As I read this chapter, I kept
picturing in my mind students from classes long past that spent time in my
classroom doing SSR while I conferenced with their classmates. I had no idea if they were doing real reading
or fake reading. I remember just wanting
them to stay quiet and on task while I rushed to complete as many reading
conferences as I could.
I have been
a teacher for a long time. I have taught
the Whole Language way, the Four Blocks way, the complete basal immersion
thing, the integration way, and now, the Daily Five way. I could identify with so much of this
chapter. We were always doing something
– a worksheet, a center, a project, but I didn’t always feel like there was
real reading and real teaching happening.
There will always be the students that grow and learn no matter what the
teacher does. I don’t want those to be
the only students that showed growth, but I wasn’t always sure what I needed to
do to reach every child.
I feel like
I am doing more now to reach students than I ever have in the past. The balanced literacy approach allows me to
meet with every child almost every day.
I can meet them where they are and teach them the skills that they
need.
I still
worry about those that are doing fake reading instead of real reading. I am concerned that whatever tool I use to
hold them accountable for their reading will become the focus of their reading
time instead of the reading itself. I
want them to want to read and to become more independent.
Your experience with multiple approaches to literacy instruction is helpful as you work through this reading material. Your choice to focus on the Daily 5 seems to be one that is currently working for you. It's great that you're getting the chance to meet with students one on one every day. This is something that should be happening in more classrooms. I need to learn more about Daily 5 and the types of activities that happen in each station.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of your fake readers, we've all had those friends. It's hard to really know how to help them unless we are having those real conversations with them. With my older kids, it came down to me point blank asking them to be honest and tell me why they don't read. This honesty allowed me to jump those obstacles and help them find books that reduced their fake reading time. It seems to me that this could benefit younger kids as well. Sometimes they get so caught up in giving the school answer that they aren't as transparent as we need them to be to really help.
Hi Melanie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Miller that our students need more than time and books for independent reading to be successful. They need a reading workshop model that provides students with mini-lessons that encourage strategies in practice and model proficient reading behaviors. They need monitoring through reading response and conferencing and they need feedback through conferencing and through conversations that help grow them as readers. Thank you! Dawn