Literacy Journal - Informal Reading Conference

In my 3rd grade dyad placement I worked both with individual children (under the direction of the school reading specialist), and with selected reading groups of children that were similar in their reading level. This past week I had the opportunity to practice doing dibbles evaluations with my primary placement students. In both cases I had an opportunity to draw assessments in my mind on the individual strengths and weaknesses of these students but I was not yet in a position to discuss goals and how they could become better readers. The exception being the one on one sessions I had with the children needing extra help. I did offer some suggestions that seemed natural to me based on the mechanics of reading. Pausing at periods or speaking with expression. Not much in the way of assessment or goal setting. Armed now with a whole set of methods to conduct a more formal reading conference I feel better armed to help my student in my placement, and with my Juanita student.

In listening to a number of kids now its interesting to sense which kids can read, and which ones love to read. What is the secret to unlock what turns a kid on to reading? It would seem you can’t flood them with an armful of different genre books and expect them to get turned on by something in the pile. They will undoubtably think its a major waste of time, and reading takes time, so why bother. I know that, as I drown in a stack of textbooks. I now have but one measly pleasure book that I read less and less, unless I just say dammit. Me time, and I read for awhile before I feel guilty, and fearful of being behind in my studies, stop.

Reading has to compete with the TV, video games, texting, and who knows what else. How often do you hear a kid say upon asking if they have read Harry Potter, or Twilight, “Oh I saw the movie”. I have always taken my read aloud very seriously, and purposeful in that besides hopefully entertaining them, my enthusiasm excites some fiber in them to reading.

Routman has provided us now with some tools to evaluate the reader, and uncover some element that we can teach to perhaps turn on a student to love reading. I student that does not understand what they are reading or that struggles with vocabulary is never going to love reading because reading is meaningless. We can help.

Literacy Journal - Bonding

I find Regie Routman to be so inspiring as an author and educator. In Chapter 2 she speaks of bonding with your students. I especially liked this quote, “Unless we reach into our students’ hearts, we have no entry into their minds.” This quote resonates with me because my whole purpose in my teaching life is to know my kids so I can be the best teacher I can be for them. In an age now where you are seemingly told to be guarded against developing too much of a bond with your students, for fear of them walking over you, or perhaps misinterpreting your interest in their success, I found it refreshing to see Regie had the opposite view. I am hopeful that I can develop the mutual respect that you need to enter their minds and hearts to better understand their needs without trying to be a buddy, or them seeing you as one, and not as their teacher.

Routman offers some great suggestions as to how you develop this professional relationship with them that develops trust, encourages reading development, and celebrates a pathway to lifelong reader enjoyment. In my placement I think I am on my own pathway to creating that bond between myself and my students though our read aloud sessions and small group work. I believe my enthusiasm for reading can translate into a spark for those marginal readers that will give them purpose and reason to read. I am now doing all the read aloud in my placement, and plan on this week taking some time to connect myself further as a reader to them with some of Routman’s suggestions.

Just a comment on the other prompt on spelling. My MT does not place a lot of importance on spelling, and would rather the students write, write, write with little concern unless it’s clearly a word that a 1-2 grade student should know, or if the student misspells a word that is looking them in the eye.

There is one student in class, a very bright young lady that is obsessive about correctly spelling words. It is clear by the look on her face that telling her to do her best, sound it out, look for familiar chunks you do know, does not fly with her. I should also say the student’s grandfather, who picks her up everyday, commented on the lack of spelling correction on the part of the MT. My MT skillfully explained her philosophy on the matter and supported it with some studies, but again, you could see it did not fly in the face of the grandfather as well.