In chapter 8, Teaching
Comprehension, Routman stated, “There is a huge difference between strategy
instruction and strategic instruction.
Just teaching strategies is not enough. Strategies must be “invoked” by
the learner if they are to be used to increase understanding.” This made me have a WOW moment! My first few years of teaching I would teach
from the basal and cover the skill or strategy that went along with that week’s
story. I would then give a comprehension
and strategy test on Friday and then move on to the next story and
strategy/skill. I would occasionally
revisit a skill or strategy but only if the basal story lended itself. By my
fourth year teaching I realized that my kids were not becoming better readers;
they couldn’t apply what I had been tiredly teaching them, and the only skill they
had mastered was memorizing the story in order to pass a test. From that moment on I have not used a basal
reading book as my main focus of teaching.
Now my reading instruction consists of
students digging deep into what they are reading. Every week we have a Close Reading passage
for students to read and answer questions.
While reading, students use highlighters, crayons, and pencils to mark
their text and show comprehension.
According to Routman, “When given opportunities to reread material,
readers’ comprehension always goes up.”
Since implementing Close Reading I have seen a great improvement in all
of my students reading ability. I also
send home fluency passages for nightly homework to help my students who are
reading on grade level or below. This
repeated reading allows students to increase fluency and comprehension. In
regards to the strategies Routman discusses, I do teach each strategy but allow
for numerous and various opportunities for students to show their learning and
comprehension. These strategies are used
throughout the year; each time we dig a little deeper and the students are
expected to do a little more. In the
end, most of my students have become in-depth readers. And while this takes time and patience it is worth
it!!
Wahoo! I too went through the years holding on to the basal for dear life until one day I woke up and realized that my students were not becoming readers. What a relief to let go and share reading in a more meaningful way! We as teachers need to give our students the strategic opportunities that they need. We need to inspire them to read, to really immerse themselves in literacy experiences. All of the opportunities you mentioned and our integrated STEAM units provide students the opportunities Routman mentions because students will read and reread naturally because they are interested, driven participants in the experience. I truly believe that is the next layer for the teachers who dropped the basal in hopes of finding something better. Glad to have you with us!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great WOW moment! How courageous of you to realize that the basal was not serving your students' needs--and to move beyond it!
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