Alison Martin Chapter 6 and 7 Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading/Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner

After reading Chapter 6,  I do feel like I need to add more time to my independent reading block. Routman states that struggle readers need more time to read and practice reading. I agree completely. I have independent reading time but I sometimes worry if my students are really reading. I have modeled and stated over and over what I expect but I still have some students who don't do the right thing during our independent reading time.  It is usually the readers who struggle. I think they need the confidence as a reader to become a better independent reader. After reading chapter 6, I feel like I have given my students the guidelines they need but they just need more support during independent reading time. On page 88 Routman shares the components of independent reading program. I really took away  a lot of helpful components to add to my independent reading time.  At this time I don't get my students to record the books they have read.

In Chapter 7, Routman states, " We teachers need to do our own ongoing assessments with our students using materials that students are already reading or are likely to read."  I love this statement. I feel like sometimes as a teacher we are assessing students using materials that someone is telling us to use and then we never use the information.  On page 99, Routman gives you questions to ask yourself about the assessments that you are giving your students. I love this because sometimes I think we are using assessments that aren't valuable to our teaching or to the students.