Independent Reader (Self-Selected Reading) Procedures

Read the book, Petunia, then establish the procedure that there is no FAKE reading during independent reading time by students.

Establish that students pick a book that they want to read instead of that the teacher assigns a book to the child.

Establish with the students what independent reading looks like and sounds right.  What are the expectations?  When we look around the classroom, what does the teacher see and hear?  What do the students?  How is the teacher holding the students accountable?

Read the book Wolf to establish what fluency understanding means. 

Just Right Books / Keep on Reading

 

Just Right Books

 

To help keep kids’ in seats instead of moving back and forth to picking out books during their self-selected reading time (or independent reading time), book baggies help.  Often, teachers will have their students place books that are at their level or are ‘just-right’ books into the baggies.  Some teachers will include nonfiction books, magazines, fiction books, picture books, even chapter books.

Choice Matters at All Ages

It would be great if all Middle Schools adopted this philosophy.  High Schools too! 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/books/30reading.html?pagewanted=1&ref=education

2 gallon book bag holding independent reading choices

Summer Reading Matters

Summer Reading Matters

Summer reading matters because reading scores decrease when children don’t read.  Students need to experience ‘high success reading’, visit places with books, and have a ‘bring along a book’ plan.

Reading scores do not fall when children really read a lot of easy selections.  While my daughter was searching for the perfect book at Barnes and Noble recently, I overheard a parent looking for third grade books for her third grade child.  Instead of dwelling on the grade level, children need to read ‘high success reading.’  Past International Reading Association President, Richard Allington, defines this as, “reading at 99 percent word recognition and 90 percent comprehension.”  Students will keep reading and want to read if the books are not hard.  Hard reading does not lead to increased reading scores or even maintaining reading scores.  Instead, children should read books that they are interested in.  If your son wants to read every book in the Animorph series, then allow him too. If your daughter is crazy for Gooney Bird, celebrate that she is reading. 

Parents should encourage summer reading by purposeful planning. Students benefit when they visit libraries, bookstores, or order books on-line.  Many schools and libraries have summer reading programs.  My children always have a list of their next book that they want to read.  My daughter is constantly swapping books with her girlfriends and attending midnight book release celebrations at the local bookstore.  My son reads through a series and gets Amazon notifications that the author has written a new book.  When students have books, they can read them.

I encourage parents to plan ahead so the reading can happen.  Parents should teach their children how to ‘bring along a book’ so reading is possible.  My teens grab a book or the Amazon Kindle as they are walking out the car along with their cell phone and ipod.  This works because they have been experiencing the ‘bring along a book’ lifestyle since a young age when they would grab books, their blanket and a snack.  Regardless if we are waiting for a dentist appointment or in an airport waiting for a plane ride, or a sporting event to start, my kids have a book to pull out to read. 

Reading happens in children’s live when it becomes a lifestyle instead of an assignment.  When parents read and children read and books are discussed, a book immersion lifestyle happens.  The side effect is reading scores stay the same or are even increased.  It is true that practice makes perfect.

Do you believe in choice? I do!

Reading a book that I pick, that I choose, that I want to read is vital to me.  Do you believe that children have the same right? I do.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/5240838/What-makes-children-read-books.html

Choice is Important

One of my favorite author’s is Linda Gambrell.  She has written Self-Selected Reading the Four Blocks Way.  She also has written too many articles and books to mention.  She was the International Reading Association president in 2007-2008.  I am delighted to be able to say that I know her personally.  She is a facebook ‘friend’.  She is delightful and kindhearted and knows about choice when it comes to reading!  This article was her last published as President for Reading Today.  I am sure we will hear from her soon again.  Enjoy Linda’s wisdom. 

http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/ReadingToday/RTY-0804-summer.aspx

Read Alouds Matter

When I was in the classroom, I had thousands and thousands of books. I believed that my students were entitled to every have access to every book that they wanted to read.  I bought them through Scholastic Book Club or Barnes and Noble.  I asked for books for Christmas for my students.  I wrote grants.  Once I put boxes at every local church requesting donations.  I even wrote a chapter this book about my book buying and reading. 

Recently the book whisperer writes of her own experiences with read alouds on her website. 

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/

Self Selected Reading Procedure Books

I use this book to teach choosing lots of books to read during reading time.  This book encourages the love of reading.

 ”Don’t be a PETUNIA!”  Petunia walks around with a book tucked under her wing.  She doesn’t open it.  She is so silly that she doesn’t even know that there are words on the page.  Finally, she realizes that to be a wise bird, she must tuck the words into her heart and mind.  We must learn to read by really reading.

  The wolf reads really fast.  That doesn’t work.  The wolf reads really slow.  That doesn’t work.  Then the wolf reads just the right rate and all the animals love his reading.  Read to us Mr. Wolf.  Mr. Wolf reads a book and a another book and yet another one. 

  Most every teacher has mentioned the 5 finger rule.  5 words on a page is too many mistakes.  This book explains the rule well.  It also links the perfect place to read – a tent in the library.  The 3 bears and Goldilocks are in a tent reading away.

Four Square or Triangle Knee Conversations After Self-Selected Reading

My experience in classrooms has led me to believe that triads or ‘triangle knees’ are the ideal size groups.  A group of three students form a cooperative group that I refer to as triangle knees.  Each member in the group sits criss-cross applesauce so that each persons knees touch the person on both the left and right.  This small group forms the geometric shape of a triangle.    This Triangle Knee Format allows all the members in the group to look at each other in the face.  This group lends itself to a perfect quiet conversation in a classroom.  Partners can also face each other for a conversation, but the conversation is not as diverse between two people.    The Four Square Share Format allows for indepth conversation too.    The teacher and students should know and establish their triangle knees /triads before the lesson begins.  If the triangle knees partnerships are established for a few weeks, the members will become comfortable with each other instead of trying to get comfortable with each other each day. 

As students get ready for the small group conversation, the students need to think about what page will I share?  Do I want to leave a sticky note on it so I can find it easily?  How do I indicate tracks of my thinking?  Since this is school, I cannot write in my books.  I can write on a sticky note (post-it) note though.  I have to make sure that this is just a quick jot.  I am not going to read it to my group.  I might write a word or just leave it on the page.  I will not read anything to my group. 

In the beginning of the discussion time, I lead a triad or triangle knees group.  I asked 2 students to join me (or3).  We modeled how to have a discussion.  Day after day, we went through my whole class list.  ALL students participated in the Fish Bowl triangles knees  modeling.  This allowed for lots of opportunities for success.  If I had 30 students in my classroom, it took approximately 10 days to model.   One triangle group models per day in the fish bowl.     After the fish bowl triad/triangle group model, then every triangle knees group has a chance to try-it.  The teacher is coaching conversations as needed.  The teacher tries to listen and only prompts the students as needed. 

  If the teacher hears a statement that is not supported with evidence, the teacher might ask the students to support their thinking with one of these evidence based terms:
-because
-for instance
-for example
-let me explain
-the author said
-earlier it said on page ___
-from our reading we know that…

If the triangle group of students is sharing very light weight thinking in the share groups, the teacher might help the groups dig deeper by prompting with questions:
- Can you explain why you think that?
-What make you think that?
-Why did you say that?
-Can you tell me more about that?
-How can you explain that?
-Would you please give us evidence for that idea?
-What facts do we know that support your thinking?

Remember the purpose of the teacher monitoring conversations is support and teaching.  The teacher is not hearing all the conversations.  The students are learning to have conversations without the teacher.  The children are learning to value each other’s opinions and conversations.  The interactions are student centered.  The students are learning to look at each other, to honor each other’s responses, to connect to the text and to stay on the topic being discussed. 

Reflecting on How Sharing Went
After Triads or Four Square Share, lets think about how it went. Some groups think questions such as these help:
-How did we sit?
-Were we ready for the discussion?
-Did we have a sticky note marking our page that we shared?
-Did we look at the person talking?
-Did we listen to each other and respond to what the other person said?
-Did we refer to the book?
-Did we talk to each other?

Sometimes in the beginning of these conversations I teach a procedure to get the children started. The children share their books after Self-Selected Reading using a simple procedure called Four Square Share.  Child 1 says three ideas about book 1.  Child 2 says, “I heard you say ____.”  Child 2 is repeating something that Child 1 said showing that Child 2 listened to Child 1.  Child 3 says, “I heard you say ___.” Child 4 says, “I heard you say ___.”  If anyone gets stuck, Child 1 should help the child by repeating something in the book if needed.  The goal is that this procedure becomes a conversation eventually as written about above.  My experience in classrooms, is that it does with modeling and coaching.