We all talk about reading. We all talk about teaching reading. We all talk about improving our reading instruction.
What I have known for a while but not said out loud is that the best way to improve my reading instruction does not involve curriculum objectives, basals, or technology tools. The best way to improve my reading instruction involves finding more time for my students to read on their own.
I had an experience last week that showed me how wonderful individualizing reading can be. This experience showed me that I need to create more opportunities in class for my students to love reading. These opportunities would have to be individualized to be the most effective. I need to pump up my independent reading time to a whole new level.
One of my students from last year read to me via FaceTime last week. She is currently visiting her grandparents, and I had suggested the idea because I thought it would be fun for her. What I didn't anticipate is how much she would teach me in that hour.
I watched her read with gusto Pigs Make Me Sneeze!, I Really Like Slop!, and I'm a Frog! by Mo Willems. The time flew by as she showed me funny details in the illustrations. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to help her when she got stuck on a word. (Thanks FaceTime for making that possible:) She showed me her office that she had created which included a picture of her family and plenty of sharpened pencils. We had a wonderful visit while she shared her love for Elephant and Piggie with me. She introduced me to her grandparents' cat, gave me a tour of their home, and showed me her two pet tadpoles who were 2 days old. Caring for tadpoles and reading I'm a Frog!...talk about perfect ways to personally connect with text:)
I need to figure out how to take the magic of what she and I experienced and infuse it into my whole school year. We weren't reading because we had to. We were reading because we loved reading. I didn't have to assess her. My only goal was to encourage her. Her only goal was to have fun reading with me. No workbook, app, or sight word game could have created such a magical learning moment.
I'm publicly promising that I am going to make it my mission to create these kinds of moments in class for all of my first graders in her honor. I was blessed to be her teacher, and I'm grateful to have had this unforgettable learning experience with her as well.
I can't wait to see what this school year brings. I can't wait to see what she'll be reading next summer.
Thank You, Mo Willems!
What I have known for a while but not said out loud is that the best way to improve my reading instruction does not involve curriculum objectives, basals, or technology tools. The best way to improve my reading instruction involves finding more time for my students to read on their own.
I had an experience last week that showed me how wonderful individualizing reading can be. This experience showed me that I need to create more opportunities in class for my students to love reading. These opportunities would have to be individualized to be the most effective. I need to pump up my independent reading time to a whole new level.
One of my students from last year read to me via FaceTime last week. She is currently visiting her grandparents, and I had suggested the idea because I thought it would be fun for her. What I didn't anticipate is how much she would teach me in that hour.
I watched her read with gusto Pigs Make Me Sneeze!, I Really Like Slop!, and I'm a Frog! by Mo Willems. The time flew by as she showed me funny details in the illustrations. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to help her when she got stuck on a word. (Thanks FaceTime for making that possible:) She showed me her office that she had created which included a picture of her family and plenty of sharpened pencils. We had a wonderful visit while she shared her love for Elephant and Piggie with me. She introduced me to her grandparents' cat, gave me a tour of their home, and showed me her two pet tadpoles who were 2 days old. Caring for tadpoles and reading I'm a Frog!...talk about perfect ways to personally connect with text:)
I need to figure out how to take the magic of what she and I experienced and infuse it into my whole school year. We weren't reading because we had to. We were reading because we loved reading. I didn't have to assess her. My only goal was to encourage her. Her only goal was to have fun reading with me. No workbook, app, or sight word game could have created such a magical learning moment.
I'm publicly promising that I am going to make it my mission to create these kinds of moments in class for all of my first graders in her honor. I was blessed to be her teacher, and I'm grateful to have had this unforgettable learning experience with her as well.
I can't wait to see what this school year brings. I can't wait to see what she'll be reading next summer.
Thank You, Mo Willems!
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