INDEPE

NDENT READIN

G,

CLASSROOM LI

BRARIES &

READIN

G JOURNALS

GWPS:

Curriculu

m D

ay, A

ugust 2

012

Presented by Monika Gruss

Reading is to the mind, what exercise

is to the body!

Learning Intention

To have an understanding of…

… Independent Reading and reading journals and how to implement them in your reading program

… what a classroom library is and how to create one in your classroom

Success Criteria

Curiosity

Adopt Consistent Learning ProtocolsTHEORY OF ACTION FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL

If we adopt consistent learning protocols in all classes, then all students will experience an enhanced capacity to learn, and to develop skills, confidence and curiosity.

We believe that when learning strategies, and their purposes, are clear and accessible to all our students, they are better positioned to become powerful learners.

Curiosity and Powerful LearningNMR, 2012

What is Independent Reading?

Independent Reading

… Independent reading is when students take on the responsibility for their own reading.

Independent Reading

Reading with 95% or higher accuracy rate and understanding what is being read. (It’s not likely that understanding is occurring if there is less than 90% accuracy.)

THOUGHTFUL readers know how to select ‘just right books’ to read for most of their reading. They also know that easy reading and challenging reading materials are OK for specific times and purposes.

Diane Snowball, 2011

‘Just Right Books’

‘Students are more likely to be able to choose an appropriate text when they know a variety of ways to evaluate it.’

‘Students who can effectively choose appropriate texts will be less likely to abandon books they choose and more likely to spend more time in engaged reading’.

Wutz & Wedwick, 2005

Choosing ‘Just Right Books’

Teaching children how to make thoughtful book selection is hard work, but its not out of their reach, or ours.

Early mini-lessons on book selection should focus on the ways readers make good choices.

Debbie Miller, Reading With Meaning, 2002: page 40

Just Right Book Ideas…

http://pinterest.com/

More ‘Just Right Book’ Ideas…

http://pinterest.com/

http://pinterest.com/

What does Independent Reading look like in

the reading hour block?

The Reading Block Structure

WHOLE CLASS FOCUS (Launch)

INDEPENDENT READING/PURPOSEFUL COMPREHENSION TASK (Explore)

WHOLE CLASS SHARE (Summarise)

Teaching Focus Group-based on the strategy

Independent Practice of the Strategy

Conferencing

Learning Intention & Success Criteria

Explanation & demonstration of the reading strategy.

Reflection/Evaluation of the strategy

Knowledge about your student’ reading

Why Independent Reading?

Variation in amount of Independent Reading

How can we support Independent Reading?

Essential supports for successful independent reading

A CLASSROOM LIBRARY:

Range of factual and fiction material (books, magazines, audio books, newspapers, digital texts, reference material) at various levels of difficulty; range of authors, genres, topics

Resources attractively displayed (not a row of spines); organised for easy access – by topics, authors, range of difficulty (leveled – ½ of selection)

Students knowing how to choose appropriate books – just right, easy, challenging

Diane Snowball, 2011

Classroom Libraries

Students in classrooms with well-designed classroom libraries:

1)Interact more with books;

2)Spend more time reading;

3)Demonstrate more positive attitudes toward reading, and

4)Exhibit higher levels of reading achievement

National Assessment of Educational Progress Report,

2002

Classroom Libraries to support Independent Reading

Collection for Independent Reading

• Minimum of 5 books per student

• Half to be factual

• Part of the collection is leveled or organised so that it’s easier and faster for students to self-select easy/just right/challenging reading (remember independent reading is 95% + accuracy)

Diane Snowball, 2011

What type of books to include in your Classroom Library

“Be choosy. Build your collection slowly. Children should be reading well-written books that promote thinking and have believable, compelling characters who talk the way real people talk and do the things real people do.”

“Don’t get into thinking all books are equal…. Quality really is better than quantity!”

Debbie Miller Reading With Meaning, 2002, p.47

Organisation of Classroom Libraries

Author collections - appropriate for age (also used for author studies)

Genres - fact (procedures, recounts, arguments, discussions, explanations, reports) and fiction (fantasy, folk tales, myths, legends, realistic, historical, science fiction; romance, adventure, horror, mystery...)

Topics of interest to students or curriculum related

Organisation of Classroom Librareis

Types – picture books, short stories, novels, poetry, magazines, newspapers, plays, readers’ theatre texts, references, access to interesting websites, students’ publications, comics

Series

Miller, 2002: Reading With Meaning, page 100

A CLASSROOM LIBRARY CHECKLIST

For more information on classroom libraries and how to start one in your classroom, see the coaching wiki - (Literacy Resources).

http://coachgruss.wikispaces.com/1.+Literacy+Resources

Essential supports for successful independent reading

IN THE CLASSROOM:

Place for each student to keep their independent reading material (e.g. box, chair bag)

Anchor charts displaying reading strategies (success criteria) for students to anchor their learning

Diane Snowball, 2011

Let’s be creative!

Using your iPad, use the AP ‘Show Me’ to design a library that you would love to have in your classroom!

Essential supports for successful independent reading

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING:

Reading Assessment/Conferencing Book: Teacher confers with individuals during independent reading(assessing, teaching, establishing goals) and recording student’s progress in a reading assessment/conferencing book/folder

Reading Journal:Record of reading assessment and goals for each student (a reading journal for each student)

Diane Snowball, 2011

Reading Journals

Journals can take many different formats depending on the age and experience of students.

Some students will manage a blank exercise book or jotter and be able to organise their journals according to personal preference.

Other children will need a more formal structure to their journals that will help to prompt responses to their reading.

Reading Journals may include:

Keeping records of student’s goals/anecdotal records

The Reading Conference

‘The Reading Conference is a brief discussion with an individual student or small group of students. The conference may occur before, during or after independent reading takes

place.’

Morris School District

The Reading Conference

Teachers build valuable knowledge of their students through reading conferences.

They do this by:

• Gathering information about the student’s progress and discussing this information with the student;

• Clarifying the strategies the student is using and ensuring that the student is becoming aware of how to control these strategies;

Effective Literacy Practices, Learning Media, 2003

The Reading Conference

• Learning about the student’s personal interests and their attitudes to literacy learning;

• Identifying and discussing problems or obstacles to literacy learning the the teacher may not have been aware of;

• Providing personalised, specific feedback;

• Agreeing on goals for further learning.

Effective Literacy Practices, Learning Media, 2003

Differentiation

• Effective conferences are planed by the teacher before they happen

• As conferences are only for a few minutes it is best to be well prepared with a focus in mind

• Using your conference/assessment book effectively will help to have a focus for each individual student….

• …. Differentiation!

Questions you could ask during a conference

For more information, visit the coaching wiki.

Where to now?

A plan for action:

Think – By yourself, create an action plan on what you are going to implement in your classroom. Make sure you write all your ideas

Pair – Share you ideas with a partner. If they have some great ideas that you like, add them to your action plan.

Share – Get ready to share them with every one. Remember to add any ideas that you like to your list.

Did you meet your success criteria?

References

Wutz, J.A., & Wedwick, L. (2005). BOOKMATCH: Scaffolding book selection for independent reading. The Reading Teacher, 59(1), 16–32.

“The Five Finger Tips of Choosing a Book to Read”http://pinterest.com

“Reading With Meaning”, Debbie Miller, 2002

Diane Snowball, Effective Literacy Teaching and Learning for All Students Presentation, 2011

Effective Literacy Practices, Yrs 5-8, Learning Media, 2003