A Practical Way to Organize Reading Instruction and Assessment
One reason reading is hard to learn is because it’s hard to teach. Some people devote their entire lives to understanding what reading is, what good readers do, and how to teach these things effectively to kids. But most of us don’t have that kind of time. So I’ve found something simple that helps me a lot. It’s a model of reading instruction and assessment based on six qualities of good reading that I can teach to every kid I work with.
Things to Think About Before You Meet with Readers
Conferencing is the most important part of my reading instruction. It’s where I get to hear kids read. It’s where I get to ask specific questions. It’s where I get to head off problems and push for breakthroughs. It’s also very hard. Some conferences don’t seem to go anywhere. Others drag on and on and I can’t get out of them. And the minute I sit down quietly with one kid, I seem to cue all the others to start talking.
Little Things That Can Make a Big Difference
It has taken me many years to grow into being a good conferencing partner in reading. And each year it seems I learn something new. At first, big things came to me, like the fact that I really didn’t know much about reading, and that’s why I could never figure out what to say to kids in a conference to help them improve. Understanding the six qualities of good reading really helped me there. Now it’s the little things that matter most to me, some of them so obvious I can’t believe I didn’t see them clearly before.
A “Can’t Miss” Conference That Covers the Basics
When I first started conferencing, I didn’t know what to do. I knew I was supposed to ask kids questions but I didn’t know which questions to ask. I knew I was supposed to take notes, but I didn’t know what was worth writing down. I knew I was supposed to end my conferences by giving kids advice about what to do next, but I usually just ended them by saying, “Thank you.” I wasn’t effective, but at least I was polite.
Using the Six Qualities of Good Reading to Make Better Book Choices
To help kids find “just right” books, I start by telling them to find a book they like and can read well. But I don’t stop there. Having defined good reading as reading with the six qualities, the kids and I can use this as a more detailed way of determining whether a particular book is easy, hard, or “just right”.
What I Do When Kids Have Trouble Picking Books at Their Independent Reading Level
Getting kids into books at their independent reading level is always challenging. Even when I’m working with high schoolers who’ve been reading for more than a decade, many don’t seem to have developed a sense of what they can read and what they can’t. To make matters worse, many will say they don’t like to read or that they can never find a good book. My goal is for kids to be able to do what any literate adult can do: find something they enjoy and can read. Simple as this goal is, it often eludes me.
Aligning Questions with Key Strategies
I hate giving kids prompts for their reading journals. In my ideal reading world, kids would spontaneously compose entries of such quality and variety that using prompts would seem silly. However, the reading world is far from ideal, and I’ve discovered a way to use journal prompts to introduce kids to valuable reading strategies and useful ways of reflecting on their books.
If There is Such a Thing, This is It!
I like to start reading time with reading. I want the kids to get their books and their journals out and begin reading quietly without me having to say anything at all. This is our entry procedure. It takes a few days for the kids to get the hang of it, but with a little practice, it comes together well.
Don’t Forget to Read the Words
Kids often come away with strange interpretations of the things they read. They’ll say something about a book and I’ll think to myself, “Where in the world did they come up with that?” More often than not, they’ve picked up errant information by misreading something or not reading something at all. “Don’t forget to read the words,” I often tell them. It’s a simple notion but it’s easier said than done.
Using the Model to Improve My Interactions with Kids
When kids are learning to read, they need a lot of help. Reading is hard and it only gets harder as kids move up to new texts at higher reading levels. To make consistent progress, kids need a lot of coaching. But it’s not always easy to know how to help them.
