December post

Blog Post for December

            Text: Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading/Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

            As a teacher who has taught in a variety of grade levels and schools, I have seen many forms of reading instruction come and go. One of the greatest misunderstandings that has cost students and teachers dearly, is confusing silent, sustained reading (SSR) with independent reading. I have taught at several middle schools that implemented a school-wide SSR program where students “read” for 10-15 minutes at the end of the day. Bluntly put, SSR does not work for struggling readers; it forces them to fake read or wait out that 15 minute time slot until they can be dismissed or move on to more pleasurable activities. One of the best points that Chapter Six makes is distinguishing between SSR and independent reading.

            The second point that is helpful is the repeated emphasis on modelling desired skills for students of all ages. Reading is not just a collection of decoding strategies, word calling, or even comprehension, in my opinion. It involves behaviors such as learning to work with a partner or a small group, learning to engage in reciprocal conversations, and being able to stay on task. As teachers, we are skilled in reteaching and reinforcing academic concepts but we often assume that prosocial and academic behaviors can be learned by osmosis. Routman emphasizes that children have to be taught the skills needed to become successful independent readers; those skills have to be modeled (repeatedly) in order for them to become successful. It is critical to have time during the school day to model those skills. Her suggested schedule (in terms of both components and timing) make it easier for new teachers to incorporate independent reading in their classroom.

            The following chapter links assessment to instruction. In today’s frenzy of standardized testing, formative assessments seem to take a backseat. More and more teachers seem to resort to quick forms and quick assessments to gather data, for the sake of data collection. This is frustrating because it does not help inform and improve instructional practices. Consequently, teachers feel that they are testing their students to death with little usable information. Even though this chapter outlined some common best practices to help conduct effective assessments while students are reading independently, this learner was able to benefit from the guiding questions that can be used to inform instructional practices. It was also helpful to understand that the same form of assessment can be differentiated to meet the needs of both struggling readers and those who are more proficient. Lastly, this provides a template that emphasizes teacher observation in a naturalistic setting.