Blog Post 4 November: Donna Farmer’s Routman’s Chapter 10: Examine Guided Reading

Blog Post 4 November:  Donna Farmer’s Routman’s Chapter 10: Examine Guided Reading

Guided Reading is the one area most teachers struggle, especially new teachers.  It has taken me many years to design the perfect guided reading lessons.  Except, there are no perfect lessons so I guess I am still in the process of designing.  Each year, plans change according to the make-up of my class and I always strive to create better lessons than the year before. 

I take an eclectic view of how reading should be taught.  Routman states that what is significant about guided reading is the guided practice, not the guided reading group.  I have always struggled with teaching guided reading in small groups.  I’m old now and set in my ways.  I, sometimes, convince myself these ways are best.  When I try something new, I often find myself slipping back to what I know works for me as a teacher.  When I teach in small groups, I feel rushed for time.  I know my students must feel this same hurried feeling.  Is it worth the anxiety to create these small groups when I can do the same thing whole group and expand according to each student?  I would love for Routman to visit our school and offer suggestions for how I can become a better guided reading teacher, even if it means more small group teaching for me. 

Routman’s framework for thinking about a guided reading lesson is helpful.  I like the way it is framed and find it supportive when designing lessons.  As a result of reading this chapter, I am going to work harder at teaching in small groups.

Blog Post 3 October: Donna Farmer’s Routman’s Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

Blog Post 3 October:  Donna Farmer’s Routman’s Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

During my years of college, I began collecting books for my classroom library.  In the beginning, I was choosing the least expensive books in order to build a substantial supply.  I was able to ‘try out’ some of them with my own child.  If she enjoyed it, then maybe my soon to be students would as well.  As I was building my library, I began to focus on genres and authors.  During this time, I began to better understand literacy and how authors leave impressions.  Reading to my own child, I realized she was more engaged when we read books that interested her.  Therefore, book purchases were made according to her interest.  Unknowingly, I was becoming better prepared for teaching.  Equipped with this knowledge, when I first began teaching, I was able to hone in on student interest and jumpstart the year with engaged reading. 

Through the years, I have tried various ways to organize my classroom library.  Books are in baskets, facing the reader.  This year, I have considered using a different method to display them.  I thought that organizing books with the binder displayed would save space and I struggled with making that change.  Routman emphasizes the importance of displaying books with the cover in full view, as if marketing the book to a buyer.  Well, our students are the buyers and it is up to us to sell the book.  We have to approach it not only as selling a book, but we are selling knowledge.  We are selling to build a future reader.  My books will continue to face forward.

Currently, I have books organized by genre, author, and season.   At the beginning of the year, I create a new basket based on student interest so they will always have something to go to. 

One of my students has an avid interest in Christian music and the Bible.  In order to help him learn to read, he bought his own Bible from home.  His mother wrote out the Ten Commandments for him and he brought those to school as well.  I typed them and highlighted high frequency words for him to practice.  I also printed the lyrics to his favorite song and highlighted those words for him to learn.  I agree with Routman: “It really doesn’t matter much what kids read as long as they read and enjoy what they’re reading.”

My biggest problem with my classroom library is placing the books that do not fit in with my genres, authors, or seasons.  I have taken those books and placed them in one basket.  This basket is stored UNDER the bench in the reading center where no one ever looks at them.  These poor lonely books.  If only I could figure out how to incorporate them into my library!

According to Routman, Book Talk should be a Hot topic.  Although students share reading with other students, I fail to make time for whole group book talk.  Making a top ten list might be a cool thing for all of us to work on as well.  I will consider incorporating these into my future lessons.

Although I feel confident about my classroom library, there is always room for improvement.  The goal is to encourage students to read while building a love for books.  Sometimes, it only takes the cover of a book to invite a child to read.  Once we can get them hooked, the rest will fall into place.

Blog Post 2 September:  Donna Farmer’s Routman’s Chapter 3: Share You Reading Life

Routman is a great motivator!  I love to read, but prioritizing reading into my daily life has not been on my personal agenda.  I do have a book I have been reading periodically, but cannot seem to make the time to finish it. 

As a teacher, I read several books to my students on a daily basis as we discuss our likes and dislikes about the book, along with focus skills.  I also have a basket of books labeled as Teacher’s Favorites.  Students enjoy choosing books for me to read from my special basket.

At the beginning of the school year, I always survey student interests and create a library based on these interests.  The children are always surprised when I tell them they can travel to places far away just by reading a book.  They begin to focus on where a story takes place and compare locations on a map.  It is really cool to watch their interest grow throughout a school year!

The most rewarding part is when students surprise themselves with what they know.  The more they read, the more words they own.  As my first graders were researching animals, they were overwhelmed with how many words were in an article.  Once they realized they could actually read most of the words, the joy in their eyes was priceless.  Now, they can’t get enough and want to research everything!

Although I have not been as involved as I would like in reading on a personal level, I do carry a torch and share that light with my students.  They know and understand that reading is a lifelong skill and want to read.  

Blog Post 1 August:  Donna Farmer’s Miller’s Section 1 Not This

Time.  There never seems to be enough, unless it is something we really want to do.  Prioritizing what is most important to us enables us to make the time necessary to accomplish things in life.  This same prioritizing is essential in educating our students. 

Reading is fundamental to success.  Period.  One must learn to read in order to make sense of life.  Teaching reading takes skill and is a combination of learned skills and the ability to practice those learned skills. 

In the article “Not This” by Debbie Miller, she illustrates the importance of practicing reading to learn how to read.  This practice must be framed by instruction in order for it to be productive.

After reading this chapter, I wonder about one of my reading practices in my classroom.  I am guilty of allowing students time to read without conferencing.  There is a time in our day when I allow students to choose any book they would like.  During this time, students often flip through pages and just look at the illustrations or the photographs.  I have convinced myself that even when students just look at illustrations or photographs, they are learning.  They have more questions that can only be answered if they read the print. 

I also have time when students read to conference.  During this time, I learn which strategies students use and which lessons to plan to enhance reading skills. 

I agree with Miller when she states that the more opportunities we give children to read, the better.  I also agree that focused instruction is essential for reader’s growth.  Prioritizing allocated time each lesson is the key to success and is something I am constantly analyzing in order to give my students the best educational lessons possible.  

December Blog: Chapter 10 - Examine Guided Reading (September H Bennett)

December Blog: Examine Guided Reading by September H Bennett

For the past couple of months, I have been trying to figure out how to streamline and fully integrate guided reading into our daily schedule. Time, of course is a major factor. Engagement and management are others. Through this chapter I have found that there are numerous opportunities for guided reading practice throughout the day. This chapter prompted me to apply what I read and create a chart to implement in my classroom.

After addressing time concerns, I was able to hone in on management techniques. The communication piece seems to be the most critical part of the management process. Modeling your expectations for even the simplest tasks is mandatory. 

Nov.- Teaching Comprehension

This chapter was definitely a good reminder that I need to teach my developing readers valuable strategies, teach them why and when to use those strategies, and then provide plenty of practice to employ the strategies!

Effective comprehension strategy instruction is explicit:

1. Direct explanation. The teacher explains to students why the strategy helps comprehension and when to apply the strategy.
2. Modeling. ...
3. Guided practice. ...
4. Application.

The first page in this chapter says that the emphasis on skills should not be at the expense of comprehension. Instead of just assessing comprehension, I need to spend more time actually teaching comprehension. This really jumped out at me. I realize, from reading this chapter, that I need to spend a certain amount of time explicitly teaching the strategies that have been proven beneficial for achieving full comprehension. I liked the 20% to 80% rule: explicit strategy instruction should take up no more than 20 % of the reading class, and the rest of the time should be spent with students actually reading and applying the strategies.

Oct.- Share Your Reading Life

Honestly, sharing my reading life is slightly difficult. I have not always loved reading. When I was in school I was never excited to visit the library and only picked books based on their pictures. When it was time to read and essential to read I did not know how and I surely didn't  find it fun. When I began college I knew if I was going to be a teacher, and I was going to have to begin to love reading. It was not until my senior year I realized I was going to make my negative experience a learning experience for my students. No, I don't start off the year telling students why I love to read and or the books I am currently reading, as the article suggests. I began my telling my students my story but more importantly everything I missed out on! Then I began to share my personal library and how I record interesting things I find!! Most importantly how much I now LOVE to read! :) This was a great article to help motivate all readers.