My summer reading this year consisted of No More Independent Reading Without Support (Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss), Readicide (Kelly Gallagher) and Read, Write, Lead (Regie Routman).  Interestingly enough, one message seems to come through loud and clear from all three books.  The message is that if we want our students to read and continue to keep on reading once they leave our classrooms, then we need to give them time to read during the school day.  Kelly Gallagher calls it "free voluntary reading" time or FVR.  While his perspective is based on the US school system and all the testing that is happening, he strongly supports students being given reading time during the school day. Students who read a lot show stronger vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills than those who are taught reading by focusing only on isolated skills. In Moss and Miller's book, it is stated that teachers do all this "stuff about reading" but students seldom get the time to practice what is being taught by actually reading. This book talks about finding the minutes during the day to spend on in the act of reading.  Regie Routman states one of the most important things in teaching reading is "extended time spent reading self-selected books." 
All three authors are delivering the same message.  If we want students to be life long readers we must encourage this in the classroom by giving students extended periods of time for reading.  But we can't just sit back and watch our students as they engage in the act of reading.  We need to support with conferencing and setting goals with each student in regards to where they are with reading and where they need to be. Our students must be allowed to choose much of what they want to read and then teachers support them during reading conferences.  So I urge you to think about your classroom this coming September and think about how you can best provide your students with time for reading with your support. 

In her article, Teaching Writing Is Hard Enough: Stop Doing Dumb Things (Reading Today April/May 2014), Ruth Culham brings to light some important ideas when teaching writing.  Like many of us, she started teaching writing the way she had been taught: diagraming sentences, five paragraph essays, worksheet packages on grammar, spelling and vocabulary lists, etc.  It did not work! 

Ruth came to the realization that her classroom library was her best resource for enabling her students to become better writers.  She used “mentor” text to show student what authors were doing.  For example, when a student used the same types of sentences all the time, she would pull a book off the library shelf and explore it pointing out how the author used a variety of sentence structures or if a character had not been developed, take some time to read a paragraph or two that describes the character in a novel. 

Here are some of Ruth Culham’s tips about the teaching of writing.  See what you might give up and change to become a better teacher of writing.

                              Things We Do to Teach Writing

Dumb Things                                                       Sensible Things
Using worksheets                     Practicing new skills in writing created by the student
Giving Friday spelling tests        Developing control over spelling words using multiple                                                 methods: high frequency, word families, phonetic,                                                     sight words, spell check, and other resources
Assigning vocabulary lists          Exploring word meanings and developing a fascination                                                 for language
Teaching skills in isolation          Teaching skills in context of reading, always moving                                                   toward deepening understanding of text
Assigning topics every time       Making sure there is choice about format, genre, and
students write                          mode/purpose
Using formulas for writing          Allowing the idea and purpose of the writing to    
such as topic sentence and        determine the organizational structure
three supporting details and 
the five-paragraph essay
Grading based on compliance     Evaluating based on performance, note growth,
and following directions             celebrating effort          
Covering everything every year   Using a spiraling scope and sequence of writing skills                                                  that builds one year upon the next
Keeping students absolutely        Creating a happy, working hum where students
quiet                                          freely share, ask questions, and discuss
Dwelling on test prep                 Teaching the test format as a genre and further                                                          opportunity for learning
Marking papers for every            Offering targeted, specific suggestions to revise
possible issue-big or small-         and/or edit
that could be improved or 
corrected
Teaching writing as an isolated   Teaching reading and writing together, as mutually
subject that consists mostly of    supportive language processes, one leading to the 
grammar and other                     next
conventions-based practices
Teaching writing as a separate    Teaching writing in every subject using mentor texts 
subject                                      to model how great writing looks in that context

 
Ruth Culham presents some interesting ideas, which we should reflect on.  What practices are we using that could be done in a more meaningful way? 

If you want to read more of her article, it can be found in the April/May 2014 Issue of Reading Today. Visit the School District Website and look under Library Services

http://public.sd38.bc.ca/sdweb/Lis/magazines/pro-d to find copies of this magazine.

Ruth Culham is also the author of, The Writing Thief Using Mentor Text to Teach the Craft of Writing.

 

This is an excellent clip on how to give descriptive feedback.  It is really powerful to see what can be done when giving a student the right kind of information and the improvements that can be made.  
While this clip is all about drawing a butterfly, the same principles can be applied to other aspects of student work.  Take for example, writing.  If a student is given specific, exact, positive feedback about their writing think of the improvements that will be made. 
I also really appreciate the fact that very specific feedback is given on only one aspect of the work rather then talking about everything at once.  The student in this clip was able to work on the shape of the top of the wings of the butterfly first before tackling the rest of the drawing.  Transfer that to a piece of writing and see what the results could be.  For example, after having the child read their writing out loud, give suggestions on how to make the opening sentence "grab" the reader.  After the student has made this change have the student reread the work and comment on how those changes that were made to the opening really makes for an interesting start to the story. Next, move onto giving feedback on another aspect of the writing (i.e. adding details) and give specific feedback again enabling that student to make the changes that will make the writing successful.
For older students, work can continue on one piece of writing for a few drafts  to complete the work. Working on things such as voice, details, descriptive words and conventions could be approached with this descriptive feedback modelled in the butterfly clip until the piece is complete.  Use of a computer would greatly enhance the ease for editing. 
For younger students, focus may be limited to only one or two traits (i.e. describing words, staying on topic) before taking it to publishing.
I also enjoyed watching the way the students in this clip were providing the specific feedback needed to improve the drawing.  Imagine if this same strategy could be used to train students as peer editors. 

After watching a podcast with Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild, I am rejuvenated with the idea of allowing our students to read.

Ask yourself, “As an adult, what do you do as a reader?”  The answer to this question should guide our teaching of reading with our students.  As adults, we read for pleasure, we read for information, and we read to keep up with current events.  Rarely do we read a book because another adult told us we had to.  We may read a book that has been recommended to us or because we heard people talking about it and decide we might be interested as well.  How can we shake up our teaching practice so that our students will become engaged in reading and learn to enjoy it?

Watch the video clip below to see what students think about assigned reading.

   

How do we motivate students to read?  It seems kind of simple after viewing the above clip.  We motivate students by honoring and valuing what they choose to read.  We know students who read more will do better and it stands to reason that we can get students to read more by allowing them to choose what they want to read.  Think about a P.E. class.  You wouldn’t walk in and see the students filling in a Venn diagram comparing basketball to baseball.  Instead you would see them playing basketball or baseball.  Hmmm…I say let’s consider changing what we expect students to do under the guys of “reading.”  Let’s allow students to read and talk about their reading.  Let’s allow students to have the power of choosing their reading materials.  Then possibly we may have students that enjoy and want to read.

Recently, I had the opportunity to share an afternoon with two ladies I consider to be the “experts” when it comes to children and teaching reading.  One of these ladies is Maureen Dockendorf and the other is Faye Brownlie.  We were meeting to hear their ideas around how we can best teach our students. 

The first thing that was addressed was just exactly what do we want for our young readers?  We want our students to leave school being avid readers.  We want them to love to read and we want them to want to read.  Can we attain this solely using the leveled system of reading? They suggest not.  Does it really matter what specific level a child is reading at or is it more important to have students choosing books they want to read and are interested in reading?  Maureen and Faye suggest that there may be an over reliance on guided reading in our schools today.  Our students need a balance of whole and small group instruction.  But more importantly, especially for those struggling readers, one-on-one instruction has proven key in moving readers forward.  Students need to read daily to an adult and get the feedback or coaching quickly if we want to see change.

This led us to the discussion around benchmarking our students.  Is it important to know all the exact levels of all our students three times a year?  How much valuable teaching time does completing running records on every student each term waste?  Do we need to know the levels of those students we know are reading just fine or above grade level?  The answers to these questions may surprise you if you have been benchmarking your students for many years.  Both Maureen and Faye say, “Trust yourself as a teacher.” You know where your students are, if they are where they should be at any particular time of year.  Use the Performance Standard Rubric to track most of your students. After all, teachers in B.C. who know and understand our curriculum created them. Only benchmark those students who you feel you need to gain more insight into what they are doing so you can plan your one-on-one time or small group instruction accordingly. 

At the end of this conversation, I felt validated.  I do know if my students are below, at, or above grade level for reading.  I don’t need to benchmark each and every one of my students three times a year.  I only need to benchmark those I may be struggling to help.  I need to trust in myself as a teacher and I don’t need a publisher’s assessment kit to tell me how my students are doing because I already know.

  With many of the books I have read during this past year and conferences I have attended, there seems to be a common thread coming through loud and clear.  The best way for students to become better readers is to spend time reading!  Hmm… athletes, dancers, artists and chefs all seem to know this.  They spend hours honing their skills through practicing over and over again.  So why is it teachers have students participating in all sorts of activities around reading but not actually spending time reading?  How do teachers expect students to become better readers if they are not given the opportunity and time to read?  After having read both of Donalyn Miller’s books, The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild, I am intrigued by how she is teaching.  The students that pass through her class (she teaches at the middle school level) spend all their time reading books they have chosen.  There are no whole class novels, there are no small group novel studies, there is just reading! Donalyn Miller states, “I no longer spend the majority of my time crafting those glorious novel units. Instead, I focus my efforts on designing a classroom environment that engages my students.” (Page 37)

So how does she do this?  Students are given time to read in class every day.  You may think, well I do that.  But what occurs in Donalyn’s classroom is different because students are given time to read from a book of their choice without any expectations that they will have to do a book report, write an essay or do a project at the end of the book.  Don’t get me wrong; there is work to be done along with the reading.  Students may be asked to participate in a conference about the book they are reading which may lead to a few sessions of small group instruction with other students who are tweaking a specific strategy.  Students may be jotting down some thoughts or notes they want to share with classmates about the book or they may want to do a book talk.  Students soon learn what their classmates like and are often recommending books to each other, which create small group discussions around a favourite book. The teacher still teaches some whole group lessons where the needs arise such as looking at the elements of specific genre.  There is teacher expectation for each student to read a certain amount of books during the year and some of these books have to include different genre so students will experience different forms of literacy throughout the year. It also includes an expectation that students will have to do some reading at home. Donalyn’s classroom incorporates read-aloud as a way to introduce new genre and different authors to the class as well as teach some strategies if necessary. 

Stephen Krashen (The Power of Reading) states, “…no single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students’ comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading.”

So, this just makes sense.  We want our students to be readers.  Let’s let them read.  Let’s create an environment in which our students want to come everyday and sit down with a good book and simply read!

Well, it is back to school after a long and stressful break.  Hopefully everyone has had some time to recharge and is raring to go.  While the start up of the current year is not usual with job action having limited teacher’s involvement in making class lists, cleaning up or setting up classrooms, etc., the year is about to begin regardless.  So now is the time to look at those faces we have in front of us and begin a new year focused on student needs in our classrooms.  Questions teachers ask themselves at the start of every year are:

What are the needs of each student?

Will I be able to provide the teaching necessary to move all my students forward?

What will be my challenges this year?

And then teachers begin the cycle of assessing, planning and teaching to meet the needs of those in their charge. 

One very important aspect of teaching to keep in mind is the art of building relationships with every student that comes through your door.  The relationship you create will go a long way in helping the student to feel successful and comfortable in the classroom.  Learning can’t take place until there is a feeling of comfort and trust.

On this note, I remember listening to a speaker years ago that said it is very easy for a teacher to go through a whole day and not make contact with some students.  You know the one.  The student, who sits quietly, does what is asked of them, and never participates in discussions.  So I vowed to change this.  I decided to greet each student at the door as they entered the room every morning.  I expected, as I said “Good morning” that the response from the student would be to look me in the eye and say “Good morning” in return.  Parents soon learned that for the next few minutes my attention was on each student as they entered.  Any questions or information they had for me had to wait until all students were in the classroom.  “Good morning” soon got extended to, “You got a hair cut!” or “How was your hockey game last night?” or “Hey, you lost a tooth!” We now have a connection, we have the beginnings of a relationship that can be used to build trust and comfort within the walls of the classroom.  Making a connection with each student is what leads to a successful year for both student and teacher. 

View this Ted Talk link and listen to what this educator has to say about building relationships.  

 Last week I attended the Summit 5 conference in Victoria.  It was two days filled with well-known speakers sharing their expertise on literacy.  I heard Debbie Diller,Lori Jamieson Rog,
Pat Johnson, Regie Routman, Dr. Leslie Mandel Morrow, Richard Allington and Dr. Janet Mort speak with passion about reaching vulnerable readers. 
Listening to these speakers made me think about my teaching.  Did I do the best for all students in my class? Did I do all I could to teach those vulnerable readers?  Did I know where each and every student was and what their instructional needs were?  I would like to think I did.  Thinking back on my years of teaching I know that primary teachers are very good "kid watchers".  Teachers observe and know what their student's abilities are.  They also use running records so they can analyze what readers are doing.
While each speaker labelled it a bit differently, gradual release of responsibility is  key in explicit instruction for our learners. Telling students exactly what goes on in your brain when reading and modelling this for students is the first step.  Giving time to practice with support (small group) is the next step. The last step is supporting students until they can use the strategy independently.  Regie Routman calls it the Optimal Learning Model using the terms demonstration, shared demonstration, guided practice and independent practice. Others use the terms: modelled, shared, guided, and independent reading. But it basically means the same.  
What teachers need to know is that we can help our struggling readers if we use formative assessment to guide our instruction and if we use gradual release of responsibility to demonstrate what readers do. Then support our young readers until they become independent.

I would like to thank the kindergarten teachers of Abbotsford for arranging the "Kinder Edcamp" that I attended today.  It was a great opportunity to meet, talk, share and learn from our neighbouring district. It is amazing that such powerful professional development can come from simply talking to others.  No one had to prepare a workshop or presentation.  Everyone contributed to the discussion and shared what they were doing in their classroom. Ideas were exchanged and questions were asked of each other.  I attended three sessions and believed I came away with ideas from each.  Topics that were covered included struggling learners, Daily 5, using nature in K, technology (ipads, blogging), self-regulation, and many others.  
What I think is interesting about the concept of edcamp is that it supports the idea of collaboration and reflection being so important in moving our teaching forward.  As teachers, we spend most of our day isolated in our classrooms.  We need the time to discuss our beliefs about teaching and bounce ideas off each other. This is how we become better teachers.  This is how we can transform our teaching. 
Edcamp - what a great idea!