elementary school, this is assessment season!  As an ESOL teacher I just spent a month and a half administering ACCESS which is an ESOL (English Language Proficiency) test.  Next coming up in April the students have STAR testing and SC Ready testing.  Then in May the students have SC PASS, Read 180 SRI, testing, and ACT Aspire.  Does any of these test give us immediate guidance to use in our classroom instruction or assessing just to assess how Routman suggest?  As a parent; if my child is not meeting requirements or not on grade level in a certain area I want to know immediately and begin some type of intervention or form an action plan to aid him immediately!  Not next year when the test scores come back and the problem has had more months to get worse instead of improving!  Therefore I agree with Routman when she says that teachers need to use their own assessments to determine instruction that yield helpful information.  I agree with Routman also when she says that teachers need to gather and analyze data while they are teaching.  Teachers can make informal assessment through observation which will give them more feedback than traditional or standardized test.  Through this immediate feedback teachers will know what strengths and weakness the student have.  For example, as a parent, when my son comes home to do his homework and he has an assigned reading.  Sometimes it goes smoothly however, other times it is like pulling teeth to get him through the reading.  My immediate assessment of this problem was that the reading or the level was not too hard, he simply just wasn’t interested in the topic or the text.  When he read books on the same reading level that he is interested in it is equally hard to get through because he is constantly talking about what he is reading and making connections and observations. Which is a good problem to have because this type of reading is more productive because learning is taking place.  The assigned reading went in one ear and out the other.  As a teacher by use of the informal observation assessment you can guide the students reading assuring that the student reads text that interest him as much as possible to ensure that his reading level is constantly rising. 

Routman discusses that teachers should advocate for change instead if sitting idly by and accepting the curriculum or policies.  This idea sounds great in theory however, realistically the teacher runs the risk of being labeled a trouble maker.  Unfortunately I have seen this happen.  I have also seen teachers become Teacher of the Year for the same actions!

While reading ‘Teach Intentionally’ a cord was struck within me.  Routman says during reading conferences with intermediate-grade students, “they can retell the events of the story and say what the character did, but they can rarely talk about why characters behave the way they do, what actions lead to other behavior (cause and effect), or infer character’s intentions, motivations, and feelings.”  I was struck by this statement because I realized something that I have done wrong on occasion.  Teaches can be lulled into a false sense that students have comprehended or reached reading potential when they can retell the story and say what the characters did.  But on a higher level of thinking a student will think about how and why a character is behaving the way that they do and be able to predict how the characters will act.  Then read to see if their prediction was right or do they need to change their opinion.  

Jeff Young Chapter 7 Routman

Chapter 7:  Making Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

Routman is right to the point when she writes how assessments are hardly used to inform instruction in the classroom, but rather assessing just to assess. She makes the point that teachers need to use their own assessments to drive instruction- assessments that are “worth the time and yield helpful information.”  Routman advises teachers to gather and analyze data while they are teaching. A great idea Routman gives is to take informal reading inventories during a reading conference.  She advises to observe children reading books they are interested in rather than using a test passage.  Routman gives additional tips on guiding students during reading conferences.  Routman includes probing questions, a framework to model your conferences with, as well was reading goals for students to achieve.  Many teachers, Routman writes, are at odds with district policies that they feel are not the best use of time or money.  Routman suggests that teachers not stand idly by and accept the curriculum or policies, but advocate for change.  Advocating for best practices are in the best interest of our children.