January/February Blog: "Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading"

As I mentioned in my December post, finding time for independent reading beyond that which is briefly outlined in my daily lesson, is very difficult.  The only time I can count on there being a chance for independent reading is during those portions of standardized test administration that are not orally administered.  The idea of conferencing regarding independent reading had not struck me as a useful tool in our Resource world. The only time I do anything close to this is quick feedback regarding oral reading in class or during weekly assessments.  This feedback mostly encompasses decoding errors, however.  The chart on page 85 gives some guidance for implementing independent reading through its comparison to sustained silent reading.  Each point on the independent reading side reads like a checklist.
Regarding partner reading, I have always been hesitant to implement it.  How could that help?  The ideas in our class presentation on its benefits and the information presented some convincing reasons to implement it.  I have just assumed that this time would be spent chatting about other, more entertaining things.  I appreciate there is a graphic of the skill set already created and included on page 91 that could facilitate teaching how this experience should occur.
The point on page 96 that word calling is not enough is such an important one to be made!  I have so many students whose oral reading is quite fluent and well-pronounced, but when asked questions about what was read, it becomes painfully obvious that the student has gotten no meaning from the text.  He or she has missed crucial prepositions  or pronouns that gave clues to locations, characters, or sequence that are crucial to understanding the events of what was just read.