Lori Lonon- Blog Post #3 R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 7

R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 7:  Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

I love the opening quote for this chapter…”Assessments should bring about benefits for children, or data should not be collected at all.” –Lorrie A. Shepard 

However, it also makes me cringe to think of all the basal reading comprehension tests I have given and the lack of feedback they provide to students.  Because teachers are under pressure to provide grades to parents and administrators, we often get caught up in the act of assessing just for the sake of getting a grade rather than collecting data to inform our instruction or to help the student become more competent.  When I first heard about reading conferences (ten years ago), I thought “What a waste of valuable instructional time.”  But when I actually started conducting them I was amazed.  Not only did I learn more about my students as readers, I started to use what they were showing me to plan for small group and whole group lessons. 

 Routman provides a framework for informal reading conferencing (pg. 104) that is easy to follow.  I have begun using Padlet to record my conferencing notes which has made data collection much easier. I can quickly see the last date I met with a student, then open their individual padlet to review prior conferences.  I can even take a quick snapshot of the book or page that we used during the conference making it easy to reference when I need to remind a student about a skill or strategy we discussed at a prior conference.  Students love it too, because they are excited to sit by me and get some individual teacher time.  The reading rubric on page 113 has given me a great idea for creating something similar for second graders to evaluate themselves as readers, thus providing a grade for my grade book that is meaningful for students and encourages them to set high expectations and goals for their own reading.

Lori Lonon- Blog Post #2 R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 6

R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 6:  Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading

This chapter causes me to be frustrated with how reading instruction is occurring at my school.  If research strongly supports independent reading, then why are our resources (including both time and money) being spent on programs like SRA?  Scripted, direct instruction models do not promote self-selection, written response to texts, partner reading or conferencing- all of which are vital for an effective independent reading program. Furthermore, the selections in our SRA texts are often rather obscure and lacking in relevance to the lives of our students.  I fear that SRA is perpetuating the notion that reading is simply about word call and recall of facts or details from the text.  Through the use of this program students are seldom asked to make meaning or connect to their schema and other texts.  Without this, what is the purpose of reading? OK, rant over.

The most helpful sections of this chapter I found to be the procedures/guidelines for implementing independent and partner reading (pg 88-89, 91.)  In the first few years of my teaching I implemented Sustained Silent Reading without many rules or goals.  I later learned that this doesn’t really have much impact on improving students’ reading abilities.  They need to have a purpose- implement a new strategy we have learned, look for specific text elements, notice the author’s style, etc.  This promotes accountability and makes “Read to Self/Someone” time more valuable and important in the eyes of students.  I find myself imagining how much conferencing I could do and how much independent reading could occur if the students and I had the 4 hours a week that are currently spent doing SRA. 

Lori Lonon- Blog Post #1 R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 4

R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 4:  Teach with a Sense of Urgency

This chapter gives an overview of the Optimal Learning Model (as shown on the inside cover) and gives guiding principles and questions for teachers as they plan instruction.  Understanding and applying this model is crucial for developing independent learners.  I realize that I often cheat students out of opportunities for learning by cutting corners in my instruction, usually because of time constraints, by not offering that gradual release of responsibility.  When the shared demonstration and/or guided practice are left out in an effort to “cover” the curriculum, my teaching efforts usually don’t result in all students actually learning. I end up re-teaching the skill or concept eventually or find myself asking “Why don’t they get it?”  Asking the questions on pg 47-48 before planning and conducting lessons would benefit both students and teacher.  This puts focus back on helping students achieve independence rather than covering all the standards.

My favorite part of the chapter is the Summary of Reading-Writing Activities (pg 57-61) where Routman gives specific examples of how to use texts created by you and your students for Shared, Guided and Independent Reading.  Using student writing or shared writing always inspires greater interest even among my most struggling readers. This is such an easy way to encourage students to see the connection between reading and writing. Students begin to see themselves as readers and writers!

Barone Blog #3

Routman Chapter 12

This chapter was very enlightening for me. Learning how to spend time in the most meaningful ways and to live an interesting life is just so inspiring! As teachers we always want things to be easy and efficient but it doesn’t always work out like that! As someone who loves reading, I often get very overwhelmed with resources. There is always some new person or strategy to read about in the education field and I find that I want to read everything in hopes to learn and apply and just end up overwhelmed. We need to know what to use and what to ignore. Sometimes the best lessons don’t have to take hours of planning and preparation. I love the connecting their learning to their lives and making their work meaningful. Some students need to know why they are learning what they are learning. This is important that as teachers we address this for them. Just like us, they want reasons for things and deserve the answers. Once they understand why, they will be more willing to learn and have a purpose for their learning. When I was a student this was very important for me when it came to math. Still to this day, I feel that I really haven’t used a lot of those infamous math skills that I was always asking when and why I would needJ

                I just love all the refreshing and motivating advice in this chapter. It encourages us as teachers to keep a lively classroom where students are constantly interested and engaged. I love the idea of stopping at the high point of a lesson and leaving the students engaged and wanting more! One point that really hit home was to fight for more time for those that struggle. Our kids get pulled out so much, and I know that they need the services that they are getting pulled out for, but they also need more time to be engaged in the classroom with all their peers! I also loved how the chapter encourages teacher to make time to grow professionally. It says that our enthusiasm for learning directly affects our student’s achievement and I couldn’t agree more. I love learning and growing, especially when I am passionate about my profession. Reading and collaborating with peers helps me grow in many ways. There is always such little time in the day but I make sure that I am constantly improving and growing in some way. I love the quote by Daniel Pennac, “If you have to ask yourself where you’ll find the time, the desire isn’t there.” This is so true. When we are passionate about something we can always find the time and resources that we need!

Barone Blog #2

Miller section 2

                I really loved every part of this section. I love IR and all that it offers to the students and teachers. As we all know, reading is connected to almost everything and anything that we can do to help our students be the best readers that they can be is worth having a designated daily spot in the classroom schedule. It is so important to get students excited about reading. Introducing students to all the reading possibilities and genres can really help students find books that they enjoy and can relate to. I love investing in and expanding my classroom library. Every year, I give my students a survey on what they like to read and then I try and make sure to add to library based on their answers. I also try to get my students to venture out of their comfort zones and explore new genres or authors. It is amazing how surprised some students are when they discover how much they enjoy nonfiction books. I have my classroom library organized by genre and the AR level is on every book. That way my students can easily find books based on their interests and know what books would be right for them when looking at the AR sticker. Our IR time is 30 minutes and student can choose their books and get comfy anywhere in the room as long as they are actively reading. As the students are reading, I will walk around and just stop and chat with the students about their book. The students love sharing and I will ask questions that tell me about their comprehension. I will also ask students to read their book aloud to me so that I can hear them reading. Another activity that we may do during IR is called Book Buddy where they rotate to a new buddy and discuss their books. The students love talking about what they are reading and students love to read books that other students have told them about.

                I know some teachers are hesitant to incorporate IR in the classroom for various reasons, but if done correctly it can truly help students flourish as readers. I know I have seen so many students get excited about IR because they have choice and they have access to many books that they don’t normally have at home. Especially at Lone Oak, students don’t have a lot of exposure to a variety of texts and good reading being modeled outside of school. So allowing the students to have this time in the classroom is so important. Also, Miller mentioned how beneficial IR is for ELLs and I have found this to be so true. I will never forget how valuable the purchase of one biography text was to my classroom library. Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx, sparked an interest and love for biographies in my ELL girls! They were so intrigued and inspired by her biography that it truly made me realize how important it is to make books available that all my student can connect and relate too!-

Barone Blog #1

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!

Laura Riemensnider's Blog post #3 Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 5:  Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

            In my opinion a classroom library should be the heart of your classroom. I agree with what Routman wrote about it being difficult to maintain a strong reading program without an excellent classroom library. Routman discusses how the availability of reading materials greatly impacts children's development. We know this to be a fact based on research.

When I look back on my first classroom library when I began teaching, I had a large number of books. These books were saved from my childhood, purchased during my student teaching and collected from spending the summer stocking up from yard sales and thrift stores. I have a natural love for books and so purchasing these books was important to me. What I didn't know at the time was it was unusual for someone fresh out of college to have so many books that they personally provided for their students. What is more common is to see our first year teachers inherit an empty classroom, have very few personal possessions that they can bring into a classroom, and are adjusting from ending their college days. They are expected to dress like professionals, have reliable transportation, and most likely they're paying off student loans. And all of this is happening before they receive their first paycheck. When they walk into the empty classrooms they're relieved to know that they have a check for a couple hundred dollars waiting on them for supplies. What they don't know is that the majority of that is going to go to hand gel, Kleenexes, pencils, storage containers, zip lock bags, and items to make their classroom look inviting. It's unrealistic to believe that all first year teachers have the resources to build and maintain an ideal classroom library. I feel that over time with encouragement and support (like schools and districts providing books and storage items) that these young teachers can have an ideal classroom library.  As a reading coach and a seasoned teacher, I feel is it important to try to pick up a few books along the way to donate to these new teachers starting their classrooms. I'm proud that our district is providing some books to stay in a classroom library this year and I hope this continues. In the past we have tended to view classroom libraries as solely the teacher’s responsibility to provide. A well-stocked classroom library should be something that we in education should strive to make a necessity and not a luxury. Providing the physical materials that these children need to learn should be the responsibility of schools, district, and community as a whole.

        This chapter on how to organize an outstanding classroom library is chock full of excellent information, wonderful tips, things to consider, and ideas to help jumpstart a beautiful well organized and well used classroom library. One of the things that Routman mentioned, that spoke to me, was the fact that we should have multiple copies of our popular titles inside our libraries so that those books don't disappear over time. I also feel that you should have multiple copies on hand so that you can use them in a variety of ways.  Routman says reading with a partner is a great way to use multiple copies, but I would add that you could also send those popular titles home every now and then. The ones that you read the most with the students are the ones they know the best. They can take pride in being successful when sharing them with their families.

       Another point that I really have never considered before was to involve the students when organizing in designing your classroom library. It makes a lot of sense that if the students help to build it then they're going to take ownership in it. They will want to visit and use the classroom library more. In fact, they're probably mentally plotting and planning which books they want to read in the future. This idea was an eye opener! I plan to have my book club kids help me reorganize or add some of their ideas to  improve our small classroom library.