Kim Plexico's October Blog Post 1:Section 1- Not This- Is There Enough Time? And Is Time Enough to Support Independent Reading?

Miller (2013) Section 1: Not This: Is There Enough Time? And Is Time Enough to Support Independent Reading?

            As I began reading Section 1 about making time for reading, the author continually states the importance of allowing children opportunities to read a lot in the classroom. In order to be proficient readers, they must practice reading.  However, reading alone is not the answer.  Our students need support as they read. As teachers, we must be active participants showing our students what they need to do when they read and providing feedback on how they are using these behaviors.  Readers Workshop and Independent Reading models depicted in this section show how these models allow the students to read and grow as readers.   In traditional classrooms where the basal reader and worksheets are used, the students are learning about reading, but they never have the opportunity to read and practice what they are learning. 

            The author encourages teachers to find the minutes in the classroom that can be used for reading.  The story of the policeman guarding the bench was a great example of how we often “just do it” because it has always been done that way.  As the author worked with the group of teachers from Baltimore and discussed the things they have always done in their classrooms, it was evident to me how I was like those teachers in some ways.  In recent years, I have questioned why I did several things like the calendar, letter of the week, and some worksheets.  When I couldn’t give a good answer, then I chose not to continue doing these things.  I still have room for improvement in this area.  I am going to examine my daily plan and cross out the things that are not necessary in order to allow more time for children to read in my classroom just as she encouraged the Baltimore teachers to do.

            Over the summer, in preparation for this school year, I had revisited my daily schedule and determined there were activities in my day that were not necessary.   As a result, I revamped my Language Groups, and I am using a workshop model where the students move through 5 small group stations each day after our mini lesson, which are computers, guided reading, writing, phonemic/ literacy skills, and independent reading. Once again, I see there are changes that I need to make in order to provide the support to help my students be better readers.  After reading this first section, I see the importance of talking about what they are reading and providing choice in what they read.   In addition to allowing time for students to read in our classroom, the key ingredient is providing time to give the students feedback on what they are reading.  During our language groups, I allow for choice during the independent reading station, but not as much during the guided reading.  I provide the support during our guided reading station by allowing opportunities to choral read, echo read, and solo read as we use the strategies that effective readers use while reading.  During independent reading, the students have choice about what they read, but they have lacked my support.  As I reflect of my teaching, I am going to provide a time for me to talk to my students about what they read during their independent reading station.    I am reading Section 2 in order to answer some of the questions I have as to how to implement this fully in our classroom and to provide the guidance I need in making this happen in our classroom each day.