Not This
When reading this
article, I was surprised to see how they analyzed the school’s day to find the
time they needed for independent reading.
I know that we use some of the same activities here at Fairforest during
the day that they felt were not necessary.
In Resource, my day is structured differently with students coming in
and out every 50 minutes for their instruction.
While most of these time gaps didn’t apply to me, I am sure that there
are other ways that I can find some minutes in my day. The information that I found most useful in
this chapter had to do with showing students the behaviors that they need to
practice. I have learned that I need to
try to build in more conferencing time with my students so that I can have the
conversations they described. One quote
that really struck me was that some children come to accept that what they read
won’t make sense and that some people, like them, aren’t really readers. That really made me stop and think about my
students. I know that they don’t believe
in themselves as readers partly because they are coming to Resource to get help
in reading. They know they struggle with
reading and that they are way below where they need to be. I hope that by discussing their strengths and
weaknesses they won’t have to suffer in silence and become disengaged.
Tina, another thoughtful blog post. Integrating conferencing into your existing curriculum is an excellent way to open up conversations with your students about how they perceive themselves as readers. Helping them see their strengths will help build their confidence and hopefully encourage them to take more risks as readers in your classroom and in their other settings. That quote you included is heartbreaking and especially true for your group of kids in the upper elementary grades. Your goal of helping them see their strengths and sharing your reading life with them can help direct them in the direction of seeing themselves as readers.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina,
ReplyDeleteI know that with the limited time you have with your students when they come into you for resource and the ways you are working to use approved curriculum to meet your students' individual IEP goals your time for independent reading is limited. I want to encourage you to look for ways wherever you can find them to support and foster a love for reading in each of your students. Thanks, Dawn