Lori Henke- Ch. 3- Routman--Blog #6

        Share Your Reading Life!  I really enjoyed this chapter, and it was a good reminder to do this with my students.  I remember, as a child, my 3rd grade teacher sharing with our class about her favorite books as a child.  I distinctly remember her excitement while telling us about the books! 
         I know my students respond in much the same way when I share anything personal about myself with them.  They love to hear stories about my family, my pets, my travels, my weekends, etc.  They also love to hear about books that I've read, or new books that I've heard about that I think they might like.  I started out the year doing this as I was teaching the text-to-self strategy while reading aloud to my students. 
         We have a Book Talk Padlet on our Reading It's Learning page where the students can add recommendations about books that they have read.  I also like to share the Scholastic Book orders with the kids, and let them choose books that I buy for our classroom library.  I hope my enthusiasm for reading and books is contagious, and that my students catch the reading fever!!!

Robin Wright - Routman Ch. 3 - Share Your Reading Life - Blog Post #6

     This time of year was an excellent time for me to read Routman's Chapter 3, Share Your Reading Life.  It's cold, the students are tired, the snow fall we received, or lack of, was disappointing, and spring break seems to be a very long way off.  Independent reading, although still enjoyable to most of my students, has lost a bit of its appeal.  What a great time to share my reading life with my students to jump start their interest in reading again.  Routman mentions throughout the chapter the importance of making our own thinking visible to our students and modeling the practices that we use.
     In the Try It, Apply It sections, I was encouraged to know that some of the suggestions Routman recommended were already being applied in my classroom.  Strategies such as, sharing with a partner their favorite book, or part of a book, having a bin within the classroom library labeled "Teachers Choice" and using notebooks to record their reactions to books they are currently reading.  Yet, I have noticed that my classroom library has sadly not been paid much attention lately. Routman suggests bringing in books that I am reading to share with my students. However, I don't believe that my third graders would be very interested in Reading Essentials or any of the other professional texts I am currently reading.  He did spark an idea that I believe will help bring enthusiasm back to my classroom.  My plan is to bring in my favorite book when I was a child and my favorite books that I read to my own children and loaning these to our classroom library.  I also want to encourage my students to "shop" in our classroom library and create a bulletin board with books that the children would recommend to others.  I am hoping to create book clubs and conduct author studies within my classroom.
     I did find this chapter to be helpful with sparking some ideas to encourage my students to keep reading. I most related with Routman's belief that requiring reading logs, counting pages or updating reading records are not effective.  When these things are required of our students, reading often becomes a chore that causes children to dislike reading.  If we want children to become life long readers, then the act of reading should be a pleasure, not a chore.

Rebecca Welch, Routman Ch 4: Teach with a Sense of Urgency

When reading this chapter, I was really taken with some things. Routman says teaching with a sense of urgency means, "making every moment in the classroom count." I know this is something that I still struggle with. I try to prep everything and be ready to go, but I don't think I am ever totally prepared, and it wastes time. I also have so many management problems that I don't know how to handle well, and that wastes time too. I am trying to find ways to handle the management and have that not waste time.

As I continued reading, I saw the top 5 things to do to ensure students become readers on page 43. I thought that would be a great tool to use with students. To have them tell me the top 5 things they want to improve on, or things they need from me. I thought it would be great for goal setting for them and for me.

While going through the chapter and the explanation of how to use the Optimal Learning Model, I had a light bulb moment. The demonstration portion is the mini-lesson, the shared demonstration is where we begin working through the problems, the guided practice is when they work on problems with me and I just check with them, and then they go do independent work. I feel like I would be more comfortable using this type of structure in my room. Routman says we need to "...base instruction on what kids need rather than on their components of a literacy program (pg. 43)." So if I try this, I think it would help me be a better reading teacher and that would make my students better readers.

Lynn Flake -- Routman 6&7 -- Plan and Monitor Independent Reading

I loved this chapter! I wanted to read it because I know that I’m really good at providing independent reading time daily. However, the monitoring part is still a little tricky sometimes. That being said, I feel like I’ve made huge gains in that area this year. I believe that providing independent reading time (with support) is the most critical part of not just our ELA block, but is key for integrating other subjects as well. I felt good that many of the strategies Routman talks about are already well established routines in my classroom.

I am working on getting my students to dig deeper during reading time. I want to get past those superficial “what is the setting?” questions and really get my kids to analyze and think beyond the text. I fully believe that at this point in the year, each one of my students is capable of this kind of thinking, with a level appropriate text. However, the word “analyze” seems to make some of my kids freeze up – so we’re working on that! J

My kids (for the most part) absolutely do not care about a page number reading goal. Trying to get them to log pages, even for prizes is like pulling teeth. This was very frustrating to me in the beginning of the year. One thing I realized about my kids is how slowly some of them read (compared to myself). With page goals, many of my kids race through reading, this is where they can’t remember details, don’t pay attention to the characters, and just skip words they don’t know without ever coming back to decode. I have spent a lot of time since November working with my students on their stamina goal. We’ve talked about how people need 60-90 minutes a day of reading to grow healthy readers. My kids understand that just like their bodies need exercise, so does their brain. As a class, we’ve been keeping track of our stamina goals and the amount of time they spend reading. I’ve noticed that by making that the focus, my kids are reading better and many of them are making their page goals. Yay!

Aside from conferencing, I have the kids use sticky notes a lot to monitor independent reading time.  Another tool that we’ve started using across the grade level to monitor independent reading time is a rubric. I love this because I do think our kids should get credit/graded for something that they’re doing every day. It’s a great way to see if they’re meeting expectations and it is also something that I can send home weekly to communicate progress with parents! Out of all of our PLC’s for the year, the one that we talked about setting up those rubrics was possibly my favorite. 

Lynn Flake -- Routman Emphasize Shared Reading Chapter 9

When I first previewed this chapter, I was hesitant because it looks a little tedious. But I’m really glad that I went back and read it. I got more little take aways from this chapter than I have any other. There are a lot of examples and ideas for how to implement a deeper experience with shared reading. Some of these things I was doing with my class without even realizing that it was a shared reading strategy. I love feeling validated as a teacher J But even more so, I like learning new and simple things that I can implement. I like that at the beginning she points out that a shared reading environment helps to make an enjoyable experience and creates classroom bonds. I’ve totally seen that myself! I feel like so often we get caught up in test scores, data, and etc. that the “enjoyment” gets put on the back burner – and that is the very last thing that we should want. It can be especially difficult for those reluctant readers, but I think shared reading can be just the answer! I try to read to my students EVERY DAY. Some days, it is a challenge. However, I think it is so important to model strategies for them, and some of the most valuable conversations we have in our class are about books that I’ve read aloud to them. I liked some of the activities and lessons that Routman included. This time in my classroom has pretty much always been the same, with little variation. So I liked that she gave me some ideas to change it up and keep it fresh. I’ve done shared reading activities on Big Universe, and after reading this I realized that I could use my ELMO as well – since we don’t use transparencies J  I never really called any of these times shared reading, but I’m happy to have a label to put on this time in our classroom. 

Vicky Mclain’s Blog Post 9: Routman Chp. 6-7 Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading and Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading

I put off reading/blogging about independent reading because I felt like it was one of the strengths in my class.  In August, I spent time laying the foundation for a strong independent reading component.  We went over expectations and procedures as we walked through our classroom library.  We discussed choosing “just right” books.  According to Routman’s t-chart on pg. 85 my independent reading program was good to go!  My students knew that independent reading would take place every day and it has. Through my numerous conferences I found areas of concern and followed suit with mini-lessons. Students have read alone, with partners, and in groups. Students have kept records of their reading on the H drive and I’ve documented many conferences.

According to Routman, “Independent reading provides the indispensable practice that literacy learners require to become successful, self-regulating, self-monitoring readers.   This independent practice includes response.”  Using this quote as an introspective looked into my independent reading practice.  The weak area seems to be self-monitoring.  My students have been more focused on reading a certain number of pages (since that is their goal).  They monitor how many pages they are reading.  I’m not very thrilled that this is mainly the extent of their self-monitoring.

Another area of improvement: In regards to responses, the responses from the students has been mediocre at times.  There are short slips of paper where student can write their responses to books.  The reading log that my students to weekly to document reading at home rarely has meaningful responses.  The turn and talk dialogue between students is often short and shallow. My responses to them have sometimes been a dialogue about their book and at other times it was just a simple pat on the back “good job” feedback.

Another area of improvement:  “Just right books” My students were consumed with finding “just right books” that they rarely challenged themselves.  I had discussions with individual students about finding more challenging books because like Routman said on pg. 93 “once students are competent readers, reading only easy books is not enough for continued growth.”

Overall, I feel like the independent reading portion of our reading instruction is on target.  I don’t want to over analyze independent reading.  I just want to make sure that my students enjoy reading and they are growing in comprehension.

Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

Hmm…timely blog to have as we are staring eye ball to eye ball with standardized testing. However, this chapter is about meaningful assessment that informs instruction and benefits our students.

“Whenever I am with students, I am evaluating them and noticing what they need to move ahead.” – Routman pg. 100

This is true of me.  This type of assessment and evaluation is often undocumented though it might be found on a sticky note or slip of paper on my desk.  I’m working on it!

“We can’t just follow the directions of a manual and hope for the best.” Routman pg. 100

Amen!  Students are not household appliances.  They unique.  We know them.  We monitor and adjust based on what we observe.

STAR data, DRAs, informal reading inventories and conferences were the driving forces for most of my instruction.  I feel like I had a good balance of formal and informal assessments. However, it is challenging to get grades for the gradebook.  Routman addresses this same issue on page 112.  Our grade level has a rubric that is very similar to the one on pg. 113.  However, that is just two or three grades per nine weeks.  We don’t do that weekly.  The need for more informal reading assessment that computes to a grade for gradebook is still very real.

Vicky McLain’s Blog Post 8: Routman Chp. 10 Examine Guided Reading

Guided Reading is often the last thing to be squeezed into my tight schedule.  Guided reading was first introduced to me in Greenville County when we focused on Dr. Pat Cunningham’s and Dorothy Hall’s Four Block model. 

“In Guided Reading, teachers choose material for children to read and a purpose for reading, and then guide them to use reading strategies needed for that material and that purpose. Teachers provide guidance in a variety of whole class, small group, and partner formats. Guided Reading is always focused on comprehension. Children learn to predict what might happen or what they might learn. They learn about the story elements of characters, setting, and plot, and they learn how to organize and compare information learned from informational text.” (http://www.nevada.k12.mo.us/Bryan_School/Homepage/Four%20Block%20%20Method.htm)

Though Cunningham and  Routman are similar, I appreciate Routman’s broad view of Guided Reading…”any learning context in which the teacher guides one or more students through some aspect of the reading process…”  As I said in a previous post.  Sometimes we over “teacherize” our pedagogy making our teaching complicated, dreaded, and overly challenging. 

Guided reading comes after the teacher has modeled through mini-lessons and/or shared reading the strategies to be practiced during guided reading.  Guided reading puts students in the driver’s seat with the same goal as before “supporting students in becoming more accomplished readers” (pg. 152).

When it comes to grouping, Routman suggest heterogenous leveled groups past 2^nd grade.  I see the value in that.  However, I seem to be able to meet the needs of the lower 40% when I have small homogenous groups.  I agree with Routman that those grouping sessions do not need to be long.  I don’t want my students to feel like they are stuck in those groups either.

Routman highlights the real struggle we have to find quality books for guided reading.  I teach fifth grade, so interest and content should be considered more into the book selection rather than levels.  However, for those in the urgent intervention or intervention realm I need to choose books that allow them to feel competent and confident.  The checklist on pg. 155 is a great resource in helping us choose excellent books for guided reading. 

Perhaps the most frustrating element of guided reading is organization of groups and scheduling. I appreciate the ease Routman gives us in that we don’t need to meet with every group every day.  Nor do we need to let guided reading dominate our schedules.  In addition, guided reading (like shared reading) doesn’t have to be limited to the reading block on our schedules.  Instead this can be practiced across the curriculum.  Truth is, that is the only way I’m able to fit it in.  The main focus in my reading instruction is independent reading.  I’m glad Routman encourages this!

The most helpful part of this chapter is on pages 163-167.  It’s very frustrating when I’m trying to meet with a group or a student and the rest of the class is distracting.  This is an area that needs improvement.  I have set expectations but some aren’t following suit.

Routman’s frameworks and examples are very helpful.  I noticed that the guided reading lessons are truly focused more on meaning than anything else.  This is consistent with Routman’s philosophy.  We read for meaning.  Our small group time should also focus on meaning.  Focusing on fluency has its place and time.  But our main focus is on cultivating comprehension through finding meaning.