Read, Kid, READ!

It is a harsh reality that middle school is generally considered to be the most awkward three years of any pre-teen girl’s life. The braces, the frizzy hair (which never goes away for exceptionally lucky girls like me), the sudden realization that you should have two eyebrows, the list goes on and on. Thus, it makes sense that some girls hate to be pushed into the spotlight at this point in their lives, especially in gym class, where any number of horrific incidents can ruin the carefully constructed bubble layer of confidence surrounding a self-conscious girl.

Mr. Koss swore I could serve the volley ball; it did not matter that I had never touched a volley ball, or that 40 people were starting at awkward, little me in a joint gym class. I could serve the volley ball, and I would serve the volley ball, or else I would not receive my participation grade. So, staring at the volley ball as if it sprouted horns, I served it, right into Mr. Koss’s forehead.

Now, if Mr. Koss had taken a moment to model exactly how to hold a volley ball and discuss the process of making it soar, he may have saved himself a nice welt and a headache. Alas, explicit instruction was not utilized.

Comprehension instruction must be taught explicitly; students need to observe and discuss before they can act and complete. Language is the instrument of choice in explicit instruction. Students need to see, hear, and discuss how skilled readers approach text and use strategies to comprehend and deepen thinking in a variety genres. They need to understand why strategies are being taught, and how they can be applicable, and beneficial, in their own reading. Whether it’s during whole-group instruction, guided reading groups, or conferring with students, teachers need to explain their thinking process so students may learn to do the same. It is not all about modeling, however, as the following approaches should all be utilized in a classroom (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007)

• Think-alouds
• Read-alouds
• Interactive read-alouds
• Lifting text
• Guided discussion
• Anchor lessons and anchor charts
• Rereading for deeper meaning
• Teacher sharing of literacy by modeling with adult literature 

Thinking should be a visible, tangible thing. Kids need to be up close and personal, interacting with text, and leaving tracks of their thinking behind. A classroom should not be quiet; students should be active learners that are engaged in focused discussions. Ditch the question-and-answer model in favor of a turn-and-talk-method, Post-it notes, and clip boards, anything interactive that will engage students and force them to ask questions and draw conclusions.

This being said, I have made a list of goals for myself. I am going to “spice up” my reading instruction. Over the next few weeks, I am going to incorporate more of these strategies. My third graders won’t know what him them!

• Try new discussion structures, such as compass-groups and jigsaw discussions, instead of always relying on turn and talk and pair share activities.
• Model the importance of jotting notes and leaving “thinking tracks” in margins of text. Ditch the beloved highlighters!
• Ask “What did you notice I did?” ALL OF THE TIME.
• Lift text, especially content area text, in order to rehearse how to read.
• DEMONSTRATE FIX UP STRATEGIES- Why do I always read correctly? Students don’t! I need to show them what good readers do when we lose our train of thought or stumble! Get back on the bike, little readers!

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.