By Evan Robb

To develop students’ reading proficiency and motivation to read, we need to make daily teacher read alouds, instructional and independent reading, and writing about reading the core of ELA classes. 

There is no quick fix for the reading challenges faced by many schools, but we live in a time when the allure of a quick fix can be very strong. Many educators look for a new program to create a pathway to improvement–a canned program. I have not seen one work.  My experience is administrators want to “fix” things, to check the box that something is being done. This thinking does not work; it will not make students into readers; it devalues the teacher as a professional. I have never seen a program create a love of reading.  

Balanced literacy focusing on students reading actual books and short stories should be the foundation of a school’s reading curriculum.  Does your school have a balanced reading and writing curriculum reflected in each ELA classroom? If you are an administrator are your words supporting balanced literacy or creating a roadblock to change? 

Read over my five indicators that are present in classrooms where balanced literacy is part of the reading culture. If you are a teacher, compare my five indicators to your practice. If you are an administrator, these indicators will give you a framework to assess where your school is and to consider possible next steps.

1. Teacher Reads Aloud: Yes, reading aloud is perfectly fine!  Teachers reading aloud is a great way to introduce students to different authors and genres and model how the teacher thinks about texts. Choose materials students will enjoy! This practice goes south when teachers read out loud for a longer period of time as this diminishes the opportunity for other reading instruction.  Tip: The read-aloud should be 10 – 15 minutes of a class. 
2. Instructional Reading: Teach students to comprehend and think deeply about instructional materials to enlarge their vocabulary, enlarge their prior knowledge, and develop understandings of complex concepts.  Great instructional reading teaches skills and strategies at a student’s instructional level. Tip: Whole class novels are not a great way to go. All students rarely read at the same level. 
3. Independent Reading: In addition to instructional reading, students should read thirty to fifty books a year–books they can read with 99% to 100% accuracy. Like sports, to improve reading, students practice skills and build automaticity in applying specific strategies. When students practice with feedback and support, they get better!  It is perfectly fine and beneficial to students to set aside fifteen to twenty minutes of independent reading at school. Reading in school is not a poor use of teachers’ instructional time as long as it is a balanced part of the learning experience for students. It’s important for administrators to understand that teachers are not wasting instructional time when students are silently reading. Tip: Independent reading should always be a homework assignment for students; I caution against getting hung up on how to hold students accountable. Trust students and know that some will not read. However, don’t abandon a practice that improves reading skills because of a few students.
4. Choice: Choice is empowering for students and adults too! Give students choice in independent reading materials and as much as possible with instructional texts. Choice results in motivation and engagement; students can explore their passions and interests. Tip: Students have more choices when schools use funds to purchase classroom libraries and more books for the school library.
5. Discourse: Make learning interactive, help students clarify their hunches, and provide opportunities for thinking and discussing texts with a partner and in small groups. Tip: In our high tech age, conversing about books will always be valued. 

These five ways to improve literacy provide a balanced framework for research-based practices that can help students develop positive attitudes toward reading.  A balanced literacy framework develops reading skills and strategies leading to reading stamina, critical thinking, proficiency and yes, a love of reading!

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(An open invitation of vulnerability for my phonics colleagues)

©Google Images 

By Cameron Carter

It’s 9:00 a.m., and I’ve just sat down with my first guided reading group of the day. The children know the expectations, as they have been modeled for months. As I get my anecdotal notes ready from the previous day’s discussion, the children get started rereading the text in their brains. I immediately begin quickly doing an informal running record on a few students to see how they are coming along with the text.

A child comes across a challenging word in the text:

Teacher (T): (provides a few seconds of wait time for the child to try and solve)

Student (S): (student first looks at the photo/illustration, then immediately checks the letters to look for parts and/or chunks in the word that he/she may know, and finally looks at me… NOTE: this whole process happens very quickly)

(T): Check the letters and look for parts you know from FunDations (our systemic phonics curriculum) (teacher puts child’s finger on chunks of the word… NOTE: this will look different depending on what word the child is trying to solve)

(S): “Well, I noticed a digraph (ch) and that says /ch/, and I see it at the end of the word, too!” (T): “You noticed the digraphs, now move to the middle of the word. Check the letters.”

(S): “I see a “ur” and in FunDations we learned r-controlled vowels, so it says /r/, so putting it all together, /ch/ – /r/- /ch/, church.  

(T): “Reread to confirm it makes sense in the sentence.”

Colleagues, this is a real example of teacher-student interaction from a guided reading group.

As one can clearly see, the reader is using a combination of systems to word solve. In Marie Clay’s (2001) research of the literacy processing theory, she stated, “In a complex model of interacting competencies in reading and writing the reader can potentially draw from all his or her current understanding, and all his or her language competencies, and visual information, and phonological information, and knowledge of printing conventions, in ways which extend both the searching and linking processes as well as the item knowledge repertoires” (p.224).

The student in the example above is using multiple sources of information, along with his/her phonological background, to word solve.

It is not an either/or process.

Readers need to be equipped with a toolbox of strategies and skills to use when faced with dissonance. Readers can not solely rely on phonics to help them solve every word.

 When we continue our guided reading group the following day to implement word work, I bring in the word “church” again and use multi-sensory activities, as suggested by the Orton Gillingham approach, to imprint the word in the child’s brain. To quote Orton Gillingham (2016), A multi-sensory approach makes reading easier for all children, not only those with dyslexia.”

I highly concur that all children can benefit from using a multi-sensory approach when teaching reading. Using these approaches help the learner construct meaning in many ways. It helps to solidify cognitive synapses in the brain, especially for those readers who may have an issue with executive functioning, such as processing or decoding and encoding.

In conclusion, here are the crucial takeaways to pass along to your colleagues, especially to my explicit phonics friends:

I use systematic phonics instruction every day (FunDations, a version of the Wilson Reading Program, adapted from Orton Gillingham) both isolated and blended/infused in my guided reading groups.

I use multi-sensory approaches for all content areas.

I use running records in my guided reading groups and analyze Marie Clay’s sources of information (meaning, syntax, and visual) to help guide my instruction.

Whatever approach you use, the goal is to build readers. We want readers to be fluent, accurate, and we want them to read with prosody (expression) and meaning.

A recent post on my Twitter (@CRCarter313) states,

“A few goals of reading:

1. Comprehension (within, beyond, and about text- Fountas and Pinnell)
2. Text-to-text connections
3. Text-to-self
4. Text-to-world
5. Exposure to a wide variety of genres, including culturally relevant texts
6. The most simple: Love reading!”

In conclusion, always ask yourself:

What does the child, the reader that sits before need at this moment in time?

The child needs you to implement instruction that best fits his/her needs.

Cameron Carter is a first-grade teacher at Evening Street Elementary in Worthington, OH. He is the Elementary Lead Ambassador for the National Council of Teachers of English and the Elementary Liaison for the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Cameron has a Masters in Reading and Literacy from The Ohio State University.  To continue learning with Cameron, follow him on Twitter @CRCarter313

References

Clay, M. M. (2001). Change over time in children’s literacy development. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Google Images. (2018).

Institute of Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). 2016. https://www.orton-gillingham.com/about-us/.

Effective leaders create positive cultures through reflection on their practice and the decisions they make.  In education, leaders can be teachers, administrators, and any of the many staff members who make up a school.  All can impact change!

Positive change is complex and often has many moving parts needed for a school to be effective.  A positive environment impacts the culture of a school. You can feel it; you can sense if a school has a good culture. Conversely, you can sense and feel if a negative culture exists in a school. Bottom line, the leader of the building sets the tone for the school and directly impacts the culture.

What does setting the tone mean?  I have known principals who certainly set a positive tone and others who have not set a great tone. What the leader of the school models and says permits others to do the same.  A principal who yells at students gives staff permission to yell. A principal who is never on time for meetings gives others permission to be late. A principal who dresses sloppy permits others to do the same.  Yes, everything done by the leader sets a standard, either through words or actions. As Todd Whitaker says in his book, What Great Principals Do Differently, when the principal sneezes everyone gets a cold.

The principal sets the tone but it cannot be done by one person; all staff has a responsibility to create the school they want.  If you are an administrator consider these reflections as you work to set the tone in your school. If you are a teacher apply these same reflections to your classroom.

As you review the seven points, here is a thought to consider. It is hard for one teacher to ruin the culture in a school, but the principal can absolutely do this independently.  Being a culture builder is one of many critical responsibilities of a principal.

Set the Example:  It is critical for the principal to set the example of what behaviors are acceptable in the school.  This requires consistency and a high degree of congruence between what the leader says and does. Inconsistency results in confusion and staff often not believing what the principal says.  

Say Hello:  Although this sounds small, people like it when the principal says “Hello.”  Walking by staff and ignoring them is rude and communicates an I don’t care about you attitude.  Always and I do mean always say “Hello” to students, staff, and parents. This simple change can make a big difference in how others see the principal, and the tone they set.

Be Interested: Students and staff appreciate the principal who is interested in what they are doing.  If interest is genuine, the principal communicates a sense of caring. If interest appears disingenuous, the effect is the exact opposite.  Use specific praise to compliment teachers and students on classwork or a performance you have seen.

Choose Positivity:  Appearing down or frazzled will have a negative impact on those around you. The principal sets a definable tone for communicating optimism and positivity.

Cultivate Relationships: Positive teacher-student relationships are always part of an effective classroom.  The same is true for a school leader. The principal needs to invest time to build positive connections with many groups: students, staff, parents, and the community.  Something as small as ignoring a parent in the grocery store can impact how others see you.

Be Fair and Consistent: Having favorite staff members is a morale killer.  Be consistent and fair to all staff. Treat every teacher like you treat your best teacher.  

An Open Door:  Desk work cannot be more important than communicating with people.  A message of “I’m too busy” does not help set the tone for a school.

School culture is like a garden it needs to be tended every day.  If the tone is positive, congratulations, you had much to do with creating it.  However, if you or others feel the tone is negative, take a look in the mirror to find the answer.

Website: Robb Communications

Blog: The Robb Review Blog

Twitter: @ERobbPrincipal

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Recently, I was interviewing candidates for a language arts position.  Several candidates just finished college and were eager to start a teaching career.  Included was one question all candidates had to respond to: How would you teach a particular short story to a group of students?  A frequent answer I received was, “Read it to the students or let the students read it out loud.” Letting students read out loud in front of the class is commonly referred to as popcorn or round-robin reading.  One candidate proudly explained a reading game called “bump,” where students would read out loud and could intermittently call on another student to continue the reading. Bump permits students to embarrass one another or to catch another student not paying attention.  No student should graduate from any college or university and bring such archaic and at times hurtful methods into a classroom. Popcorn, round robin, and bump reading should never be part of an elementary, middle, or high school classroom!

As a middle school principal, I am often asked what types of reading should occur in a middle school English classroom? What is a balanced literacy program? My answer is not that complex: “Reading can and should be taught.”  In addition to the teacher reading aloud for students’ enjoyment, every middle school classroom should have three types of reading:

• Instructional Interactive Read Aloud
• Instructional Reading
• Independent Reading

Instructional Interactive Read Aloud

An interactive read aloud allows the teacher to model in a think aloud how to apply a reading strategy. This modeling during a read aloud builds and/or enlarges students’ mental model of how a strategy works. For this aspect of instruction, I suggest that the teacher models with a short text that matches the genre and/or theme that ties a reading unit together.  Short texts can include a picture book, an excerpt from a longer text, a folk or fairy tale, myth or legend, a short, short story, or an article from a magazine or newsletter.

Here are six of many skills and strategies that you can model in interactive read-aloud lessons:

• Making inferences
• Linking literary elements to a text
• Identifying big ideas and themes
• Locating important details
• Skimming to find details
• Emotional responses

The interactive read aloud is teachers’ common text. Once teachers complete the modeling over five to eight classes, they have a reference text to support students by reviewing a lesson. Then, they move to reading aloud from texts that resonate with students.

Instructional Reading

Instructional reading occurs during class. Students need to read materials at their instructional reading level, which is about 90 % to 95% reading accuracy and about  90% comprehension. Organizing instructional reading around a genre and theme—for example biography with a theme of obstacles—permits students to read different texts and discuss their reading around the genre and theme. One book for all does not work.  Based on a false assumption, one-book-for-all assumes that no one has already read the book and everyone is on the same reading level.

As an example, the class opens with an interactive read-aloud lesson that lasts about ten minutes.   Next, a transition to instructional reading. Find books for students in your school library, your community public library, in your class library, and the school’s book room (if you have one).  Instructional reading books stay in the classroom, as students from different sections may be using the same materials each day.

Instructional reading asks students to apply specific skills and strategies to texts that can improve students’ comprehension, vocabulary, and skill because these texts stretch students’ thinking with the teacher, the expert, as a supportive guide.

Independent Reading

Students should always have a book they are reading independently. By encouraging them to read accessible books on topics they love and want to know more about, you develop their motivation to read!

Have students keep a Book Log of the titles they’ve read and reread. Do not ask students to do a project for each completed book; that will turn them away from reading.  Reflecting on the value of independent reading is important. Getting hung up on how you will hold students accountable is not valuable. Remember, enthusiastic readers of any age do not summarize every chapter they read in a journal. Neither do you!

Students should complete twenty to thirty minutes of independent reading a night, and that should be their main homework assignment. If you’re on a block schedule, set aside two days a week for students to complete independent reading at school. If you have 90 to 120 minutes for reading and writing daily, then independent reading should occur every day.  This is not wasted time. When students read the teacher can read part of the time which communicates a great message to students: adults read independently, too! Equally important during this time, teachers also confer with a few students about their reading.

Including the three types of reading in a middle school curriculum brings balance, engagement, and motivation to the curriculum and holds the potential of improving reading for all students. We must be better than popcorn reading as a go-to-method for a teacher to use with students.  We must be better than reading out loud for an entire class. We need a balanced framework, a balanced literacy program. Encourage your teachers to give the three types of reading a try. The goal is to increase students’ reading skill and help students become lifelong readers. But the goal is also to reclaim the professionalism language arts teachers and students deserve.  

Website: Robb Communications

Blog: The Robb Review Blog

Twitter: @ERobbPrincipal

Facebook: The Robb Review Facebook

Podcast, The Robb Review Podcast