In section 1, Miller discusses the difficulties of finding
time for independent reading and what obstacles may be standing in the way. Reflecting on my own classroom, I think time
is definitely wasted during transitions. Controlling transitions is an important
part of classroom management. When
students get off task, start conversations, and don’t immediately follow
instructions, it wastes classroom time.
When this occurs while transitioning between 5 subjects and leaving and
coming into the room multiple times a day, that wasted time adds up to a
substantial chunk of our day. Another
area I thought about is our reading block.
While we are working on good skills and strategies, it did hit home when
Miller said we are “doing a staggering number of things about reading…but very
little actual reading.” What good are
these skills and strategies if students never apply them to authentic,
independent reading? Miller also goes on to discuss how independent reading is
not beneficial without support. I’m
looking forward to reading about what types of supports she recommends.
Reflecting on our schedules can be daunting. I'm glad you were open to looking at parts of your day that may be taking up reading time. What's even harder is trying to shorten these chunks so less time is wasted. Have you come up with any good ideas?
ReplyDeleteYour point about Miller's statement that independent reading should not be done without support is spot on. If we simply let kids read and don't have conversations with them about what they're doing, it's too easy for them to become frustrated and give up. Conferencing is a great way to make sure this time is well spent. After teaching a mini-lesson on a skill, you can allow students to practice that skill on their own during independent reading. While they read, walking around, sitting with students, and talking about how they are using that skill is a great way to provide support. During these one-on-one encounters, you are better able to see if students truly grasp the concept or if they are master fakers.
Hi Stevie,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you taking Miller up on her challenge to critically examine our schedule and instructional practices throughout the day to determine where we can tweak/adjust/eliminate parts that are not as meaningful as the time we we want to provide students to read,write,think,problem solve...You have identified transitions and some isolated reading activities as areas of your day that you want to tweak. I want to encourage you to move forward with this to make the necessary changes to give you more instructional time back. Sincerely, Dawn