Jessica Barwick: August Blog

My initial reaction to reading the "Not This" chapter was "This is great, but it's easier said than done."  I do not have DEAR or SSR time in my classroom as described by this chapter.  We have independent reading time every day where I am conferencing with students individually while trying to keep other students on task reading in their "book nooks" around the room.  I love this time of the day, and many times all students are actively engaged in their books, rather than trying to turn their book nook into a social event.  But, I still feel like I can do more.

Miller writes, "When students sit quietly at their desk with a book or magazine during DEAR or Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) time, we might see them flip a page every minute or so, but we can't see what's happening inside their heads.  We don't have evidence of how they're making meaning of the text, the specific ways they've grown as readers, or what they're struggling with as they read.  Without that information, we can't each them how to get better and we can't be sure that - even if they read every day - all students are becoming better readers this week than they were the one before."

This passage hit home because this is exactly how I feel as a classroom teacher during independent reading time, even if I am conferencing with students.  There is no way to conference with every student every day, and while I am trying my best to reach all students, there is still only one of me.  What about the students that are left to their own devices while I conference with others?  Are they actually engaged or just appear so?  Are they just looking at the pictures rather than making meaning from the text?  Are they fooling me into thinking they are learning new vocabulary words while they are actually planning their recess time?

To try to help me organize my conferences and give students purpose to their independent reading time, I developed strategy cards for each student.  During our conference, on an index card, I will list their strengths, their goal (I try to focus in on one), and a strategy to help reach that goal.  These cards are pinned to our CAFE board underneath the category that their goals align with.  During IR time, students can go get their own cards so they have their personal strategy to practice independently while I am conferencing with other students.  This is something I have only recently tried, so I'm not sure of it's long-term effects, but so far, it appears to be working for some students.  I have observed many students practicing their reading strategy aloud (adding expression, repeating passages to increase fluency, stopping to check for comprehension) so I know they are engaged in the process.  However, I still wonder if I am doing enough during this time to help them all grow as readers.

I think it comes down to trust.  I have to show them how, build up stamina, then trust the students to work on their own independently.  It is hard to let go of that control, but if I want my students to love reading and get better at it, I have to trust them enough to practice without me holding their hands.  This also includes letting them choose their own reading materials.  In No More Independent Reading Without Support, Miller and Moss state that "self-selected reading is twice as powerful as teacher-selected reading in developing motivation and comprehension."  By allowing students to choose their own books, they will be more likely to stay engaged while I am working with others.    

So, going back to my initial reaction.  Yes, it is possible to find the time in our day for independent reading and reduce some of the "time wasters."  Yes, it is possible to have a reading workshop with a short mini-lesson, reading time, and reflection.  Yes, teachers can conference with students individually or in small groups during this time and provide instruction on how to improve.  But, in practice, it is difficult to do these things well.  It is hard to feel like you are reaching all students every day.  And it is impossible to know exactly what is going on inside the kids' minds when they are reading a book without you.  All we can do is provide the framework for a successful reading workshop and trust our kids are learning from the process.