What you hear [students say] will give you even more insight into the kinds of problems different students might need help solving... Listening carefully also helps you see how much students are strengthening their identities and sense of agency as readers and thinkers... Vicki Vinton (p27) Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading These words written by Vicki spoke most to me as I read the first four chapters of her book. If we begin with the premise of listening to our readers, we can guide them towards independent thinking. I believe this and was excited to read the list of questions she uses to guide her scaffolding when students are stuck: What kind of problems is this reader facing? What kind of text does this reader need? How can we help this reader develop a more complex vision of reading? (Vicki Vinton) Her thinking also had me asking questions like what does it look and sound like when we listen to a reader who is facing problems ... how to do this and how it sounds with different learners? I was excited to to see we would be reading the how, when and why to offer her problem based approach in the next section! Vicki reminds us to be thoughtful about the texts we read aloud and the texts we put in student hands. Listening to our students and to ourselves is what I am taking away and truly believe. With my first grade readers, I think about this on a daily basis. I plan for this a number of ways. She has me thinking about how I do that in my own classroom. I anticipate...what will they want to read? So I'm grabbing newest picture books off the shelf of the library and placing them out each week. I also stalk picture book blogs, librarians and teachers on twitter who share new books all the time. I am a believer that most readers don't need level books to learn to read. I listen and notice their interests --What are they picking up? --Can I work it into a read aloud or when can I just slip this one in during the day because of their excitement? (Many of my students will ask knowing I will read aloud what they love ). When kids aren't ready to conference yet (especially at the beginning of the year) because they are so new to accessing the words and they need time to build their agency and read pictures----I'll read some patterned and song books with a small group of kiddos who need the same practice and they automatically have a book they want to read again and add to their book bin. I try not to talk much. I leave little to no opinion and commenting in books I read aloud---I often just listen. Later I'll jot their thinking. Later naming their thinking and organizing their understanding. And when they are ready to problem solve words (because their are so many early and emerging readers in first grade), I ask them: what can you do to help yourself or we'll meet as a group and kids will share what works. There is so much motivation and agency when kids listen to kids. Vicki writes, Students find pleasure in activities where they have some choice and opportunity to explore and discover for themselves. I couldn't agree more and I have found that not only are my students happier figuring things out, but I feel happier and more energized by the learning each day. I think this mindset takes practice. After 21 years of trying to figure out how to best help children learn and think, the continual practice with a problem based approach to teaching makes a difference. I am thankful to be reading Vicki's insights to inspire more for next year. -Katie
3 Comments
7/10/2017 09:16:23 am
It is lovely to connect with another first grade teacher. I appreciated the thoughtfulness of how to approach this. This application piece of how to approach this with my emerging students is the piece that is continuing to swirl in my head early this week. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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I always learn and think more deeply after reading your blog post. My two take aways are about listening more... I still need to work on this area. A long pause from a student and I have a question or a push to help them, but I need to stop and allow that pause for their own thinking.
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As I read your reflection, I'm struck by how well you understand those baby readers. Reading, as you suggest, truly is a developmental process, and every kid comes to it at their own speed, and in their own way. And yes, there are some kids who need the support provided by levels, but many kids just need exposure to great books, and time, and choice, and feedback. I'm really uncomfortable with how many kids I know that define themselves as readers solely by their levels.
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