Welcome everyone to tonight's
#G2Great chat where we are discussing
"Reclaiming Independent Reading as a Professional Imperative"
So glad to have friends here!
Welcome #G2great friends. We are so excited about this topic tonight. Independent reading truly is a professional imperative as it strengthens & deepens our instructional efforts as we also celebrate our kids on their path to becoming! @franmcveigh@hayhurst3@brennanamy
#G2Great@light_lindsay Are you here at the chat tonight Lindsay? Lindsay is our wonderful lit coach who has been helping me with back to school support! 😊
I’m sad to be missing this chat tonight. On a delayed flight that’s just taking off now. Looking forward to learning tomorrow from all the great thinking that is shared tonight! #G2great
Briare - Reading Recovery teacher, early literacy coach from York Region, Ontario, Canadad. I'm excited to discuss the need for independent reading, starting in Kindergarten. #g2great
John 3rd grade T from STL MO. Couldn't help but take joy this week when conferring w Ss during ind. reading who shared how much they liked the graphic novels they had chosen. #G2great
A1. If we want students who can & do choose to read, they must have some time to do so at school. Not all the practice time can be outside school.
Failure to provide time: Folks who will not read, write, or think.
#G2Great
Q1: If we don't reclaim independent reading in schools, then literacy instruction becomes kill-and-drill, workbook pages, and inauthentic, disengaging tasks. #g2great
#g2great A1 Books are mirrors, windows & doors. Reading books allows us to reflect within, see outside of ourselves, and inspires us to leave our own footprints & mark on the world. It's our civic duty to pave a path to literacy!
Briare - Reading Recovery teacher, early literacy coach from York Region, Ontario, Canadad. I'm excited to discuss the need for independent reading, starting in Kindergarten. #g2great
John 3rd grade T from STL MO. Couldn't help but take joy this week when conferring w Ss during ind. reading who shared how much they liked the graphic novels they had chosen. #G2great
A1 Before we can RECLAIM independent reading, we may need to eliminate what is usurping the time we need. Until we acknowledge the role that voluminous reading plays, I’m not sure if things will ever change. #G2Great
Q1: If we don't reclaim independent reading in schools, then literacy instruction becomes kill-and-drill, workbook pages, and inauthentic, disengaging tasks. #g2great
A1 #G2Great Our Ss are crying out for authentic learning experiences. We have over tested and burned them out. Reading is nothing less than foundational. We cannot overstate the importance.
A1. Failing to let kids read and value that act will mean continued focus on the test score, the worksheet and everything else but the child's reading life. #G2great
Can I get an amen. And since there are people who are very happy to tell you that it IS enough for kids to read at home, that’s one way that we RECLAIM our professional imperative! #G2Great
A1. If we want students who can & do choose to read, they must have some time to do so at school. Not all the practice time can be outside school.
Failure to provide time: Folks who will not read, write, or think.
#G2Great
A1 We’ve fought the independent reading/volume battle for more years than I can count. Now we must tackle the issue head on and stop making excuses about lack of time. We make time for what we value. #G2Great
A1: With very little creative effort (more coersive), we note that a building never has difficulty mobilizing resources to include time, place, and people for testing. And do we really value testing? Do we value and mobilize in the regard for independent reading? #g2great
A1: it’s crucial because the way you get better is by reading....and the alternative is readicide. As @KellyGToGo describes it. You destroy the love of reading by making it a chore. #g2great
A1: Aside from losing that love of reading, giving up choice independent reading time establishes a message of how we value it as adults. The message that we value our students as readers is an important one. #G2Great
A1. As increasingly busy family lives and electronic distractions compete for attention at home, it's so important to connect, engage and immerse students in reading at school. Where else will it happen? #g2great
A1: With very little creative effort (more coersive), we note that a building never has difficulty mobilizing resources to include time, place, and people for testing. And do we really value testing? Do we value and mobilize in the regard for independent reading? #g2great
A1 If we want to grow joyful, independent, life-long readers it is critical that we nurture and model these habits through time, choice, and talk. #G2Great
The only way kids will become readers is by reading-PERIOD The only way they'll improve in reading is by reading. The only way they'll learn to love reading is by reading. Thinking anything else is just mind boggling to me. Really, it kills me that we have to justify it. #G2Great
A1 Reserach supports it - both literacy research and learning research. Gladwell's research showed a person needs to practice something 10,000 hours to get good at it. How else if not independent reading? #G2Great
It makes me smile EVERY single time I see you here. Your book, It’s All About the Books is perfect for this chat as it gives us the foundation of the classroom library that is so crucial. Good to see you friends ❤️ #G2Great
A 1 Some of my happiest memories are of going to the library, checking out a huge stack of books that I wanted to read, and spending all day Saturday in a corner reading. Not all kids get to have that experience outside of school. I want my students to! #g2great
A1 Independent reading is even more important in an age where silly mandates abound since it can be cast it aside for far less important things. We cannot allow that to happen. #G2Great
A1: You know that video that makes the rounds on the internet about the professor who puts the rocks in the jar and then the marbles and finally the sand? What a great demo. But, when could we put the books in this jar? #g2great
A1 Reading aloud is critical for enticing kids to join the fraternity of bibliophiles. It models for kids what readers "do" and best of all it knits hearts together in the learning community. #G2Great
A1. When I was little, my mom took us to the library every Saturday. My students don’t have parents taking them to the library or modeling being a reader. They need us to give them a similar experience. #G2Great
A1. Failing to let kids read and value that act will mean continued focus on the test score, the worksheet and everything else but the child's reading life. #G2great
Q2: When we don't trust teachers' judgment and only invest in scripted programs - rather than in classroom libraries - we minimize ind. reading #g2great
A2.If TIME is a problem, is there a place to schedule school-wide reading? If not sure of VALUE, participate in Global Read Aloud https://t.co/sPDercCUt8
If you want Ss to be better readers, but don't give them time - who has the problem?
#G2Great
A1 Agreed. Time is not the issue. I think it's a matter of content balance - at least at the HS level. Some stories/poems or a novel have got to go. Give the time back to the Ss #G2Great
Okay we are 10 minutes in and already trending on #G2Great That tells you how many teachers value independent reading and believe that reclaiming it really is a professional imperative (regardless of what some are telling teachers).
A 1 Independent reading develops Ss personal reading lives, literary taste, and feeds our hearts, imagination, builds empathy and compassion, and takes us on grand adventures! Choosing not to deprives Ss of discovery and an imaginative life. #g2great
Independent reading is the real work of the reading classroom. A chance for students to follow interests, passions, and aspirations. A chance for teachers to engage the most authentic formative reading assessment of all... conferring. #g2great
A1 Independent reading is even more important in an age where silly mandates abound since it can be cast it aside for far less important things. We cannot allow that to happen. #G2Great
So similar to what I just teeeted! Not all kids have that wonderful experience outside of school so we as educators need to provide it for them! #g2great
A2 TIME is certainly a major roadblock to independent reading. And not because we don’t have time but because we are expending that time in far less productive and responsible ways. #G2Great
A1: because we can’t cultivate lifelong readers without creating the time and space to develop reading habits, skills, stamina...the way to do that is to have time to practice skills and increase stamina during independent reading time #G2Great
A1 If we want to grow joyful, independent, life-long readers it is critical that we nurture and model these habits through time, choice, and talk. #G2Great
Independent reading should be the driver of everything else we do. It's our why as reading teachers . . . to empower Ss to use reading in pursuit of a richer more wonderful life. #g2great
A2: I think there is a fear that when someone walks you, they will think kids aren’t doing anything, they’re “just” reading. All the real, authentic work that is going on isn’t as transparent to a casual observer as filling out a worksheet. #g2great
#g2great A2 Misused measures, covering a plethora of standards within a given timeline, putting numbers before names, misconception that the T should be constantly teaching...have robbed the value and therefore the priority of IR; we've missed the forest for the trees!
A 2 I think we as educators need to continue to be vigilant and spread the word of the importance of independent reading at school! No one ever learned to swim by not swimming- so let’s read and a lot at school. It is a lifelong gift. #g2great
YES & we need to acknowledge this struggle is real for Ts. But then we also need to find the moments to do what we know matters and sometimes that’s about limiting or alleviating things that don’t matter. We waste so much tine in transits so this is eve more critical. #G2Great
A1 Independent reading is even more important in an age where silly mandates abound since it can be cast it aside for far less important things. We cannot allow that to happen. #G2Great
A2 We need to articulate that it is not a time in our classroom, it is an essential component of the gradual release of responsibility. We need to push back and ask how one can learn without time to practice. #G2Great
A1 I LOVE what @janmillburk@kimyaris share in their book WDTW. Reading aloud is the dance performance that makes the audience long to be able to "perform" in the same way. Brilliant metaphor. #G2Great
A2 Schoolwide support is a major issue to making a commitment to independent reading. If administrators view it as wasted time in spite of research evidence, we need to initiate some serious conversations. #G2Great
A1 In HS, we have to give Ss a purpose for reading & give them choices for reading. Just saying, "read this," doesn't work anymore. And it shouldn't. If you want me to read, you have to tell me why. What will I get out of it? What is the point? #G2Great
A2: A BIG obstacle is teaching the “curriculum” instead of teaching the students. We need to be responsive to them, not it. Reading for joy and discovery teaches students what no curriculum can. #G2Great
A2 The notion that teachers should be ‘on stage ‘teaching- kids are learning during independent reading, it may not be visible in the moment but they are learning #g2great
A1: it’s crucial because the way you get better is by reading....and the alternative is readicide. As @KellyGToGo describes it. You destroy the love of reading by making it a chore. #g2great
A1 I LOVE what @janmillburk@kimyaris share in their book WDTW. Reading aloud is the dance performance that makes the audience long to be able to "perform" in the same way. Brilliant metaphor. #G2Great
A2. Many schools are so focused on getting kids to read well to pass exams that they have lost the focus on loving to read. It's all about time and getting things "accomplished". #g2great
Okay we are 10 minutes in and already trending on #G2Great That tells you how many teachers value independent reading and believe that reclaiming it really is a professional imperative (regardless of what some are telling teachers).
A2 Ask to see a learning model - of anything - that does not include the learner actually doing it by themselves. Who would take ski lessons (or surf in @DrMaryHoward 's case) and not ski or surf? It makes no sense! #G2Great
A2: Time is an issue & that's why I love the idea of starting the day with independent reading. How to grade independent reading can also be a challenge.#G2Great
And this independent reading? It belongs to the reader. To him. To her. To them. to us. It is not a place for us to impose our rules or to instill our preferences or prejudices for our against this or that kind of book. Ironically. . .this seems to be what school is for. #g2great
A2: the need for testing and grades. The numbers prevent the reading. Plus, not melding reading and math into the content areas does not help. Isolation is not the key to learning. #g2great
Q3: We need more actual research about in-school independent reading and its benefits on students to dismiss the misconception that it is not a good use of instructional time #g2great
A2 Resources are also a major issue. When so many classrooms still don’t have a classroom library at all, we must start there and support putting them in place in every possible way. #G2Great
#g2great A2 Misused measures, covering a plethora of standards within a given timeline, putting numbers before names, misconception that the T should be constantly teaching...have robbed the value and therefore the priority of IR; we've missed the forest for the trees!
A 2 there are admins who think independent reading is not learning. They look for the concrete: worksheets. We need to share research of Krashen, Allington, Miller, Keene, Howard. It is the so important and we need to say it from every mountain again & again! #g2great
A3. Are we waiting for "magic" to create readers? Ts and Ss must be readers. Starts at top & bottom simultaneously. Remember 'Insanity = Doing what we have always done and expecting different results."
#G2Great
Absolutely! 100% This is why @Kari_Yates and I just love using the Power Language phrase, "May I Join You?" when we pull up alongside a reader for a conference. We are asking for an invitation into their space and time. #G2Great
And this independent reading? It belongs to the reader. To him. To her. To them. to us. It is not a place for us to impose our rules or to instill our preferences or prejudices for our against this or that kind of book. Ironically. . .this seems to be what school is for. #g2great
In our school, teachers are moved every semester. What was an English room one semester may not be the next. And I may be in 3 rooms. Makes the classroom library a challenge! #G2Great
A2: A few things really. Pimping out our classrooms to programs. The focus on evaluation, the misconception that it is a time that teachers are not working with students, that is perpetuated by teachers that don't... 1/2 #G2Great
I read aloud White Water today to my 6th grades to apply what they are learning about the structure of story. They were so quiet the entire time, mesmerized. Big kids still love it. #g2great
A1 I LOVE what @janmillburk@kimyaris share in their book WDTW. Reading aloud is the dance performance that makes the audience long to be able to "perform" in the same way. Brilliant metaphor. #G2Great
A2 Faige joining in late in time for q2 In the many classes I’ve subbed Independent Reading a mainstay. A go to, a part of the schedule, part of D5 rotations at finger tips when ever kids can choose an option.
#g2great
A3 We make room for what we believe matters so if we truly value independent reading, we WILL find time in every single day. No excuses. No whining. Just action! #G2Great
I weed out my books every year for the Ts to take. Majority of them never relocate. WHY??? Build those classroom libraries. The shelves are not for basals. #g2great
And the sad thing is that these decisions are being made by people who either don’t know the research on volume or have an agenda (that is often financial in nature). #G2Great
#g2great A2 Misused measures, covering a plethora of standards within a given timeline, putting numbers before names, misconception that the T should be constantly teaching...have robbed the value and therefore the priority of IR; we've missed the forest for the trees!
A3 be strong and confident when explaining why independent reading is vital to the success of ALL students of all grades and ages have your reasons support them. Most admin will listen to thoughtful conversations #G2Great
2/2 To ensure independent reading gets the time it needs. Ts need to say no to programs that have little worth (some can be helpful when used professionally) and we need to not be sitting behind a desk. Read with, talk with and listen to your independent readers. #G2Great
A3: Perhaps our stance should be "Protected Time for Independent Reading!"
The word 'protected' can help us keep this time 'safe' for all of our talented Ss.
#G2Great
That’s because people need to have imagination to know that what’s most important isn’t always what is most tangible! You are so right @LRobbTeacher#g2great
A 2 there are admins who think independent reading is not learning. They look for the concrete: worksheets. We need to share research of Krashen, Allington, Miller, Keene, Howard. It is the so important and we need to say it from every mountain again & again! #g2great
And the sad thing is that these decisions are being made by people who either don’t know the research on volume or have an agenda (that is often financial in nature). #G2Great
#g2great A2 Misused measures, covering a plethora of standards within a given timeline, putting numbers before names, misconception that the T should be constantly teaching...have robbed the value and therefore the priority of IR; we've missed the forest for the trees!
A3. Are we waiting for "magic" to create readers? Ts and Ss must be readers. Starts at top & bottom simultaneously. Remember 'Insanity = Doing what we have always done and expecting different results."
#G2Great
Q5: we also achieve this goal when we have classroom libraries that are current, inviting, and welcoming to students. This library needs a facelift! #g2great we
A3: I'll be the stick in the mud because I want more kids in the books. If you've got time for a Pep Rally, you've got time to get people reading. #g2great
A2 I think one thing that stands in the way is the tyranny of the urgent. Ts feel they don't have time. Also Ts don't always read on their own so they don't feel the urgency of sharing these heart stories. When you read yourself, you can't keep from sharing. #G2Great
A3: There isn’t a lack of time so much as a lack of priorities. The time devoted to independent reading is a better investment than time spent on meaningless busywork. A shift in perspective and priorities is essential. #g2great
A3 I think we can start with an audit of our daily minutes and ask ourselves where time is being spent on activities that don't foster authentic reading growth. That time can be spent on independent reading. #G2Great
A1 I present independent reading time as a gift to my students... Tell them there are so many other things we have to do but because I love them I promise to make time every day!#G2Great
I find it disturbing that anyone can come to a district & simply utter the words, “in school independent reading doesn't’ matter” & we jump like trained monkeys to get rid of it Just because one person says so, big name or not, doesn’t make it so! #G2Great
A3: I'll be the stick in the mud because I want more kids in the books. If you've got time for a Pep Rally, you've got time to get people reading. #g2great
A3 Administrators need to look at Hattie's research - Ss need to know where they are in relation to a goal in order to know steps to achieve. Ts are wasting time if they only do whole class & small group instruction - Ss won't reach goals without independent practice #G2Great
A3: Ask them how much time they wasted on AR or DOL worksheets. Throw that crap out and I swear those agains t independent reading will free up a lot of time. #G2great
#g2great A3 Just as we assess what we value, we too make time for & prioritize what we value. If we aren't making it a priority then we have failed to see the value & therefore accepted ownership for neglecting an opportunity for a S to find themselves, see others, & pave a path
A3 With precious limited minutes in every day, we have a clear responsibility to prioritize how we spend time. That means letting go of time-wasting fluff that doesn’t show growth so we can do what does. #G2Great
A3 Curious that some would look at Independent Reading as non teaching and no time to let that be. A classroom of readers is a classroom of learners! Why’s that so difficult to understand. #g2great
I find it disturbing that anyone can come to a district & simply utter the words, “in school independent reading doesn't’ matter” & we jump like trained monkeys to get rid of it Just because one person says so, big name or not, doesn’t make it so! #G2Great
Absolutely Laura and we also need to do professional and personal book advertising and make those books accessible. We so that for kids so why not Ts. And in both case, we work to find something that will beckon their inner reader. #G2Great
A3. Be honest and open about WHAT we are spending time on and WHY we're doing it. How much time could be reclaimed if we reduced/abandoned things that didn't meet our why/purpose. #G2great
I know what you're saying. I think the curriculum is for the kids. It should reflect children not adults. Greenbelt Writing @FletcherRalph Fluency Megabook @TimRasinski1@MCheesmanSmith Mindsets and Moves @drgravityg and more recently Teach Like Yourself! #G2Great
In reply to
@aschoenborn, @FletcherRalph, @TimRasinski1, @MCheesmanSmith, @drgravityg
Some Ts are keeping stamina charts and this is one way it will be in the rooms. Little do they know the amount of time spent on reading will increase significantly. #g2great
A3 I think we can start with an audit of our daily minutes and ask ourselves where time is being spent on activities that don't foster authentic reading growth. That time can be spent on independent reading. #G2Great
A3: Educators are the ultimate problem solvers and true creative thinkers- there is time. We need to make choices about what we value and then go for it (and keep reminding ourselves of why & how we can keep practices in line with what's best 4 Ss) #G2Great
#g2great A3 Just as we assess what we value, we too make time for & prioritize what we value. If we aren't making it a priority then we have failed to see the value & therefore accepted ownership for neglecting an opportunity for a S to find themselves, see others, & pave a path
A3 First we put independent reading in the daily schedule. What we write down we tend to do so putting it in the schedule FIRST means we won’t allow anything to get in the way. #G2Great
And I think that if we actually wrote down everything we do in one day we might be shocked by how many minutes we are throwing away in a day that could actually be used as a gift for more independent reading session #G2Great
A3. Be honest and open about WHAT we are spending time on and WHY we're doing it. How much time could be reclaimed if we reduced/abandoned things that didn't meet our why/purpose. #G2great
A3. Be honest and open about WHAT we are spending time on and WHY we're doing it. How much time could be reclaimed if we reduced/abandoned things that didn't meet our why/purpose. #G2great
Maybe it will sound like a EDU-platitude, but even a voice in disagreement with indendent reading HAS to be in a sort of quiet, cognitive disconnect. It is the very quality that defines the seeker/scholar to read/work independently in the beginning. The root of inquiry. #g2great
A4. Use book tastings, book buzzes to develop TBR lists. Develop habits of readers. Talk. Create book trailers. Attach book talks to book w/ QR codes. Recommend books to friends.
#G2Great
A3 - our goal is to develop independent readers, so why wouldn't we do that with independent reading? The practice is in direct correlation with the goal. #g2great
So often Ts say to me, I want to give kids time to read during the day but there’s just not time. I don’t buy it! We make room for what we value so we beg borrow or stead the minutes that will allow us to give independent reading a place of honor. #G2Great
Student who transferred into my classroom a couple of years ago-“Is there anything for me to do in here besides read?”
Me-“No. You can read as much as you like!” She was so happy!!! #G2Great
A3 Curious that some would look at Independent Reading as non teaching and no time to let that be. A classroom of readers is a classroom of learners! Why’s that so difficult to understand. #g2great
A4 We start with explicit instruction to model every aspect of book choice, seating, stamina & engagement. Then we continue to support readers as active participants in the process. These are critical conversations. #G2Great
Student who transferred into my classroom a couple of years ago-“Is there anything for me to do in here besides read?”
Me-“No. You can read as much as you like!” She was so happy!!! #G2Great
A4 students need choice & self-select books. Class libraries should have lots of books relevant to Ss lives. Ss should suggest favorite authors, genres, series, books to include in library. Invite them to be part of stocking library. Also, time to read daily at school! #g2great
Oh dear, I've been reading all day about research/theory around read-alouds and so I've been tweeting here about it. Just realized our focus tonight is IR. So sorry...
I'll get on board now. #G2Great
A3 This was me last yr. I started strong w/ IR, then as the yr progressed I felt the pressure (self-inflicted I'm sure) and let it slip. I won't do that this year. Solemnly pinky swear. #G2Great
Q5: we achieve this lofty goal by valuing all reading - all choice. We cannot afford to judge the value / quality of what children choose to read as worthy / unworthy #g2great
A4 One of my favorite CS Lewis quotes is “We read to know we are not alone.” Not only does reading in and of itself achieve this but book partnerships and book clubs help make what we read in class more tangible, more real. #g2great
A3: I'll be the stick in the mud because I want more kids in the books. If you've got time for a Pep Rally, you've got time to get people reading. #g2great
A4: I introduced the book choice reflection from Know and Nurture with my 2nd graders...we look at what kind of reading we are doing and aim to be relaxed or stretching. That keeps interest up. #g2great
A4: To me this is all about modelling that book love. I can sit and putter through a text with the best of them. But when I am truly reading... the gasps and little chuckles just come. The engagement is clearly there. #G2great
A4 Kids are more likely to “hang out” with books if they don’t have access to a text they can & want to read. We must support them in exploring their passions in books and make sure they are easily accessible. #G2Great
One critical thing we can do is intentionally teach kids the whys and hows of choice! @Kari_Yates and I firmly believe that Choice = Engagement when kids are empowered to use that choice. We talk a bit about that here #G2Greathttps://t.co/qBjHtZUqu5
I’ve noticed lately that when the subject of independent comes up and there’s a voice of dissent, it’ turns into a confrontation, not conversation. We have to find a common ground but that requires respectful conversations #G2Great
@PaulWHankins Give me a B! Give me an O! Give me another O! Give me a K! What's that spell? What are you going to do?
Sorry - I couldn't resist! I hung out with cheerleaders when I was school!
#g2great
Availability of books is great, but we have to introduce students to books. Book talks, book tastings and speed dating book events help introduce students to books and try out books. #g2great
A4 - choice, choice, choice. We have to know the students, know the books so we can help them make choices that will hook them on reading forever. #g2great
Yes soft start, and I suggest a smooth close at the end (even five minutes) to advertise or share what you’re taking home. Great kid watching time for teachers. #G2Great
A3 In what other pursuit(s) do we say it's OK to forego practice? If we paid for tennis lessons, would we be OK with never playing ourselves, only watching the tennis pro engage in the task? NEVER. Then why do Ts, admins think it's OK to give up on the practice of rdg? #G2Great
Show students how to fit reading into their daily lives outside of class. Go over what we do, but share what others do. There is always room for reading. #g2great
A4 Leveled bins have become pervasive but this was never meant to happen. The minute we put a ball and chain between books and kids, we have all lost. Teach choice. Ensure access. Support growth. #G2Great
A4: A WIDE variety of types of text, relevant, engaging, inclusive- more than 1-2 "somethings" for everyone (lots 4 all)! Time to read socially and time to read privately. Time to talk, time to jot, and time to read with "no strings attached." #g2great
Q6: We bring heart when we model and discuss the life that we - as adults, readers, and teachers - live as readers. Kids need to see us as invested in reading in our own lives! #g2great
A5. Choose to buy books that Ss want to read & have books in EVERY room in the school. Not just primary, not just ELA. EVERYWHERE
(Including admin offices)
#G2Great
A3 First we put independent reading in the daily schedule. What we write down we tend to do so putting it in the schedule FIRST means we won’t allow anything to get in the way. #G2Great
It sure what the research is saying but this teacher would say nothing better then read aloud to engage students, open discussion and see the world through their eyes. #g2great
A4. I think the talking part is the key in working with my kids. When they hear about a book from another student or even from me, they are much more likely to pick it up and read it. It’s hard to choose a cold read off a shelf. ( for many kids and adults) #g2great
A3 First we put independent reading in the daily schedule. What we write down we tend to do so putting it in the schedule FIRST means we won’t allow anything to get in the way. #G2Great
A4. Without books they care about and want to read, independent reading time can become lost minutes. Our job is to relentlessly pursue engagement, helping every last reader learn to find a steady stream of books worthy of their time and attention. #g2great
A5 We could engage in daily book blessings and help children do their own. These short advertisements will keep books flowing from reader to reader. #G2Great
AMEN! @FountasPinnell never ever intended for their leveling system (to support teachers in instructional decision making) to become a place where books become "off-limits" or "too easy" or "That's not your level." This pervasive practice needs to be rethought. #G2Great
A4 Leveled bins have become pervasive but this was never meant to happen. The minute we put a ball and chain between books and kids, we have all lost. Teach choice. Ensure access. Support growth. #G2Great
A4: We don't hang out with books. We heart along with them. When we cannot travel arm in arm, it's so nice to know that a book is just the right size, shape, and heft, to fit into that available space. #g2great
A4 I'm going to lurk on this Q! W/ collab classes majority of my S struggle w/ mechanics of reading so they, understandably, struggle more. I need ALL the engagement strategies! Book talks and conferencing are HUGE priorities for me this year! #g2great
AMEN! @FountasPinnell never ever intended for their leveling system (to support teachers in instructional decision making) to become a place where books become "off-limits" or "too easy" or "That's not your level." This pervasive practice needs to be rethought. #G2Great
A4 Leveled bins have become pervasive but this was never meant to happen. The minute we put a ball and chain between books and kids, we have all lost. Teach choice. Ensure access. Support growth. #G2Great
A4. Hanging out with books hit me hard b/c I think a lot of my kids probably did that in the past. Conferring and peer book talking (not contrived) need to be intentional #G2Great
A4 Back to Gladwell ... think about what you want to stick with your readers. How do you choose books? That is what the baskets should be labeled with. Complexity is something a reader considers but it is not the primary consideration throughout our lifetime. #G2Great
A5: choice reading needs to mean choice, no exceptions. This rule makes it necessary for some to have time reading a book within their instructional range. More time for teachers but time that Ss deserve. We can't take choice away from the kids that need it most. #G2Great
A5: Read @ClareandTammy’s All About the Books and proceed from there. Wide variety, access, representation of all students in your room. Library or book room with choices upon choices. #g2great
Q4: Each school year I make this anchor chart from @Kari_Yates Simple Starts - we discuss/attack one IR behavior at a time, once Ss have mastered it we move on to the next agreement. This def helps set the tone for high engagement during IR time! #G2Great
What a great quote. We read to bring the world closer to us. To understand, to learn, to share, to... I could go on and on #g2great to take the fear away, to bring solace when things look unimaginable and unbearable. Readers connect by reading
A4 One of my favorite CS Lewis quotes is “We read to know we are not alone.” Not only does reading in and of itself achieve this but book partnerships and book clubs help make what we read in class more tangible, more real. #g2great
A4 I think we can create an atmosphere that engages readers by, first and foremost, reading and sharing our reading with students. Readers need time, access, choice, talk, celebration, and community. #G2Great
A5: Get to know the readers/people in the room... curate libraries that support current interests and passions... & look to expand these horizons, too. #G2Great
A5 I LOVE It’s All About the Books by Clare and Tammy. So many teachers don’t know how to organize books so that’s an important 1st step @ClareandTammy#G2Great
If we are to begin with the end in mind, then every day we'll make space for independent reading, thoughtfully consider how it's going (through conferring), and provide the supports kids need to be successful. What we see in independent reading informs everything else. #g2great
A4 One of my favorite CS Lewis quotes is “We read to know we are not alone.” Not only does reading in and of itself achieve this but book partnerships and book clubs help make what we read in class more tangible, more real. #g2great
Committing to a practice of conferring- especially around BOOK CHOICE is a bedrock in the independent reading classroom. When we take the time to confer in the direction of book choice, we are teaching kids that they have the power to guide their own path as readers #G2Great
A5. Currently struggling with idea of limits on library checkouts. Sure there are reasons for it, but also limits volume and access needed for independent reading #G2Great
How many times do students reread an old favorite? Tons. Yes it might be easy, but that's where they rehease and practice fluency. They gain confidence and visit with "old friends" in those favorite books. Only a reader would understand that. #G2Great
AMEN! @FountasPinnell never ever intended for their leveling system (to support teachers in instructional decision making) to become a place where books become "off-limits" or "too easy" or "That's not your level." This pervasive practice needs to be rethought. #G2Great
A4 Leveled bins have become pervasive but this was never meant to happen. The minute we put a ball and chain between books and kids, we have all lost. Teach choice. Ensure access. Support growth. #G2Great
#g2great Thank you so much. Yes, reading gives me so much solace in so many ways and I am never lonely when I have a good book. I so want my students to have that sensibility. If I do nothing else as a teacher, if I can teach them to value literature, then I am 😊.
Took a baseline assessment this wk. A Ss looked at his score & said "Does that mean I can't read anything above this?" I said, "Absolutely not! You can read whatever you enjoy!" Levels have a place, but not tethered to students' reading choices. #g2great
A4 Leveled bins have become pervasive but this was never meant to happen. The minute we put a ball and chain between books and kids, we have all lost. Teach choice. Ensure access. Support growth. #G2Great
A5: If I am going to encourage and nurture choice, I must be aware of the kinds of books a reader can choose. Or the reading. Not always a book. My reading narrative is not the same if if I don't talk about MAD Magazine and Dynamite and Readers Digest and TV GUIDE. #g2great
WE read what we want to read, so why would we set different real life reader rules for kids. Volume doesn’t discriminate in life (only in school). #G2Great
A4. Without books they care about and want to read, independent reading time can become lost minutes. Our job is to relentlessly pursue engagement, helping every last reader learn to find a steady stream of books worthy of their time and attention. #g2great
A5 Read aloud is a powerful hook. We can entice and excite kids with teacher supported books and create text sets of related books kids can choose for additional reading (better yet, have them create those resources) #G2Great
A3 Started somethingnew sorta by accident thus year. Kids bringing in their own picture books from home for me to read aloud during dismissal. Takes abt 10 minutes of my normal routine. You make time for what’s important.#G2Great
A5 - First and foremost, we need to know our students. We need to make the time and listen so we can create libraries with choices for them. My library changes every single year, based on the students in my class. #g2great
A6. We bring our "heart' to work by asking Ss what books they want to read & providing those books! Classrooms, school libraries, every nook & cranny has books. Ss ask for books & they get them!
Voice & Choice
#G2Great
A5. Teach book choice with tenacity and intention. Book choice is the determinant of engagement. With a book they care about and want to read, everything else stands a fighting chance. Without it everything falls apart. #g2great
A6 Books are the heart and soul of literacy. It’s not just our job to fill minds but to touch hearts. We do that with books kids can’t wait to open and don’t want to put put down. #G2Great
A6. We bring our "heart' to work by asking Ss what books they want to read & providing those books! Classrooms, school libraries, every nook & cranny has books. Ss ask for books & they get them!
Voice & Choice
#G2Great
A5 #g2great Our library is under construction, focusing on building better classroom library. During conferencing asked S for suggestions, the list was loooonnggg. Also celebrated our new book delivery like a long lost child! #askthem
A6: Wearing it on our sleeve. Today I book talked and laughed with my students as we read a picture book and practiced skills. MY students know I love reading. They know I will do whatever I can to help them find that love. #G2great
A 5 If it’s important schedules can change to make time. Teachers need to advocate for time, books. Be a broken record until change happens. In some schools I help Ts went from 40 min of ELA to 60 min.
#g2great
A6: Get to know your readers first and adjust classroom library as needed. Model your own love of reading and let students recommend books to you and each other. #G2great
A 6 I remember the librarians of my childhood introducing me to books that became lifelong friends. I couldn’t wait to read those books. I want my students to experience that same intense love towards books that they can’t wait to read. #g2great
How fun! I think that gives students an opportunity to enjoy being the one who brought in a great read and introduces new books to both the students and possibly even the teachers. #G2Great
Yes and am concerned when K (or even preK Ts say that we can’t start independent reading until they know their letter and sounds. Major misconceptions (cone to think of it, there are some experts who love to spout that misconception #G2Great
A6. Being able to use a book as a tool to make your life richer or more wonderful in some way is the heart of reading and the gift of a lifetime. I read to feel joy and connection. I read to laugh, to learn, to understand, to stretch, to grow. I want the same for Ss. #g2great
A5.2 #g2great Following @pernilleripp and allowing S to choose another book if the one they are reading is not engaging! It's NOT also avoidance, it could be too challenging (defeating) or just flat out not interesting to them!
A6 Choice is a huge way to bring our heart to life. This does not mean just randomly choosing books but supporting this process every step of the way – as we should! #G2Great
If choosing and using books is the heart and soul of literacy, then connecting books with kids and building those reading relationships is the heartbeat. When we have all three, it becomes magical. #g2great
Without choice, most kids won’t read consistently. Without reading consistently, our students don’t fall in love with reading and make it a true habit. #g2great
Great way to do this is have students organize books for their library, including new additions! Let students handle books, talk about them and build excitement. #g2great
A6 This. What is happening right now tonight. Readers need a community of other readers. To share, respond, think, question, laugh and cry together. We need to give our Ss a reading community. #G2Great
A6 Real life readers are hungry for engaging conversations that revolve around texts they are passionate about. We could let kids form & run their own book clubs, literature circles and other peer supported experiences. #G2Great
A6 - I start almost every read aloud in Kindergarten with "This is one of my favourite books." The students know that I think all books are treasures and that reading is the greatest gift of all. #g2great
Book choice is messy. Kids will get it wrong. It doesn't matter as long as we help them learn to reflect, to adjust and to use what they learn in their next choice.Learning to choose isn't just a reading skill, it's a life skill. When we choose, we learn about ourselves. #g2great
A7.Formative data includes what Ss read, when they read, where they read - Reading Life. Cultivating that. Expanding identies. Growing and learning. "I used to be the kind of reader who ____ but now I ____."
#G2Great
I swear I keep forgetting I’m in a chat and am supposed to write. Every once in a while I keep finding myself just gazing lovingly at the #G2great screen. Some co-moderator I am!
There are so many easy books Kinders can start the year with. Get books into their hand as fast as we can. Having taught K, I can say part of the K teacher's job is to introduce "the code" to students as quickly as the students can learn it. #g2great
Yes and am concerned when K (or even preK Ts say that we can’t start independent reading until they know their letter and sounds. Major misconceptions (cone to think of it, there are some experts who love to spout that misconception #G2Great
A7 Kidwatching would be at the top of my assessment priority. Sometimes the most powerful formative assessment we can gather is when we become a silent fly on the wall. #G2Great
#g2great A6 "Reading is breathing in, writing is breathing out." Books put the beat in our drum, the air in our lungs, the sensation in our senses...they should awaken the soul and stir the heart of our emotions.
A6 As a reader I quickly knew I could travel the world from my seat in the library, choosing, picking where I wanted to go next. Seeing who I wanted to meet, who could answer my questions. Books are the window to the world. They have always been that to me. #g2great
A7 Kidwatching would be at the top of my assessment priority. Sometimes the most powerful formative assessment we can gather is when we become a silent fly on the wall. #G2Great
A7 Assessment and instruction are inseparable. There is no better way to understand a reader. We need to create space for our students to read so we can observe, notice, celebrate and nudge. #G2Great
A6 There are books that I have read that have opened me up to seeing new things in life that I had never seen before. Allowing literacy to help our heart beat with more empathy and awareness of others is a true blessing. #g2great
I still remember my 7th grade teacher reprimanding me for re-reading the Little House on the Prairie series. I was so hurt. Laura Ingalls Wilder was so important to me. I felt like she had insulted me! #g2Great
How many times do students reread an old favorite? Tons. Yes it might be easy, but that's where they rehease and practice fluency. They gain confidence and visit with "old friends" in those favorite books. Only a reader would understand that. #G2Great
AMEN! @FountasPinnell never ever intended for their leveling system (to support teachers in instructional decision making) to become a place where books become "off-limits" or "too easy" or "That's not your level." This pervasive practice needs to be rethought. #G2Great
A4 Leveled bins have become pervasive but this was never meant to happen. The minute we put a ball and chain between books and kids, we have all lost. Teach choice. Ensure access. Support growth. #G2Great
Day 3 ended and these books are all out of my classroom library already. We have been free writing with inspiration from @LindaMRief and Reading like crazy. Great way to start the year. #G2Great
But it doesn’t have to be a tradeoff. I love I Am Reading by Kathy Collins and Matt Glover. They show us how we can confer even when kids aren’t reading in the formal sense. It’s a fabulous reminder that we don’t wait to bathe them in print and have conversation @ it #G2Great
There are so many easy books Kinders can start the year with. Get books into their hand as fast as we can. Having taught K, I can say part of the K teacher's job is to introduce "the code" to students as quickly as the students can learn it. #g2great
Yes and am concerned when K (or even preK Ts say that we can’t start independent reading until they know their letter and sounds. Major misconceptions (cone to think of it, there are some experts who love to spout that misconception #G2Great
When Ss and Ts become aware of their reading preferences, their time spent reading, their reading patterns, their reading gaps, we learn more about them as readers than any test could possible show us. #g2great
A6 This. What is happening right now tonight. Readers need a community of other readers. To share, respond, think, question, laugh and cry together. We need to give our Ss a reading community. #G2Great
A7. In order for independent reading to flourish we need to commit to build a brave and thriving conferring practice. This is how we truly get to know every child as a reader and person so we can nurture them in the ways that will benefit them most. #g2great
Day 3 ended and these books are all out of my classroom library already. We have been free writing with inspiration from @LindaMRief and Reading like crazy. Great way to start the year. #G2Great
A7: The choices you see kids making informs the direction of the conference. You learn so much about reading habits and reading identities which determines how best to move that reader forward. #G2Great
A7 Conferring should be a priority every day. It’s a small time commitment but has huge payoff IF commit to those powerful opportunities based on research practices. #G2Great
A7: we MUST confer! We have to use our observations to help Ss improve their reading. Through independence we can support love of reading AND reading achievements. #g2great
A6 Start the year with the books that give you chills and make you tear up. Let the kids know how the books can cause them to feel strongly and grow as people, not as readers only. #G2Great
A5 If we want to have children notice new texts that speak to them, we should do frequent and diverse book talks to help them be more aware of the great books that are out there! #g2great
A7: Conferences. Some people like #getoutmore would say that there is no time for independent reading because we should be teaching. I would argue students learn more as participants in a conversation than just students there to learn from all my brilliance (sarcasm) #G2Great
I do the exact same thing!! Sometimes I go crazy and PUMP UP the excitement by telling Ss that the book I'm about to read them was one of my daughter's favorites when she was younger! They know the book is going to be ESPECIALLY amazing if it was one of Kate's faves :). #g2great
A7 Put kids in the talk driver’s seat and become an observer/facilitator. Watching them engage in text centered peer collaborations can offer us extensive assessment information. #G2Great
A7: Talk--the litmus test of a relationship. Joan Rivers would ask:
Can we talk?" Can we carry on meaningful (and casual) conversation on shared topics? So, too, for reading. We can talk about our reading before, during, after the act. Today's talk IS formative. #g2great
A7 Ss must have time to practice reading in a low stakes situation. Do not quantify conferring. Just make a note of where you need tonpick up last time. #G2Great
A8. Consider what you do when you love a book. How much talk time? If 20 min. to read, then 3 min. to talk w/ friend about book.
Be creative. Book Graffiti wall: What book have you read? Have a place to list these!
#G2Great
A4 Use strategies like Status of the Class, or regularly confer with readers, and provide time for purposeful practice that doesn't actually deter kids from reading. #g2great
A7: Talk--the litmus test of a relationship. Joan Rivers would ask:
Can we talk?" Can we carry on meaningful (and casual) conversation on shared topics? So, too, for reading. We can talk about our reading before, during, after the act. Today's talk IS formative. #g2great
I had a S this week give me a BIG SMILE after she said she had read a book before (that she was checking out). I said, “Cool! Revisiting an ol’ favorite, huh?” BIG SMILE! #g2great
A7: Talk--the litmus test of a relationship. Joan Rivers would ask:
Can we talk?" Can we carry on meaningful (and casual) conversation on shared topics? So, too, for reading. We can talk about our reading before, during, after the act. Today's talk IS formative. #g2great
A8 Encourage conversations by making those conversation worth having. This is not about scripted narrow Q&A sessions around books but letting kids have the very kind of conversations WE have & supporting this thinking. #G2Great
Just supported daughter's fundraiser & ordered Field and Stream and Outdoor Life. I'm going to have some happy S when they supplement their reading w/ articles. Replace books? No. Let them read about something they're interested in? You betcha. #g2great
WE read what we want to read, so why would we set different real life reader rules for kids. Volume doesn’t discriminate in life (only in school). #G2Great
And I'm finding it is much more difficult and demanding to confer than it is to stand and deliver (or mis-deliver as the case may be). It takes real effort and determination to teach this way but is so much better for S learning #g2great
A8: I move around the room, randomly sit down and just talk books. Today we as a class discussed what we don't like. The biggest piece, "Sometimes books are just too long, I get lost" Students without a chance to discuss and debrief will lose sight of the goal. #G2great
And what we should talk about tomorrow is really nothing we will have to plan for here. But, it can still be framed in "What do you want to talk about?" Our shared agreement is that "What" is probably a book we are reading and enjoying. #g2great
To get the talk and chatting about reading going on a consistent basis, one thing we started doing last year was Book Mingling! The 5th graders LOVED it! Any age can do it! https://t.co/6m0Uxg1H25#G2Great
For certain. You have to be determined to stay the course or it won't happen. It think that's why so many teachers give up on it. It's HARD work.#G2Great
A8 Build in collaborativetalk the same way it occurs naturally in life- lunch, playground, transition time even. Once you get into a book you can’t hold it in! #g2great
A8: Share recommendations. Let kids share with each other build up excitement about what they’re reading either on a graffiti wall, “staff” picks like at the bookstore, or making book commercials. #g2great
@brennanamy@DrMaryHoward@hayhurst3@franmcveigh I want to thank all of you for such an inspiring chat! I am always so touched and ready to “pass the torch to the next generation” after these chats. Thank you!!! #g2great
A8. @ChristinaNosek and I think talk is one of the most authentic forms of reader response there can be. It's what we do in the real world. We talk about what we read. We think of others and reach out to them. Kids need room to do this, too. #g2great
A8 I think when you have class community, students are safe and comfortable talking. In additional to relational capacity, if there T has established student voice, the talking around text can easily be implemented if not already occurring naturally. #G2Great
In reply to
@hayhurst3, @DrMaryHoward, @franmcveigh, @brennanamy
Thanks,
dear #G2great friends,
for participating in our chat tonight.
Independent Reading time is important for our students!
Wakelet coming soon.
AND we start a new series next week!
Thank you for spending time with us tonight. We are learning every day! We hope you leave inspired and ready to try new things. Take a risk! #G2Great@DrMaryHoward@franmcveigh@brennanamy
