Lynette Richau Blog #3 Routman Ch. 8 Teach Comprehension

Chapter 8 of Routman's book on teaching comprehension was quite eye opening.  It really made me pause and think about what I do, or don't do in my own classroom.  I really feel teaching comprehension is extremely difficult and an area that I could improve in.  I am guilty of being caught up in teaching sight words and vocabulary.  I do feel this is so important though, especially with my students that are so language delayed.  I see them tripping over and skipping basic sight words which really hinders their fluency and their comprehension.  So how can this not be a focus, really? Routman really made me stop and think when she said that we teach comprehension strategies in isolation but that's not what we do as good readers, we do several strategies simultaneously.  How do you get inside a little persons brain though? How do you truly understand what they are thinking and comprehending?  I struggle with this especially with my little ones that lack so much language and have difficulty expressing themselves anyway.  In reflecting on my own teaching I definitely need to model this more, talk it out and show them the strategies so they truly understand.

In this chapter I really like how Routman has the try it and apply it after each strategy.  Having her basically walk you through what to do and how to do it is extremely beneficial.  It really helps to create a clear picture of the expectation and result.  This is something I will most definitely use with my students and may even type it up to keep in my notebook where it is handy!!

Lynette Richau Blog Post 4 Conferencing

Conferencing with my kindergarteners is a little different than with my older students.  Due to severe language delays we are still working on letter recognition and their sound relationships.  I use a checklist to monitor their alphabet recognition both upper and lower case letters as well as sound recognition.  This helps me to know what they have mastered and what we still need to work on.  While they are not reading yet they do love to be read to.  I have learned so about them as readers by observing them during independent reading.  They hold the book appropriately and read the pictures so well!  They even use inflection in their voices!  They have a great love for reading already and that really excites me!  Now I just need to give them the language they need to progress! 

Reading conferences help me to really get to know my students individually as readers.  I am able to listen to them read and ask questions about their reading.  This intimate time-shared enables me to praise student’s strengths and discuss areas that need to be focused on for growth.  We discuss what they are doing well and set goals to work on to improve their reading.  We also discuss how the goal(s) will help them to become a better reader.  DM is working on fluency and comprehension and his strengths are sight words and reading rate.  YV is working on building her sight word vocabulary and comprehension and strengths are using picture clues to figure out words and meaning.  JT is working on vocabulary and sounding out words and his strength is rereading.  TG is working on vocabulary and comprehension and his strengths are tracking words and using picture clues.  

I really enjoy talking with them and listening to what they have to say about their reading, questions they might have, understandings and connections.  Reading conferences really help me to be able to differentiate my instruction and meet each one of my students' specific needs.  I know what sight/vocabulary words they are lacking so that becomes the next spelling/vocabulary lesson.  I have two students that constantly omit or add words when they are reading and another that looks at only the beginning sound and puts words in his reading that don't even make sense.  So there I have my next mini lessons and strategies that I need to focus on.  I love this time with my students and so do they!!  

Rebecca Welch Post 4: Routman Ch. 3: Share your Reading Life

I feel like I share a decent amount of my life with my students. We have morning meetings a few times a week and we all share something about our lives during this time. They always want me to share something and I usually do share something with them. But I do not think I have ever shared anything about myself as a reader. But Routman says that we need to share our personal reading lives so that we can "connect world reading with school reading." I think this is so important because I know that when I was in school, I did not enjoy the 'school readings.' I did enjoy the books that I chose or that my mom helped me choose.

While reading the section about the importance of having a personal library, I really got to thinking. I have a fairly extensive library, which I am so thankful for. But often my students do not want to read what I have. They want to either go to the library or find something on Big Universe. I have realized that while allowing my students to read the nonfiction books on Big Universe is important, it is also important for them to be reading what is in my library. I think I need to put more procedures in place for when we can use Big Universe and when we cannot. My students need to be reading more real books instead of online books.

I also love what Routman said about having a writing notebook for quotes, facts, or interesting thoughts while reading. In my last post, I wanted to find some way for my students to be able to write their thoughts while reading without writing in borrowed books. This is the perfect option!

Finally, I think I need to allow my students more time to talk about what they are reading. I don't think I give my students enough time or opportunities to talk about their books or what they are enjoying. If I want my students to read in my library more, I need to let them talk about what they are reading. But most importantly, I need to start sharing what I enjoy reading!

Brittany Wright- Routman Ch. 9

After reading chapter 9 in Routman's book, Emphasize shared reading I see the benefits of it. I always just thought of shared reading as another way to read a book. I never stopped to think about he benefits or even really why we do shared reading. I am a first grade teacher so I guess by default we do shared reading more often than the upper grades. We will do it whole group often times but we will also do it during our small guided reading group time as well. Whole group my students enjoy shared reading especially when it is from a familiar or favorite text that they know. This way even those students who are struggling readers still know the words because they have heard it so many times before or it has many repeating lines throughout. It gives them a chance to feel successful when reading because they so often do not feel that way. I love using shared readings for stop and teach moments. They will happen without a doubt during a shared reading. It is a great opportunity to model how good readers read without even having to plan for it.

My favorite part of this chapter was when Routman shared with us an actually shared reading aloud in action. It was interesting to see how someone else does their shared reading. I always find it so helpful to see real examples of things being done rather than just reading about how to do it. It really validates what you are doing to see it in action. I also loved when Routman states the purposes for shared reading in the middle of the chapter. Some of my favorites were "Engages students through participation, not just listening, Gives all students a chance to be successful, and Demonstrates how reading works-the skills, strategies, and behavior of good readers." all of these things are what makes shared reading so purposeful and important. I hope even if I were ever to move grades levels I will carry these beliefs with me.

Brittany Wright- Routman ch.8

I chose to read this chapter on comprehension because it is a hard thing to teach and I wanted to learn more about how to do it effectively. I teach first grade so comprehension often seems to be the last thing that comes or something that I only work with my "higher" groups with. I am at this point just trying to get all of my students to be able to read. This was my original thought process. After reading this chapter it has caused me to sit back and think. How can I believe that a student knows how to read without comprehension. Isn't the whole point of reading, to understand and comprehend what it is we are reading. I have started to think deeply and gain a new perspective on how I am actually teaching reading to my students. While reading the section of this chapter that was headed with "Be Careful About How you Teach Comprehension" I felt a little guilty in that I have fallen into the mind set that teaching reading and teaching comprehension are separate. I have focused to much on teaching strategies but not as much on how to really apply those strategies. Routman says, "strategies are a tool for facilitating and extending comprehension" (p.119). Students need to understand how the strategies we teach them fit into the big picture of reading. Routman also says that the only way to enable students to use and practice these strategies is through independent reading.

After reading this chapter it has opened my eyes to how I need to change the way I teach comprehension. All of the things that I just often times assume students know how to do while they are reading, they don't. I need to spend a lot of time modeling these behaviors such as, self-monitoring, asking the right questions, using writing to recall key points, surveying texts before reading, and rereading. then I need to step back and allow them time to practice and interact with their peers. This will not only increase comprehension but also hopefully increase the enjoyment for students in my classroom.

Kristen Duncan Blog #4 "Why Not? What Works?" Section 2-Moss

                Moss states that “Students reading on their own is an essential practice”.  This statement is really the most important sentence and defines everything we are talking about in our class.  Independent reading develops many important characteristics of reading including; improved fluency and comprehension, more understanding of background knowledge, self-motivation to read, it broadens vocabulary, and increases reading achievement.  So why if independent reading improves all these things do we not make time for it??  To spend more time doing busy work that we feel will Improve test scores?  What we as teachers are missing is that THIS in reality will improve our test scores!  Studies have shown that students that have spent time reading outside of school did better on standardized test than students that didn’t (Moss).  Then there is the argument that what about the students that don’t read outside of school?  Are they not capable? Are they not good readers?  Because they are not good readers, they don’t read?  That may be true, so this is even more the reason to give our students that independent reading time.  To grow as independent readers they need time to read, good places to read, books that they enjoy, and then a chance to talk about what they read.  All this combines for a good reading experience which makes students want to continue reading, which in turn makes them want to read out of class, which finally results in that first thing we talked about that students who read outside of school do better on standardized tests.  So while there may not be a direct correlation, there is a correlation.

                This chapter goes back to simply making time.  If we want our students to do better on standardized tests, the answer is not to do more busy work, more work sheets, and more questions, the answer is to let them read.  And while they are reading we are allowing them to expand their vocabulary, letting them dig deeper into the background knowledge of books, all the while increasing reading comprehension. Again, there is no set time, there is no set genre of book.  Just let them read; 20 min, 30 min, whatever the day allows.  And let them read what they want, anything that interests them!!  Moss is right; students want “choice”!  I would much rather read something that interests me, over something that I “have” to read for school!  I wouldn’t want a set time all the time, or a set book.  Just let students have some time to read what they choose!  Free time for them to enjoy reading!  It doesn’t matter what reading method you are taking just use it effectively and correctly, not just to consume time!  After this becomes a routine, and this practice is back in our teaching daily; we will see the results in increased scores! 

Kristen Duncan Blog #3 "Is there Enough Time?" Section 1-Miller

                Is there enough time to let our kids read and enjoy a good book?  The answer is definitely YES!  I enjoyed reading Miller’s section “Is there enough time”, because that is so often the question.  We try and cram so many activities into our day, and while trying to fit so many activities in the day, we also lose valuable time doing things that are otherwise useless to our day.  If we cut out the unnecessary activities that consume us during the day we can make reading a priority and find out that there actually is enough time in the day for students to pick up a good book and spend time reading.  Take out the busy work and the work that just “has to happen” and instead let them read.  A way I feel like we can use our time more effectively is during our transition time.  Instead of letting students get on the computer or play on their devices; let reading be an option.  After work is finished, while waiting for next activity, after a test; instead of computers let students pull out their book and spend their time reading.  Reading should be an enjoyable time.  Time where they have picked a book they are interested in and can dive into it and let the book take them places other than the classroom.  This doesn’t have to be for hours!  It’s about quality time not quantity time.  If students are engaged in reading and are enjoying their quiet reading time even if it is only for 20 minutes; It’s worth it!!  Reading is valuable for our students for the rest of their lives, it’s a lifelong skill to be able to pick up a good book and sit down and read!  Let’s focus on what is valuable for our students for the rest of their lives and that is reading!!  Make time and JUST DO IT!!!

Jaime Steading's Blog Post 4--Routman Chapt. 4: Teach with a Sense of Urgency

Teaching with urgency is not "prompted by anxiety but rather about making every moment in the classroom count...."  Routman opens her chapter with this important statement and she is right.  We need to make every moment count.  Whether we are assessing, teaching, reviewing, or even transitioning, every moment of every day is important.  We need to make the most of it if we really want to see our students grow.  

Routman goes on to explain how we can make these moments count, in the way we teach reading, by discussing the Optimal Learning Model.  She gives informative explanations of demonstration, shared demonstration, guided practice, and independent practice.  I appreciated this review as I often forget the components of shared demonstration and tend to neglect this in my own classroom.  I usually either demonstrate, guide, or have independent practice.  The reading curriculum I am currently using incorporates a lot of shared demonstrations, and for this I am grateful.  It has been a great guide to help me get more comfortable and confident with this method.  

Another point that Routman discusses is the importance of integrating skills and not just teaching them in isolation.  This is something I have thought about for a few years now.  When I taught preschool, we had one teacher that wanted to move our preschool program in this direction and we had several teachers that wanted to continue to teach letters and sounds in isolation.  I saw the benefits of both and have always been on the fence about this.  Routman makes some very interesting arguments towards focusing more on language acquisition and other integrated skills.  She states, "Isolated drilling in the basics hampers low performing students because they fail to learn how to process new information effectively."  She also states that "students don't understand how the skills they are learning in isolation apply to other contexts".  I find this latter statement of particular interest because students with autism have a difficult time generalizing information learned to other contexts, yet we are often trained and taught to teach skills in isolation and then generalize them to other contexts.  I am interested to see if integrating skills from the beginning would benefit children with autism as well.  

Routman closes the chapter by saying, "Kids never let me down, no matter where I teach."  I think that's the mark of a great teacher.  Is there a magic answer or pill?  No.  The answer is to just teach. Expect your students to achieve, model your expectations, give them support, guide them when they struggle, and cheer for them when they succeed.  Finally, and most importantly to me, love them.  No matter what obstacles you face, if you expect your students to grow and learn, they will.  If you love them and they know that you do, they will work hard and will grow and learn in spite of those obstacles.  I have the amazing opportunity to witness this often in the field of special education.  It's what keeps me going most days.  When you see that "ah-ha" moment in a student's eyes.  When they smash through that barrier to do what once seemed impossible.  This is why the urgency is there.

Rebecca Welch #3: Routman Reading Essentials: Chapter 8, Teach Comprehension

When looking for my next chapter to read, I wanted to find one that would help me the most. I have further realized that I need very much help in the teaching reading department and I have noticed that many of my students in my focus group struggle with comprehension. So this chapter stuck out like a sore thumb.

Right off the bat, I knew I had picked a good chapter. Routman tells us, "The current emphasis on word calling, automaticity, and fluency in the early grades is often at the expense of understanding. When we spend most of our energy focusing on words, students get the message that reading is about words rather than meaning....We are turning out lots of superficial readers. (pg. 117)" When we don't teach children to understand what they are reading, we are not teaching children to read. We are simply teaching them letters, sounds and words.

Since I know my students struggle with comprehension, I was looking for ways to help my students with their comprehension. On page 123, Routman talks about using writing to help recall key points. He says that he likes to have his own professional books because he writes in them. he says, "I underline, write comments in the margins, note key pages to return to. This writing aids my understanding and lets me reread, find, or verify information efficiently or summarize key points quickly." And then I underlined that. I kept reading about how he uses lots of short nonfiction pieces with his students and then I wrote in the margin "NewsELA" because that is something that I use in my room. And then I realized that I do exactly what Routman is talking about. But I know that before college, I was told to never write in a book. To just read it, don't write in it. But I understood everything I just read and I was able to make outside connections to what I was reading. This makes me want to find someway to let my students write on what they are reading. Do I want them writing in my books? Not really. Am I willing to make copies of some texts so students can mark on them. Absolutely.

Another tip I found helpful was on page 128. It says that a 4th grade teacher in Vancouver, Washington sets aside time every week for students to partner read easy, familiar materials and they have to read with extra expression using special voices and even faces. This helps students to become more fluent and build expression. This is something that I would really like to start including in my reading instruction.

Comprehension has to be more important than word calling, automaticity, and fluency. When we teach students to that being the fastest reader or read the most pages in the class, we are teaching students that quantity is better than quality.But if students don't understand what they are reading, they may as well not have read at all. You cannot enjoy what you are reading if you don't understand it.

Cindy Black Post #4 - Why Not? What Works? Moss Section 2

Independent reading does matter and I believe we give our students several opportunities to do so both in and outside of school. We set aside daily time in the classroom for IR of the students choice. We monitor the time and walk around checking on the students so that they have the chance to ask questions about what they are reading and also words they may need help sounding out. We also ask questions about the book and conference with them. An outside opportunity gives each child a weekly folder with five books in it to take home on Monday and return on Friday. They are able to read these books at home and draw a picture about the books they read. Being in kindergarten the students do not have to take any online quizzes just illustrate on a piece of paper something that they take away from the book. Students also are able to bring books from home for us to read aloud to the class. This really gets the students excited and want to continue to bring in books for our class to share. Moss states that reading outside of school students achieved better on standardized tests than kids who did not.

Practice makes perfect so given the opportunities effectively and correctly allows students to develop background knowledge, improves reading comprehension, and will expand vocabulary. At such an early age we have to give these students choices that interest them so that we can keep them wanting more and more time to read. After starting at only two minutes daily at the beginning of the year we have successfully accomplished to a 20 minute mark today. That is a long time to keep five year olds still and reading books. We have really worked hard this year on our library in our classroom making it more inviting for them to use and enjoy. Moss states, “Libraries are essential”. Also, role playing in kindergarten allows students to become more engaged and allows them to act out the books we read. All this combined gives students many opportunities and betters them as readers only to make them more successful and start them off to a great early start in school.

Shayna Miller Post #4: Routman Chapter 9 (Shared Reading)

While in college, we learned the various methods of reading with students such as choral reading, partner reading, etc. Routman shares the idea of shared reading which ties them all together in what seems to be an effective manner. I often use choral reading and oral cloze with my students as I have seen how it helps them with fluency and comprehension. Many times I use these strategies the first time my student read an unfamiliar text before they reread it independently or with a partner. However, I like how shared reading wraps it all together into one lesson to address many strategies and focuses while monitoring student progress/participation. I have not combined choral reading with partner/individual reading before within one text, but I would love to try it since it seems to hold students accountable. While students read along with me, it can be easy for them to become lost or think they can get by with not focusing. When students are surprised with the expectation of having to read some sections individually to answer a question, they are now held accountable for their learning as well. My only concern with shared reading is how much time it takes. Since I only have 50 minutes with each group of students, time management is always difficult since there is so much more I would like to fit into 50 minutes of instruction. My hope is that with practice, switching between different ways of reading will become more fluid for my students and shared reading will become the norm.

Shayna Miller Post #3: Routman Chapter 8 (Teach Comprehension)

In chapter 8, Teach Comprehension, Routman made some great, thought provoking statements. The text made me take a step back and examine how I teach comprehension to my students. It was interesting that Routman 'called out' direct instruction programs since that is what our district has us using for our special education students. However, the points Routman made about using direct instruction programs were true when I examined the use of the programs we use in resource. Just as Routman pointed out, direct instruction programs for younger readers do focus heavily on learning how to read words and not how to understand what we read. I often find myself having to step back from the program in order to go more in depth on lessons for comprehension. The struggle I notice many of our students have both in my resource room and in the regular education classroom is applying all the strategies together. Our students are wonderful at practicing a strategy for a week and really mastering it, but are they able to apply this strategy later on when they really need it? I know I personally have to work on modelling how I read to my students and explain how I put multiple strategies to use. While reading the text I was brought back to an idea for a lesson I had learned at the most recent D6 University. I am now planning on making a 'Reader's Salad' to demonstrate that more thinking goes into reading than actual reading when it comes to comprehension. I will demonstrate to students how we make a reader's salad by adding leaves of lettuce for every time I think about what I am reading and tomatoes for every time I read a section between thoughts. In the end, the students will be able to see a visual of how much I am thinking about the text I am reading and they will have been able to hear my thoughts/strategies as I demonstrated the lesson. I hope this demonstration will be a good first step in helping my students understand all that goes into understanding text.

Suzanne Lee January Blog Post #6 Reading Conferencing Response

Suzanne Lee January Blog Post #6 Reading Conferencing Response

This year I have held reading conferences with my students on a much more regular basis than ever before in my 22 years of teaching.  I have held these conferences as part of my IR time.  I try to conduct at least 4 conferences a day.  When I can keep to this schedule, I meet with all of my students at least once a week during these conferences.  This is not to say that I do not meet with them at other times; however, this is scheduled time.

Honestly, I love this time with my students.  However, I know my conferencing still needs work.  When I first began conferencing with my students during IR this year I usually let them tell me about their reading life, a favorite part of the book they were “reading”, or some other non-lesson specific topic.  I really enjoyed this time and took many notes.   These notes did little to guide my instruction.  Honestly, while I enjoyed the conversations and did get to know my students better, these conferences were not as beneficial as I knew they were to be. 

As I learned more, I began to guide the conferences using minilessons that I teach right before IR time.  Most days I give my students a specific focus.  Then, as we conference we discuss those focuses and I note take.  I am noticing that while my students “grasp” the focus of the lesson, they usually are unable to read the books they choose. It is here that I lose my confidence.  Sometimes I worry that the precious time is being “wasted” because the students cannot read the material.  However, we have learned to give them choice.  I hope that I am doing the right thing.  My plan is to allow them free choice, but try to find some books the kids want to choose that they CAN read.

As mentioned, I am note taking.  When I review the notes, I am seeing that most students are connecting to the texts and using skills we have learned.  However, I need to allow these notes to guide my instruction more. Just like data is only data if we do not use it so too are these conferences.  Perhaps, the main thing that I have learned from the conferences is to use them to help my help my students.

Lindsey Harris Blog #4-Chapter 10

“How is what I am doing today going to help students become more independent readers?”  This quote from Routman in chapter 10 is something I have asked myself for years.  Reading was a weakness for me as a child and now as a teacher I have made it my passion to teach.  I can identify with those struggling readers and remember my own personal feelings towards guided reading groups.  I have been working with guided reading groups for five years, and while it has been a learning process and a lot of work it is my favorite time of the day.  It allows me time to work with my students in a small group setting reading, collaborating, and applying strategies we have worked on during shared and whole group reading.  After reading this chapter I realized that I am already doing most of things Routman wrote about. I group my students homogenously, this helps with my students learning to read and focusing on reading strategies.  I was also very excited to read about using literature circles for flexible grouping opportunities.  This is something new I have tried this year with one of my small groups.  My students seem to be enjoying their group and are having a lot of meaningful conversation with what they are reading.  Scheduling and materials are both areas that I struggled with in the past.  While we have a literacy closet have found some books are not appropriately leveled or can’t seem to find the time to go and look for the “right” book.  I try to use a lot of nonfiction text or paired text (nonfiction and fiction on same topic) for my guided reading groups.  I have found the Reading A-Z to be the best source for these types of books.  They have an easy to follow lesson plan as well as strategy and comprehension activities.  Since I can make copies of these books, I allow my students to write and highlight in the books to help show comprehension or for hands on strategy practice.  My scheduling of guided reading groups is something I try to keep flexible.  Routman reminded me that it is okay if you don’t meet with every group every day, and some days you may not have groups at all.  I tend to get so caught up and getting to every group that I lose focus of the end picture.  In the next few weeks before Christmas break I am hoping to let some groups go and allow for more independent reading and conferencing.  

 Jeanna Tate -  Blog #5

                                           Routman’s Chapter 3 – Share Your Reading Life

                When a fresh new school year begins I am both overwhelmed and excited about the challenge of teaching students to read!  Students come from such varying backgrounds and experiences I must take time to learn where each one is in their literary journey and where I need to meet them to fulfill their needs. I always share what I enjoy reading at school and at home.  I then have students tell me why we read and why reading is so important to each of us and chart their responses.  While reading Routman’s Chapter 3 I feel I should go more in depth with my students telling them why I choose to read what I do and how it is meaningful to me in my daily life.  When I stop to think of the various things I read in a day: newspaper, devotions, recipes, directions, literature to my class, student work, etc.,  I realize I probably could do a better job showing my students just what I do read each day and why it is necessary in my personal life as well as my professional life.  I like what Routman shared of one principal she worked with in the many schools she visits about books the students and teachers are reading.  “What is your “now” book and “next” book?” the principal would ask! I can see so many benefits from looking ahead to what you want to read next and how you can learn of new books and authors.  The reviews and book talks are so important to even the smallest kindergarten students.  I do encourage this in the classroom because it has worked so well for me.  I have students almost arguing over who will get a book next after someone has shared about a particular book. That’s one argument I don’t mind hearing within the classroom wall!  Students showing their love of reading! I like the reading log example used in this chapter for students.  It seems simple yet manageable for kindergartners.  I plan to implement this after Christmas break.  I found the statement about parents signing reading logs at home interesting.  I understand Routman’s point about busy schedules yet sometimes parents who aren’t educators just don’t realize the importance of reading to and with their children.  Educators make it a priority but some parents don’t. Hopefully, when teachers instill the love of reading and give students the tools they need to do so, they will read at home on their own whether parents are checking behind them or not.  I hope each of my boys and girls leave kindergarten with a love of reading and not believing it is just one more chore to check off each day! 

Lindsey Harris Blog #3-Chapter 5

While reading chapter 5, “Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library”, one quote really jumped out at me...”Classroom libraries are a literacy necessity; they are integral to successful teaching and learning and must become a top priority if our students are to become thriving, engaged readers.”  Four years ago I realized that my students were not using our classroom books.  Each group had a basket of books by their desk they could read when they had finished their work, but rarely did I ever see them get books from here.  They would normally read a library book or pull a textbook out of their desk to read.  After some self-reflection I quickly realized that while I had an inviting reading area with comfortable seating, there was one very important component missing...BOOKS!!  At that moment I decided to change my classroom reading area and I am so glad I did! 

            Routman said, “It is difficult to maintain a strong independent reading program without an excellent classroom library.”  I totally and whole heartedly believe in this quote.  While my classroom library may not be perfect, I did notice a change in my personal reading program once I had a well-organized and appealing library.  My library now has labeled baskets based off genres and is organized on a long multi-shelf book case.  This allows for my students to easily pick a book based off their interest.  I have leveled each book within the genre baskets, but students are always encouraged to find books on their reading level.  They do this by using the fiver finger test we learned during a mini-lesson at the beginning of the year.  In addition to my reading center, which holds our classroom library, rug, lamp, and two chairs, I also have a variety of seating options (carpet squares, rockers, and different types of chairs) throughout the classroom to provide my students with various “book nooks”.  I have noticed a huge difference in my students desire to read, engagement in reading over a period of time, and reading ability.  I am now able to use my classroom library for independent reading time which allows me time to meet with a small group or conference with individual students.  This has been one the best things I have done for my classroom and students in my teaching career.      

Hannah Keever Blog #5: Conferencing

I chose to write my fourth blog on conferencing because it is something that I am trying to implement in my classroom.  I am still working on how exactly this will look, but I feel like I am moving in the right direction.  So far, I conference with my students about their writing during our writer's workshop time.  I give my students the choice to write about whatever they would like.  This choice has kept my students engaged in their writing.  If I see a pattern that students are struggling with the same thing,  I will usually look for someone who is doing it correctly.  I use this to guide my mini lesson for the next day or during share time.  This has been a simple, yet very informative way to see where my students are and identify their needs as writers.

During my reading conferences, I have tried completing them during my daily five rotations, which I didn't like because I felt like it took time away from me reading with someone.  Next, I tried doing them during my independent reading time. This worked better because the students knew I was going around to talk to them about books so I was quickly able to see who is truly reading and who isn't reading.  It also gave me the opportunity to offer individualized immediate feedback for them to apply right away.  I have been able to learn my students as readers and see what their specific needs are.  I hope to become more comfortable with taking notes during conferencing.  I feel like writing the whole time takes away from the relationship that can be built during conferencing.  I do however, see the need to keep records so I can see how much my students are growing in reading.

Lori Henke -- Blog #4 -- Teach Comprehension

        In the very first paragraph of this chapter, I was hooked!  I had to read this chapters.  The quote: "We are turning out lots of superficial readers.  They look and sound competent.  They read smoothly and can retell what they've read with some detail, but they are unable to go further--".  This reminds me exactly of my small focus group in my classroom.  They can read, sound out words, and are quite fluent, yet the comprehension is not there.  This is what I need to focus on with them, and that's exactly why I chose those kiddos. 
        After reading this chapter, I know that I am using some "best practices" in my classroom.  I like the Café Book and the concept of posting the strategies we've learned  and always referring back to them throughout the year.  I feel like that allows me to teach the skill in isolation when introducing it, but then refer back to it again and again, so that students can realize that these skills are not a "one-time" thing, but a skill that we build on and use over and over as we read and comprehend what we are reading.
     The section titled: "Make your Reading/Thinking Process Visible" really validated another practice that I do in my classroom.  I do this constantly while doing a "read aloud" in my classroom.  I will stop and let the students know what I am thinking or strategies that I am using while reading.  This is also another reason that I think it is important to do a "whole class" read aloud every once in a while .
     Another section in this chapter titled, "Interact with Peers to Increase Comprehension and Enjoyment" made me excited to try "Book Clubs" in my classroom.  I am starting book clubs next week, and am looking forward to seeing how the "sharing" aspect of book clubs increase the students' comprehension.  This section was a good reminder of how to model what productive talk looks like and sounds like.  This will also give me an opportunity to do some heterogeneous grouping.  I am looking forward to starting the Literature circles. 

Lori Henke- Bog #3-- Examine Guided Reading

        I chose to read Routman's: Examine Guided Reading because I am always trying to improve the Guided Reading in my classroom.  I was glad to read that a lot of what is in the chapter, I am already doing in my classroom.  For instances, I start with a mini-lesson about the skill that we are focusing on in the classroom.  After the mini-lesson, we break up into guided reading groups.  I am fortunate to have Mrs. Hood push-in to my room every day for 40 minutes.  I usually schedule my guided reading time during the time that she is in my room.  Mrs. Hood usually works with one small group, while I work with another group.  The students that are not in a group are partner reading.  I started out the year trying to do guided reading groups while other students were reading independently, but that was a complete "fail!" I quickly realized that, although we were trying to reading quietly in our guided reading groups, it was still a distraction to those students that were trying to read independently. 
        During our guided reading time, I usually use leveled text that I get from the Literacy closet, or from Reading A-Z.  We have established the routine and expectations for this time in our classroom, and the kids, for the most part, do very well.  Lately, we have been reading non-fiction text about the European Explorers that I have found on Reading A-Z. This has been a great way to integrate my Social Studies content and ELA. 
         One thing I took away from this chapter was that the author suggests to not always "ability group".  I tend to make my groups/partners by "ability grouping".  One reason is for the leveled text that I choose.  I am going to make an effort to try to group differently as I see fit. 
      Another thing that I took away from this chapter is the use of the dry erase boards that the teacher uses where she wrote the assignment for each group.  I always feel like I need to complete the reading and task with the groups (which tends to be a time management issue).  This way, I could get them started on the reading, then send them to finish in their group, while I meet with another group the same day. 
       I will be trying both the heterogeneous small groups and the "white board" assignments in my classroom in the coming weeks.

Tara Burgess- Blog #4

Routman  Chapter 8- Teach Comprehension

     When I saw the title of this chapter, I knew I had to read it.  One big thing that I have noticed this year with my class is how much they struggle with comprehension.  When I conducted IRIs at the beginning of the year with all the students in my class, I could see that most of my students could read words, but a good many struggled telling me about what they read.  Routman discusses the same thing in this chapter.  He discusses how we spend a lot of time focusing on words, and students get the message that reading is all about the words not the meaning.  He goes on to tell about how students can read smoothly and maybe retell some details, but they are unable to discuss what they read in more detail.  That is exactly what I am seeing in my class.  I have students who can read the words and recall word for word from the text but can't discuss what was read in their own words or infer why characters are the way they are. 
   One thing Routman discusses which I talk about on a daily basis is the importance of rereading.  Students rarely take the time to go back a read things again because it takes extra time and they are unaware of the fact that they don't understand what they are reading.  Students need to stop periodically and ask themselves questions to make sure they are understanding what they are reading.  If things aren't clear then that is a clue that they need to go back and reread what they just read.  Routman gives a list of questions a reader can ask themselves to see if they are understanding what they are reading.  Even though the questions seem simple enough, it might be a good idea to make this list into a book mark that the students have to remind them of the types of questions they should be asking themselves as they read.  If they struggle with these questions, then they should reread.  This is definitely something that I will be incorporating into my reading conferences.
    

Tara Burgess- Blog #3

Routman   Chapter 4 -Teach with a Sense of Urgency

      In the first sentence, Routman says teaching with a sense of urgency means making every moment in the classroom count.  We have from August until May (really April for testing purposes) to fill our students with all the information and skills they need in order to move on successfully to the next level of learning. 
     As fourth grade teacher for 16 years, I don't feel like I truly taught reading correctly until last year.  Before last year, I taught reading basically the same way to every child using the same basal story and skills. Last year it truly hit me that I have to teach each child on their own level using stories or readings that interest them. This allows me to focus in on what each child truly needs to work on and skills they need help with to be successful.  Routman mentions that it is our responsibility as teachers to make sure that our students become excellent readers, and if we don't know how to do that, it is our responsibility to learn how.  The classes we have had over the last year and a half and conversations I have had with a fellow teacher who excels in reading have helped me to grow and become a better reading teacher. One thing I am focusing more on this year is to evaluate students on a regular (weekly) basis and give them feedback on what they did well and what they need to work on to improve.  At first this overwhelmed me and made me question what I was doing, but after a few weeks, I enjoyed seeing how students had improved (could see through their reading with me how they took what we discussed and applied it to their independent reading).  Routman discussed how teachers need to base instruction on what students need rather than what a specific program tells you as a teacher to do which reinforces what I am doing with my class. 
   Routman discusses how students have to develop confidence that enables them to read successfully with minimal assistance.  This made me think specifically about three students in my current classroom that lack confidence in their reading and want to be fully guided and helped every time we read together. We spend time together reading and discussing what they did well and what needs to be worked on.  We discuss things to try when they read alone at school and at home, but that lack of confidence still remains.  Routman discusses how students who depend on me for all their feedback are limited in how much they can learn, and that is what worries me especially with these three students.  I know that there are other factors in their lives that affect their confidence, but trying to find what would work has been challenging. 
    Basically what this chapter stresses is setting high expectations for students and doing whatever is necessary as teachers to help them reach their potential.  Teaching isn't just following a set program and letting students fall where they may. Teaching is taking a child from their current level and giving them the skills and confidence needed to succeed.

Katrina Hankins Blog #4—Routman Ch 6 & 7 Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading/Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner

I chose these chapters because of the gnawing fear that the need to get things done and get the grades is overtaking our independent reading time.  Another concern is that our goal to really get to know our students has shifted to the need to know how to formatively assess their progress in order to provide appropriate instruction for them?  This time reminds me of whenever I try a new initiative to take better care of myself.  I know the elements and truly believe in them such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and finding time to exercise.  All of this can start out fine but then falters when I get super busy or challenged.  That’s when I go back to my old ways that are not necessarily the best option.

In chapter 6 Routman lays out the ideals to strive for with independent reading.  This time is essential and should trump everything else on our long list of things to do.  We need to plan to have this independent reading time in place with the necessary elements that encourage book selection, practice in understanding and strategies, and conferencing to monitor and assess student progress toward goals.  This is the time when procedures have been in place for a while, but are all students actively engaged?  We’re approaching the end of the second semester; have our students experienced growth in their achievement?  How are we monitoring that progress?  Routman states that running records and miscue analysis should be part of our process to meet the needs of our students as well as goal setting as part of our conferencing.  This doesn’t have to be a stressful thing but a daily practice that informs our instruction and work toward growth.

What I loved was in Chapter 7 as she met the challenges head on with regard to a school facing the demands of the FCAT.  Whether we are talking about FCAT, PASS, or ACT Aspire, Routman shows that it is possible to take standardized testing to a manageable daily practice that is attainable through the authentic reading, writing, and conferencing that she has presented in her book so far.  Her informal reading conferences lay out the way in which she and her students work collaboratively toward high expectations and achievement in line with the standardized assessment that is at the end of the line.  I truly don’t know if I would be able to handle all of it as well as she does, but I do believe that it is worth a try.  One example was laying out what they will need to be able to do in a chart or laminated sheet for reference.  The other is to incorporate literacy across the curriculum.  These along with the goal setting and conferencing would help to develop a clear path for each child to grow and succeed as much as humanly possible. 

Holly Hanna - Blog Post #4 - Routman, Chapter 4: Teach with a Sense of Urgency

Teaching with a sense of urgency is definitely part of my day, every day.  Students are expected to master such a large amount of material in the course of a year, so there is no time to spare with fitting in necessary curriculum each day.  Elementary teachers are charged with teaching every subject every day and fitting it all into the daily schedule - along with recess, lunch, related arts classes, and restroom breaks.  It is a real challenge!  I have learned that we have no time to spare, which can leave little time for fun or just those daily moments with students that help me get to know them as the wonderful little people that they are.  I think that's the true challenge of being a teacher today.  How can we get it all done with such little time and still be effective?  Routman noted that "we need to keep our expectations high."  I couldn't agree more!  It is so important that we show students that we believe in their abilities by expecting higher-level thinking skills across all curriculum and especially in reading and writing.

Routman tells of the effectiveness of the Optimal Learning Model in Chapter 4 - "With expert assistance and encouragement, learners gradually move from dependence to independence."  The model has four parts:  1. demonstration, 2. shared demonstration, 3. guided practice, and 4. independent practice.  Demonstration and shared demonstration are lead by the teacher, but gradually add students into instruction with practice or discussion.  However, guided practice and independent practice start the process of students applying what they have learned and later progress to displaying skill mastery.  Using this model helps teachers better understand their students as they learn from the problem-solving that will be required of students in the second half of this instructional process.  This type of instruction helps teachers understand what students have actually learned.  This helps guide further instruction and planning.  With our school movement into STEAM activities and project-based learning, I can see the value in using this teaching model/tool as it moves students towards working independently.  Routman states that "students who remain dependent on a teacher or program for all their feedback are limited in how much they can learn."  Students must be able to use reading, writing, or problem-solving strategies independently or with a partner, without the constant guidance and help of a teacher.  This requires a great deal of encouragement and support from the classroom teacher.  Allowing students to take more responsibility for their own learning can lead to more engagement and further reflection of how they can build upon their knowledge in future assignments.  This type of learning can truly be meaningful to students who are building confidence in their own abilities.

Another concept that Routman mentioned in the text was Interactive Reading.  This is a practice I use regularly in my classroom.  Interactive reading is when the teacher reads aloud and invites students to ask questions or add comments while the teacher is reading.  This happens daily with a class full of 7-8 year olds.  Students love to "add" comments or share experiences when they are making connections with the text we're reading.  You can learn so much from students by allowing this to happen and once it's over, you feel that you've shared the reading experience with them.  At one of our recent D6 University sessions with Shawn Wootton, she discussed how we could access multiple Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels through a read aloud in the classroom.  The level of questioning we use during a simple read aloud can make all the difference in helping students think critically while comprehending texts.

Holly Hanna - Blog Post #3 - Routman, Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

As a student, I remember the excitement I felt when it was "library day" at school.  I loved going to my school library to choose new books to read each week.  I remember my mother, who was also a teacher, taking me to our hometown library to get my first library card of my very own.  I remember buying books at the mall bookstore that lined the shelves in our living room once they had been read. Reading was clearly important in my household.  My parents valued reading for information and for pleasure, which really made an impact on me as an beginning reader.  I remember having books in my classrooms, but very few aside from our textbooks.  I can't imagine how many books I would or could have read if I had been exposed to even more books throughout the school day.  Although I was blessed to grow up in a home where literature was present and valuable, I think of all of the students in my own classroom who do not have that same access to books at home.  Not all children have transportation to public libraries or money to purchase their own books.  This leaves a child's school and teachers responsible for every exposure they have to literature.  Routman states that "the availability of reading materials greatly impacts children's literacy development."  She also writes that "the better the libraries, the better reading achievement as measured by standardized tests". Therefore, it is critical that books are available and classroom libraries are extensive for low-income students to have the same opportunities for growth as a reader as other students who are exposed to more books at home.  Routman also suggests providing lots of choices for readers that are interesting in an attempt to encourage struggling readers.  I love the idea of simply talking to students about what they like to read and then filling your classroom library with those titles or topics.  I agree with Routman's idea that comprehension is affected by a reader's level of engagement.  My students are definitely more engaged when they are reading books that interest them.  

Just as school libraries are organized, classroom libraries should also have organization for children to easily access books they want to read.  Books can be organized in a variety of ways (genre, topic, author, reading level, etc.).  In my current classroom library I have a lot of books on all reading levels - from beginning readers to chapter books.  I have a variety of genres and authors.  This year, I organized my library by genre and by reading level.  However, my greatest challenge with library organization is keeping it organized.  When students do not return books to their designated place (shelves and labeled bins), the library becomes unorganized very quickly and students have a very difficult time locating specific book choices.  My plan for the library is to organize books with stickers.  Students will return books to bins that have a sticker that matches the one on their book. Routman suggests having students help with library organization because it helps students "take pride in their library".  This is something I will definitely try in my classroom.  My students (especially my girls) love to help with all sorts of "teacher" duties and this is one way they can be a valuable helper throughout the day that could make a huge impact on the accessibility of books for every student.  I plan to form a "library committee" of students to help with this process.  

Another topic Routman discussed in this chapter is an on-going lesson in my classroom:  Teaching students how to care for books.  I often share with students how I love and respect the books I read because I want them to last for a very long time.  The longer my books last, the more children will be able to read and enjoy them.  I teach students how to take care of books, but still have to regularly remind them to use clean hands when reading, to not leave them on the floor, to put books back in the library when they're finished instead of stuffing them into their desk, and to use bookmarks instead of bending pages.  Rules and expectations for books are an important part of students having full access to our classroom library.  I want students to feel ownership of our books, but that also must mean taking care of them.  I try to model this every day when doing read alouds or using books for instructional purposes.  

This chapter reminded me that it is critical for me to continue to expand my classroom library for all students.  Making books accessible to students plays a key role in their overall academic achievement and whether students become life-long readers.  My goal is to give students the tools they need to feel successful as readers, and I can do this by creating an inviting, extensive library for them to enjoy!

Carol Talanges - Post 4 - Ch. 6 Routman

      I choose to respond to chapter six – Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading because it is a vital part of my reading instruction and I am always interested in more information about how to improve my Independent Reading time. I loved the introduction to the chapter with the dialog with the teacher about scores and she asks “when do they get to read books they can choose?”  I love this question and I often fall in the cycle of I must extend my lesson and they must read this, but it is SO important that we never take away the time where students are reading what they choose and utilizing their own reading strategies to become more successful readers.

      I used her dialog as a quick check for myself. Is my classroom do I “carefully monitored, independent reading program in place, fully supported by and ample classroom library and daily reading conferences”? Most of the time I can confidently say yes, but I know that I also have great weaknesses with conferencing and monitoring progress. I mostly struggle with keeping notes and fully tracking students’ progress. I also struggle with conferencing because of time restrictions and I never feel like I get to each student enough weekly.

      I like that Routman does mention goal setting with her Independent Reading, because I notice that most people do not include it. I feel that goal setting is one of the most important aspects of Independent Reading because it is individualized and it allows students to self-reflect and create their own personal goals as readers. I find great joy is watching my students realize that they have fully accomplished one of their personal goals and it leads to great confidence for them in their future reading. 

Carol Talanges - Blog # 3 - Conferencing

I choose to focus on my conferencing for this month’s blog. Conferencing with my students is done daily in my classroom and is my favorite part of the day. Conferences may be content driven. Such as, we have a goal of creating summaries from text and after my daily mini-lesson I informally conference with my students about how they are preparing to write a summary for the chapter of the current book they are reading. It is informal and it directly guides my continued lessons for summarization the next day. I also quickly gather who needs remediation and who needs to be challenged as a reader. I also learn what strategy that I have shown then that they are choosing to use for their personal success.

Other conferences are formative, such as, monthly reading log goal conferences. These conferences are a great way for me to assess my student’s monthly progress as independent readers. We look at if they met their reading goal and look at what strengths and weakness they have had with independent reading that month. (genre variety, reading complexity, reading comprehension)We always refer to the previous month’s goal and check on the status of our goal and then brainstorm what the student’s new or continued goals will be. The Reading Goal Log conference informs my instruction as I get an overall view of what my student’s strengths and weaknesses are. I have been focusing my mini-lessons on what students feel that they are weak in and continuing to provide support throughout my reading instruction. For example I saw a pattern of student’s still not being certain about making “Just Right” book choices so I retaught my lesson on choices and now I monitor their choices in the library closely to aid them in making “Just Right” choices for themselves.

I think that reading conferences are a powerful tool for teachers and my students enjoy sharing what they are reading with me and I love to learn about them as readers. I have noticed that some students who were once hesitant to the idea of individual conferencing are now much more confident when talking with me about their reading because it has become our new reading normal. I think that the most important aspect is for student’s self-reflection and immediate teacher feedback because they know how they are doing as a reader and know what they need to work on to become an even better reader. 

Terri Thrailkill: Blog post #4 But That-An instructional Framework for Supporting Classroom Independent Reading by Debbie Miller

This chapter, written by Debbie Miller, certainly overlapped Regie Routman’s chapter on independent reading that I have read and recently blogged about. Routman’s article convinced me of the importance of a well executed independent reading time in the classroom,  and this article confirmed, clarified and extended  my growing knowledge about this topic.

Debbie Miller states that a key component of independent reading is “the direct link between strong instruction and follow-up and independent work.”  I enjoyed reading her description of what a day in the reading block should look like.  Beginning with the short, well-planned focus lesson, the teacher explicitly teaches what she wants the students to learn, and demonstrates how it will help them be a better reader. Following this lesson, students have an opportunity to practice on a text that they select from a range of real books and materials. During this time, the teacher monitors their progress, conducts student conferences, and gives students opportunities to write and talk about their reading, whether talking with a partner or small group. Immediately following independent reading time, students come back together to share thoughts about what they have read and talk about what they have learned about themselves as readers. Miller suggests that one third of the reading block time be designated for explicit teaching, and the remaining two thirds be devoted to independent reading, writing, conferring, and perhaps a small needs- based group.  This brief description helped me understand and picture what an effective independent reading time should look like in the classroom. Described as “active, engaging, and joyful”, Miller says this framework “is based on the principles of time, choice, response, and community, and it allows for in depth teaching and learning, flexibility, differentiation, and ultimately, independence.”

As Miller discussed her four guiding principles for instruction--purpose, authenticity, choice, and explicit instruction—the question about authenticity made me stop and think. “Does the work that I’m asking my students to do happen in the world, outside the classroom?” Keeping this in mind would certainly impact my planning, getting rid of some of the “busy work” for more real world alternatives. I also gained perspective on the importance of teaching students how to talk about what they are reading when Miller reminded me that “reading is a social activity” that adults do all the time.  As Barbara Moss explains “talking about texts together not only improves comprehension and makes children aware of how they can use strategies according to the kind of text  and the demands it places on them as readers, but also motivates them to read independently so that they’ll have something to talk about with their peers.” As the teacher models her thinking, consistently inviting students into the discussion, and carefully listening to what they have to say, the students will learn “conversational moves that will support independent talk with their peers”,  and thinking strategies that will help them during their IR work.  Having students turn and talk with a partner is a good way for students to practice accountable talk as well as the art of conversation, in addition to preparing them for student led small-discussion groups.

Miller outlined ten tactics that teachers can use to keep independent reading moving forward in the classroom.  Tactics number four and five deal with monitoring IR and using the information to differentiate instruction. This will be helpful to me as I strive to help struggling readers in first grade. Miller says that “monitoring student actions and behaviors, and then conferring with those who need our encouragement and support, is what intentional teaching is all about.” She suggests that teachers pay attention to the books students are reading, noticing whether or not they are reading a balance of author, genres, and levels of difficulty.  Look carefully at their reading logs to see if their responses are becoming more sophisticated and focusing on big ideas and not just retelling.  Notice if students are engaging in conversations with each other about their reading. Do they support their thinking by citing evidence from their text to support their thinking? This kind of monitoring should help decide which students you need to confer with. Conferring with students allows teachers to personalize instruction and support students as they use what they have been taught in large and small group lessons. When conferring, take notes and use this information to set goals with students, to share with parents during conferences, and to help determine small-group instruction based on needs your have observed.  I plan to use the sample questions that Miller suggests as I confer with some of my students in the near future.

I also feel that Miller’s thoughts about the importance of students reflecting on and sharing their learning is an aspect that may be easy to overlook.  Thought must be put into how students will be expected to track their reading, reflect on it and set goals for themselves based on what they are noticing. This gives students ownership of their learning. Questions to guide student reflection offered in  the tactic seven section will be helpful. 

Student and teacher should share in the responsibility for students’ learning and their growth over time. Tactics nine and ten deal with the student assessment.  I want my students “to be aware of what they can do today that they couldn’t do yesterday, and to be aware of the processes they used—exactly what they did—to get there”,  just as Miller does. Creating informal formative assessments that match the learning goal is Miller’s suggestion of how best to ensure that every child grows as an independent reader every day. This would take to think through, but would serve to help students see the purpose in what they are doing. Students should have opportunities to decide how they will share their understanding of what they are reading.  Sticky notes, notebook entries, pictures, blog entries , and book reviews are a few possibilities. The most important thing is that we support their move toward reading independence by allowing them a voice in the process.

Throughout my teaching career, I came to understand just how much reading really does matter and how important it is to keep up with recent research and best practices in teaching reading.  Learning models and instructional frameworks my change some, but the goal remains constant—to help each child become an independent reader in order to be a lifetime learner.  So, I loved what Debbie Miller said in summarizing why she wrote this book—“Readers read to get smarter and learn about themselves, other people, and the world.  Reading is something they can do independently that empowers them to control their lives and make the world a better place. “

Billie Wiles November Blog: Routman (2003), Ch. 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

I chose to read Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library because at RES we are having Christmas in November.  There are stacks and stacks of  red and white boxes (Christmas colors) in Mrs. Hankins' Coaches Corner.  Everytime I go by her office and see the boxes, I get excited.  Our wonderful PTO has purchased new books for every classroom. I cannot wait until these are unpacked and put into the classrooms.  My students are going to be so excited to get the new books.  Routman suggests having the students help sort and label the books for book baskets so they can have ownership of the books and so they can get a preview of the new books.  One thing I have noticed with my students is when they see a student reading a book, they want to read the same book.  My students are really good about sharing the books they have checked out from the library or chosen from our book baskets.  Sometimes they have a chain of use set up where students have asked to read a book when they finish and other students are in line to use the book.  This has been a very powerful encouragement to my students who have a hard time choosing a good book.  They see how much their peers enjoyed the book and then they want to read it also.

When a students takes an AR test and make seventy or above I announce it to the class by simply saying "Thumbs up for  (student's name)!" and everyone holds their thumbs up for their classmates success with another book.  It does not slow us down or distract us and it is very encouraging to students to read books and take an AR test scoring 70% or above so they can get the recognition.  It has proven to lead other students to read that book because they know their classmate was successful with that book.

I love the idea of using gutters to display books.  I have played with that idea for a couple of years but with the limited space for student/ teacher made charts, it makes space very limited.  In the book they suggested acquiring books through discarded books and used book sales. As a teacher who moved from fifth grade to second grade, I left a lot of my classroom library for the teacher who took my place in fifth grade.  I worked all summer on finding discounted books and free books to begin building my classroom library.  In addition, I bought many used books off of Amazon.  Most of the time the book jacket or cover is damaged and it looks old or not interesting to students.  I have intentionally read my class several of these books this year so they could see how good the book was even though the outside might not look like the most interesting book.  We spent a lot of time talking about not judging a book by its cover and how good the classics are and why they made it to be classics.

I am very excited about getting our new books and adding them to our classroom library.  I think the students will be very excited to see the boxes arrive and even more excited once they begin helping me sort them for our class library.

Sheryl Hilton-Blog Post #4- Routman's Chapter 5

It is so true that a strong independent reading program depends on the classroom library. I have accumulated books over the years. Some through donations but most being purchased by myself. Within the last year, I began sorting and organizing the books in my classroom by level and by theme or content. I have labeled the books and tubs so students have access to getting the books themselves as well as returning them to the appropriate bins. I have worked on organizing and arranging a comfortable spot with kid size chairs to make it appealing and a desired spot to be when reading.
I was encouraged to read that we already do many of the things suggested to expand home reading. We have many things in place that help our students have access and opportunity to have books in their hands. Our school places reading as a priority.
I do need to expand my library to include more picture books to help my struggling readers. I also have purchased newer books by desired authors but it becomes costly to continually spend on my library. When you consider buying bins, labels, card stock, and books, it adds up quickly. A classroom library isn't something that you can put together overnight. It is an ongoing process.
There were a few suggestions I especially liked from this chapter. One was the "light reading". I liked the idea of turning students on to reading by letting them read books that were not necessarily a challenge for them but enjoyable. This increases their "reading motivation". Secondly I loved the idea of the top 10 book list. I can even see it working in kindergarten later in the year.
I was encouraged to see that I am on the right track with my classroom library and that my time and money have been well spent.