After reading the article “Habit of Kidwatching,” I think this
passage sums up kidwatching perfectly for me: “Some things about kidwatching are as elusive to define as friendship.
In a simple and fundamental way, getting to know children deeply is synonymous
with kidwatching. What can a B+ or an S in reading really tell us about how a
child reads? How much are we really informed about reading strategies from an
87% on a comprehension test? Sitting with a child and watching and listening
carefully may be the best thing we can do to get to know our students as
readers.”
Wow! Such a powerful statement about how we as teachers can
use kidwatching to really know our students and their strengths and weaknesses.
I realized that I am already kidwatching in my own classroom, but may not
always be the best at writing my notes down. I also realized that many times I
do take notes during small group reading time, but I need to also be aware how
important note taking is in different settings to make sure I am observing and
learning about the whole child. I think this is also a powerful tool that can help plan
lessons and meet the needs of each child.
The author mentioned the system he uses to make notes. I
know in years past we used a reading conference template which I think served
its purpose, but I also think creating something for myself that I know would
work best for me and my students would also be beneficial.
Great point about creating a note taking template for yourself. Many people have commented on creating something to help them keep track of their anecdotal notes. I liked the old reading conference templates because they helped me keep track of the skills we should be focusing on. Creating one will be beneficial because you already have a working knowledge of your students and what they need!
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI loved the quote you pulled out to discuss in this blog post. It does validate the importance of kidwatching and of all authentic assessments that show that our students are more than a score. About notekeeping - I agree that there are a lot of helpful templates and record sheets out there...I have found that the most effective ones for me are the ones I create and/or modify for myself. Thank you! Dawn