First and Foremost,
Reading is the #1 predictor of academic success.
Students NEED to READ!
Consider this my DISCLAIMER…
I am NOT A College Professor.
I do NOT have a MASTERS ( or above )
in ANYTHING!
I am just a teacher.
A first-grade teacher.
A first-grade reading teacher.
A Veteran (27yrs ), a first-grade teacher,
in a TITLE 1 SCHOOL!
I have seen a LOT! Done a LOT!
Students NEED to READ!
Hear me ROAR!!!!!
So, I repeat.
I am a teacher. I teach reading.
(Aren’t they cute????)
I have been through:
Whole Language
Environmental Print
Interactive Writing
Phonemic Awareness
Leveled Readers ( DRA, GSP, AR, Lexile)
Phonics
Words Their Way
HFW
Sight Words
High-Interest Reading Books
SIPPS
Read Naturally
And
A MULTITUDE OF PUBLISHER’S CURRICULUM!
New sets every 7 years!
Next, having said this…
1 thing most curricula have in common :
Students NEED to READ!
READ A LOT!
And then…READ SOME MORE!
So …
My little sisters…
YES…both of my LITTLE SISTERS are
PRIMARY TEACHERS!
We were discussing school.
Yes… we do that!
We are trying to WRAP our minds around the
“READ…READ…READ more”
and they will
“GET IT!” (way of thinking.)
Well, maybe…
I LOVE reading with kiddos!
See my post here about the
But then my concern is…
When I “release” them to read,
When I want them to become INDEPENDENT readers,
Where do they “learn” the skills to use when they “get stuck”?
Will they use strategies, when they don’t know what’s happening?
When a story isn’t making sense…do they keep reading?
If they keep reading…
Will all the skills and strategies come TOGETHER?
Students NEED to READ!
At a recent PD, my little sis said she understood the
READ, READ, READ philosophy.
Integrate science, social studies, math, technology
INTO literacy!
YES!
Writing and Reading
COMPLIMENT and Coexist
WITH each other!
You can’t have one without the other!
Students NEED to READ!
BUT…
-Me SPEAKING-
There needs to be a BALANCE of:
Skills & Strategies
in conjunction with independent reading & writing!
THERE!
I said IT!
Reading & Writing SKILLS:
Blends
Vowels
Word Families
Chunks
Grammar
Punctuation
High-Frequency Words
Capitalization
Handwriting
and MORE!
Comprehension
Questioning
Summarizing
etc, etc, etc…
(I sound like my Education College Professors!)
I was listening!
ALL of these “lessons” MUST be taught
IN CONJUNCTION with
Reading & Writing!
Yes…To be a better reader…
Students NEED to READ!
BUT…to be a better reader who UNDERSTANDS…
You must have skills and strategies to use
WHEN you read and write!
NOW…CAUTION!!!
Unless you are teaching ADULTS in a COLLEGE CLASS…
A 40-minute LECTURE on diagramming sentences
IS NOT…I REPEAT…
NOT
the way to do it!
If you WANT to spend 40 minutes discussing grammar…
CHUNK IT!
Read a little.
Discuss it.
Let it soak in.
And do it again. And again. and again!
READ!
Do 2-3 MINILESSONS over a few days…
Let it SINK IN!
Show kiddos:
What it looks like.
Where to find it.
How to use it.
Why we use it.
When to ask for help.
Kinder-Grade 1-Grade 2 teachers…
UNITE!
Mini-Lessons with a WORKSHOP!
Use SMALL Groups for STRATEGY & Skill Groups!
Let kiddos have a chance to PRACTICE
what YOU have taught them!
Let it SINK IN!
And Then…
Students NEED to READ!
and
READ!
and
READ!
and then
WRITE…and write, some more!
Skills, Strategies, Reading, Writing
They will become “BETTER”…
and isn’t that what we ALL want to be?
BETTER!
Need some HELP?
My friend, Alison, at
Learning at The Primary Pond
learningattheprimarypond.com
has a great post about
What Does Reading Workshop Look Like In The Primary Grades?
Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!
Click HERE for more reading & writing products!
I totally agree with you! I used to read a lot and it helped me with spelling etc. more than I realised at the time…
My son (7) loves me reading to him, but he doesn’t like reading at all… maybe you have a tip for me?
Ask him about themes he likes. Sports, comic books, dinosaurs, etc. Find books ( library, scholastic books, etc) in his theme. MOST IMPORTANT…talk about the content after you read together, Reading is commnicating. Instill the LOVE for reading with him.
I’m going to make my 8 year old little lady read this post. 🙂 VERY IMPORTANT! She came a long way this year..
Yes! I read a lot growing up and even built my own library. I find it hard trying to get my nieces and nephews to read nowadays, though.
Momo C. | Herpetitecloset.com
As a middle school teacher, I can tell you that reading affects EVERY SUBJECT, which makes it even that much more crucial! Thank you for this reminder about the importance of reading!
I love using reading workshop in my classroom. Since we implemented it two years ago, my students have been reading so many books and applying strategies on their own. Strategy groups and conferences really allow me to meet the needs of all my students.
I love your tone of voice! You had me laughing throughout your post. Aside from that, I think every parent need to read this post. I feel like they are so quick to question why their child can’t read in kindergarten. Well, your post is their answer!!!
I could not agree more with the importance of emphasizing foundational literacy skills across the content areas. Well said!
As a first grade teacher, I agree with you 100%. Reading is the key to success, but there are so many levels of reading that you must teach in order for students to be successful.
Some great points to think about!
I have to agree with the importance of reading. I’m currently trying to find more ways to incorporate reading in secondary science lessons.
This is absolutely true! I have taught preschool, K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th. By the time students get to fifth grade, there is a HUGE chasm between the good readers and the struggling readers. It’s really sad, The ones who struggle are so ashamed. Also, NO ONE is “just a teacher”! You’re amazing and first grade teachers ROCK. It was not my cup of tea. I’m thrilled that there are teachers who love it!