1) What were your first experiences as a teacher of reading? Discuss
the
students, and situations, you encountered.
When I first started teaching kindergarten, we had to use a prescribed
program. We worked with the individual kids but we were all reading the
same thing. After 2 years, I transferred to a new district. The summer
before I started my new job, I was urged to read a book called Guiding
Readers by Fountas and Pinnell. It blew my socks off. All I could think
about was this is the way that I wished I had been taught. So I started
off with finding out where kids were and building on that in same
flexible groups. Many that worked with me were still using basals but
my grade level partners were open for change and signed on to give it a
try. We had each other as support and although things were challenging
sometime, we knew we were doing what was right for kids.
Then I was "promoted" to 4th grade. We had to use a basal. We called it
the listneing series because no one could read it. We were in a Title 1
school and the kids were at least a year behind so the chances of
getting them on track using the series was nil, not to mention kids
hated reading. They loved the read alouds and we had great
conversations but they were not reading. A small group of frustrated
teachers went to our literacy coordinator and expressed our
frustrations to no avail. Needless to say our test scores were in the
tank. We went back to the literacy coordinator and talked to her about
all the gurus in the area Fountas & Pinnell, Keene, Harvey, Allington
and more. We pleaded with her to get us books to put in our kids hands
so they could READ! Finally, our pleas were answered.
That was a long time ago and most teachers have changed their practice
but there are still those who use one novel for the whole class and
then complain about the work they get or how the kids don't get it or
that they are lazy. I still worry about our district though. We have
been mandated to use Making Meaning which takes up about 1/2 of our
reading block. I feel it's a step back but not everyone agrees. I agree
with many who value independent reading..it's the way to have kids
vested in their own education. I always hated being told what I HAD to
read.
Sue
-----Original Message-----
From: Rhonda Brinkman <[email protected]>
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Jul 8, 2010 11:20 am
Subject: [MOSAIC] Chapter 1 (Book Whisperer)
Good morning everyone,
Here's my chapter 1 response:
At the beginning of my teaching career whole language was huge. Novels
and
novel units were the way to teach and engage students in reading.
Actually
teaching reading this way was mostly positive because it was new to the
students and took them away from traditional basal reading.
Although teaching novels was mostly positive, I was still frustrated
with
meeting all the students’ needs and reading interests. My own children,
who are great readers and love to read, would tell me how they disliked
all the activities the teachers gave with the books. They would ask me
“Why can’t we just read the book?”
This had me thinking. . .”There has to be a better way to teach
reading?”
So in the words of Ellin Keene I became a “fervent learner” of teaching
reading. I became obsessed with reading and studying works from Patricia
Cunningham, Cheryl Sigman, Stephanie Harvey, Ellin Keene, and now of
course Donalyn Miller.
Now, I really do not like the activities and projects. I focus more on
discussion and journal writing. It has made reading much more authentic.
Rhonda
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