Blog Post #5 Trina Lancaster Routman: Ch 5 Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

          I wrote a Donors Choose grant that was funded right before Christmas. All month long I have been receiving books supplied through Amazon. It has been a delight to open each and every package! The students have been so excited to see the books as well. You see, these are the books they asked for. They wanted books about Peppa Pig, Daniel Tiger, Pete the Cat, Barbie, Thomas the Train, Hello Kitty and many more of their “friends” as they call the characters. Routman says, “If students are to choose to read and develop positive attitudes about reading, they must have access to engaging reading materials.” After seeing these students look at the books that were previously in my classroom library and watching them, now I really believe this is true. They are excited about getting their favorite books and even ask can they get them when we are doing other activities.

          Routman also stated that, “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.” I always knew that it was important to have books available for our students and that they needed to be something they were interested in reading but I never thought to purchase the books that Routman called “light reading” books. The books that the students want to read to get them hooked on books. For the most part the books in my classroom library are what I call “school books”, Routman called them “higher brow” stuff! Some books are award winners, books by well-known children writers or Scholastic. All are great books, and the kids like them when I read them, but seeing them with the books they asked for and loving them is a whole new experience for me! It makes my heart warm watching them!

          So far the books are in a tub, but after reading this selection I will get the students to help me organize them in a way that will be meaningful to them and see how it works out. Having a library for myself and one for the students gives me a little bit of a relief. Now I don’t have to worry about them tearing up my books because they don’t care about them, they love their books and are trying really hard to take great care with them. It really is amazing!

Blog Post #5  (Lisa L. Smith)

“Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library”

Reading Essentials     by:  Reggie Routman

“The availability of reading materials greatly impacts children’s literacy development.”  This is one of the most important points in the chapter.  Children must have access to good books of all kinds to develop the love of reading.  Helping students find books that interest them is essential in developing young readers.  The section on light reading and its importance hit very close to home for me.  Not necessarily with my four year olds, but my concern that my children did not necessarily want to read books that challenged them at their Lexile levels as they progressed through school.  They were more interested in books that appealed to them.  The importance of developing a love for reading far outweighs whether the book is “hard enough” for them. 

Creating a class library is challenging sometimes.  How do you organize it?  Can the students understand the structure of the organization (especially the younger ones)?  But organization is as important as including different genres (especially non-fiction, which is not typically featured in classroom libraries).  It is also extremely important to make classroom libraries appealing and comfortable.  No one wants to read in a cramped and uncomfortable environment.  We want the children to choose the library as their top destination.  Involving the students in the library design and organization can help give them ownership.  It can also help us look at how they see things and how the books can be most accessible and useful to them. 

Book display is also important.  The books must entice the reader to open them and look inside.  If all the students can see is the spine, the books do not beckon the reader.  There are multiple ways to organize the books in the classroom from rain gutters to baskets to bins.  The main point is that the books are displayed in a way that the children can see them, touch them, and choose them. 

I do have a classroom library.  I have it organized in bins, but it does not tend to stay organized as much as I would like.  However, because of our CDEP guidelines, I also have book bins in every single center.  This has been highly effective.  The children may be “playing in centers or interest areas”, but they pick books in the math center basket about counting and shapes.  The look at books in the science center about kinds of animals or dinosaurs or weather.  They look at books about buildings and structures in the block center and attempt to build the structures.  I think the classroom library is extremely important, but I have also found it highly effective to include book bins in every center.  It is amazing to watch the children choose the books, while engaging in play.  I must be honest, I wasn’t sure they would and was pleasantly surprised to see that they do.  

Samantha Guest Blog Post 5: Routman Chapter 8, Teach Comprehension

This chapter was all about teaching for comprehension right from the start. When you think about the main purpose of teaching, and comprehension is one of the most important reasons that we teach. We teach for students to learn and for them to comprehend the material being taught. We are always assessing for comprehension, but we should also be teaching for comprehension on a deep level. This chapter focused mainly on reading comprehension. There were several strategies listed that are key to achieve full understanding when reading. The key strategies listed are making connections, monitor for meaning, determine importance, visualize, ask questions, make inferences, and synthesize. I thought about these strategies in the eyes of my four year old students. Usually I am the one who reads books to them in our classroom so I think that it is my job to make sure these strategies for comprehension is being used effectively. I will often make connections during a shared reading by asking the class to share things about themselves, similar to what happened in the story. I will often have the class predict what they think will happen and make inferences about why before we start reading. At the end of the book we will always talk about what happened and what the importance of the story was. These are just a few examples of how I use these strategies in my own classroom. I also learned that when selecting texts for my students it's important to remember to use texts that are easy enough and meaningful enough to support comprehension. I have to make sure that the texts are on their level to support not only their understanding, but their enjoyment of reading.

Dawn Mitchell's December Blog Post 5: Teach Comprehension Regie Routman's Chapter 8

Dawn Mitchell's Teach Comprehension Regie Routman's Chapter 8

During the month of December our application we are working on learning about theories that have shaped literacy and reflecting on how they have changed our practices as well as applying inquiry based learning in our planning for a unit of study we will teach in the coming spring semester.  

In December’s blendspace you will find a variety of resources including the four theories that we are sharing with you such as Cambourne’s Conditons of Learning, Halliday’s Functions of Language, L1 to L2 Transfer, and Marie Clay’s Reading/Writing Reciprocity  to read and reflect upon.  We have worked to embed two new tech tools, QR codes and Google Forms into your reading/writing workshop that can also be used in your classroom.  Lastly, you will find the new 2015-2016 SC ELA Inquiry standards that can help you enhance your existing units of study through the use of student-driven, inquiry-based learning.

This month for my blog post, I have chosen to read chapter 8 from Routman’s Reading Essentials for many reasons.  First of all, I believe that reading is meaning and without understanding what they are gleaning from texts, students aren’t really reading even if they are the best word callers/decoders on the planet. Without meaning, they are just words.  Second, with current reform initiatives in place in our state and across the country that focus on third grade comprehension it is vital that we realize that comprehension and comprehension instruction starts way before that.  We can’t wait until third grade to determine if our students are ready as readers. We have to keep comprehension in mind from the very start.

Routman says, “In my continuing work in schools, its’ rarely a lack of word work that prevents students from understanding.  It’s almost always not having the background, prior experiences, or knowledge of the way texts and authors work that stumps them – not knowing that good readers are aware of their understanding or lack of it and always do whatever is necessary to make sense of what they are reading.  You can’t start teaching comprehension in grade 3.  You start teaching it the day kids enter preschool or kindergarten.” (Routman, pg. 118)

One of the major points Routman made in this chapter that really convicted me and helped to improve my practice is her point that reading strategies are not synonymous with comprehension and are not meant to be taught in isolation.  I have been a reading/writing workshop girl since back in the day and consider myself to promote and implement the teaching of reading and writing in the authentic context of their own reading and writing.  When I read Routman’s explanation of a typical classroom’s reading instruction I realized that I have too often taught a proficient reading strategy that way.  I have introduced a reading strategy in a minilesson, employed metacognition and modeling, and then had students work to apply that strategy using sticky notes or reading responses to help strengthen their reading.  I realized that many times that took out the authenticity of their independent reading and either simplified a complex, cognitive process into one strategy and weakened their overall comprehension of the text by focusing all of their efforts on one strategy.  Routman says that actually makes reading harder. 

She writes, “Students become so focused on identifying words they don’t know, questions to ask, or connections to make that they forget to read for overall meaning.  While its fine to introduce and practice strategies one at a time, remember that when we read we use all these strategies at the same time and that our comprehension process is largely unconscious.”

I love her question at the end of page 119, “Continue to ask yourself, “How is this procedure helping my students become more proficient and independent as readers?” This is a question that I will use to guide my instruction and I want to be more conscious of my reading application time to ensure that it is not either oversimplified or made harder because of inauthentic instruction. 

Other take aways for me from this chapter include:

*the 20 percent to 80 percent rule where the majority of the time in reading instruction is spent on student application

*the questions given on page 120 to help us focus on strategic reading rather than individual strategies

*megacognitive strategies on page 121 such as rereading, highlighting, writing down, survey, connect, and monitor

*teaching self-monitoring (I love the checklist of strategies on page 125)

On page 129 Routman says, “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.”  I agree and appreciate the clear call to create opportunities for our students to apply what they are learning about reading in authentic ways in their own independent reading with support, with modeling, and with an undeniable purpose to understand what they are reading.

Sincerely,

Dawn

M. Jeter December Blogpost 5

Reggie Routman’s Reading Essentials, ‘Share Your Reading Life’

                For December’s blogpost, I chose to write about Routman’s section 3. This chapter was about sharing your own personal reading life with your students. I think that this is important to do. If you share your reading life with your students, this will spark interest in them to want to read as well. Routman writes about ten specific things that we, as teachers, can share with our students about our own personal reading habits. Those things include the following;

Share Our Reading Habits

               

Share Our Passion for Reading

                When students know that you, as the teacher, have a passion for reading, they too, will want to share that passion.

Discuss the Importance and Pleasure of Having a Personal Library

                Students should know that there are more libraries than the ones at school (or in an actual library). I think that it is important for students to know that you can buy and collect all of the different types of books that you enjoy and make your own personal library at home. That way, you can choose to read those books that you like, from you own personal collection.

Talk About Favorite Authors and Favorite Books

                I think that it is a good idea to share with students some of our (teachers) favorite books. They will be able to get a little insight into what types of books we enjoy reading in our own personal time.

Talk about How Book Clubs Work

                Let students know that they could be part of an actual club that talks about books. This, I think, would excite lots of students because what kid doesn’t like to be part of a club. Students would be able to read a book of their choice and then they would get to talk about it with other friends that also enjoy similar books.

Explain How You Choose to Read

                Tell students that you don’t just pick up the first book you see, but rather that you go through a sort of process. Choosing a book could be by taking a recommendation from a friend, results from a book review, a book from a best-seller list, an award winning book or even from just browsing at a local book store. Choosing a book can be exciting and fun.

Read a Variety of Genres

                Reading a variety of genres and different types of books allows for different types of understanding. Reading biographies, poetry, humor, classical, fables, science fiction etc., gives you a healthy reading ‘diet’, a balance of all different things.

Maintain a Reading Record

                Keep up with when you read, what you read and how much you read. Keeping track of what you read allows you to be sure that you are reading a variety of genres, as stated before.

Show your students How You Read       

                Use read-aloud time and one-on-one reading with students to show them how to read, how to focus on the words that they read and the meaning behind it.

Demonstrate Your Pleasure in Reading

                We have to let students know that reading can be enjoyable and fun. Students shouldn’t think of reading as something that we HAVE to do, but that it can be something that we WANT to do.

M. Jeter November Blogpost 4

Debbie Miller’s No More Independent Reading Without Support, ‘An Instructional Framework for Supporting Classroom Independent Reading’

For November’s blogpost, I chose to write about Miller’s Section 3, which elaborated on support for independent reading in the classroom. Miller writes that the direct link between strong instruction and follow-up in independent work is a key component of Independent Reading. I agree with Miller’s statement because it is true that students, and adults, must be able to practice independently what they have learned, to make sure that they have a grasp on the material, to be sure that they fully understand. Miller goes on to describe a ‘recommended’ day during reading time, which consisted of 3 parts; the focus lesson, independent practice/reading for the students and time to come back together, as a whole group, to share and reflect about their reading. All three parts of the reading time are important. By using this strategy, students will benefit the most from reading time during school.

Miller goes on to talk about some guiding principles for instruction, whose acronym is PACE.

P for Purpose- What are students working toward? What are our learning goals?

A for Authenticity- Does the work that I’m asking my students to do happen in the world, outside the classroom?

C for Choice- Do students have opportunities to make choices about what to read, where to read, and with whom?

E for Explicit Instruction- How will I show, model, or demonstrate just what I want children to practice and learn how to do?

These principles, if followed, are ones that will support student growth in reading. Just as the acronym states, PACE, it takes time for students to develop and master the skill of reading, and if teachers work with them, at a ‘pace’ that is just right for that student, and with support, they will be successful. 

Blog Post 4 Routman (2003), Ch. 12: You Only Have So Much Time – Tonya Hendricks

“You only have so much time,” is one of those phrases that should be on my classroom wall just to encourage me when I’m feeling defeated by the unfortunate reality that I did not get everything done that I had planned to do for the day.  Reality is, there will never be enough time to get it all done at work or at home for that matter.  I agree with Routman when she states, “the elusive balanced life remains a mirage.”  However, in this chapter Routman introduces many ideas that she believes will help keep one’s time meaningful while protecting it’s individual value.  I believe that her idea of “living an interesting life” is something that we all strive for and hope for.  I particularly appreciate her idea of spending most of your time “thinking.”  I often feel like I simply can’t turn my brain off.   The wheels in my head are continually spinning with thoughts, ideas, and plans for what I am going to do next. My inner “To Do,” lists grow by the minute.  I do also agree with Routman when she suggests keeping a few “key questions,” continually in your mind.  Questions like, “What do I want my students to know and understand and what expectations do I have for them.” Also, “How will I know when my students understand what I am teaching?” These questions are very important in meeting my student’s needs. Routman also describes how we need to “keep work meaningful, yet simple, make every minute count, and make ongoing evaluation part of every Literacy Activity.”