Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well / Edition 1

by Regie Routman

Overview

Routman (a language arts coach in the US) has created a useful guide full of techniques and examples for teaching reading at the pre- college level. Crediting the origins of her teaching philosophy to Don Holdaway, Routman stresses the experience of the teacher, rather than their tasks. The techniques describe classroom organization, group events, reading-writing activities, and professional development. Annotation c. Book News, Inc.,Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	2900325004920
Publication date:	10/04/2002
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.54(d)

About the Author

Regie Routman has more than forty-five years of experience working in diverse, underperforming schools across the U.S. and Canada as an educational leader, mentor teacher, literacy coach, classroom teacher, and teacher of students with learning differences. Her current work involves on-site demonstrations of highly effective literacy and leadership practices and side-by-side mentoring and coaching of principals and lead teachers in order to improve reading and writing engagement, achievement, and enjoyment for all learners. Her many research-based books and resources have supported hundreds of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators at all levels to create and sustain trusting, intellectual school cultures where hearing all the voices and ongoing, professional learning are priorities.

Regie's books include her Essentials series—Reading Essentials, Writing Essentials, and Teaching Essentials, published by Heinemann, and Literacy Essentials.

Regie expertly developed and delivers online professional learning through her Transforming Our Teaching video-based literacy series. Regie also presents two popular Heinemann on-demand courses: Transforming Our Teaching Through Reading to Understand, Grades K–6; and, Transforming Our Teaching Through Reading-Writing Connections, Grades K-1.

Browse all of Regie's Heinemann Online PD offerings alongside her correlating Professional Development Notebooks on Heinemann's Regie Routman Series page.

For full information on Regie’s publications including her Transforming Our Teaching video-based, literacy series and on-demand courses, PD offerings, and blogs, see www.regieroutman.org.

You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook @regieroutman.

Table of Contents

	A Note About Notes	xv
	Acknowledgments	xvii
1	The Essential Reading Life
1	Simplify Your Teaching Life	3
	Why Reading Essentials?	4
	Be as Knowledgeable as You Can Be	5
	There Is No One "Right" or Best Way	6
	Question Research	6
	Teach What's Essential to the Well-Being of the Child as a Learner and a Developing Person	7
	What About Learners with Special Needs?	8
	Teach to the Child, Not the Label	9
	View Teaching as an Art Supported by Science	9
2	Bond with Your Students	11
	How Does Bonding Work?	13
	Work Your Magic with Students	13
	Ensure Early Success for Every Child	14
	Model Respect	15
	Encourage Shared Decision Making	16
	Bring in Stories	17
	Tell the Stories of Your Life	17
	Value Children's Stories	18
	Read Stories Aloud	18
	Get to Know Your Students as Readers	20
	Learn About Students' Reading Lives at Home	21
	Enjoy Your Students	21
	Celebrate Your Life	22
3	Share Your Reading Life	23
	Tell Students Why You Read	24
	Share Your Reading Habits	25
	Let Students Know What You Are Reading and What You Will Read Next	25
	Share Your Passion for Reading	26
	Discuss the Importance and Pleasure of Having a Personal Library	27
	Talk About Favorite Authors and Favorite Books	27
	Talk About How Book Clubs Work	30
	Explain How You Choose Books to Read	30
	Read a Variety of Genres	32
	Maintain a Reading Record	33
	Show Your Students How You Read	37
	Demonstrate Your Pleasure in Reading	37
2	The Essential Reading Day
4	Teach with a Sense of Urgency	41
	Do More Teaching	42
	Rely on an Optimal Learning Model	43
	Demonstration	45
	Shared Demonstration	45
	Guided Practice	46
	Independent Practice	46
	Understand and Apply the Learning Model	47
	Work Toward Independence	48
	Promote Joy in Learning	48
	Put the Learning Model into Action	49
	Integrate Basic Skills into Challenging, Relevant Curriculum	50
	Focus on Language Acquisition, Not Just Letters and Sounds	51
	Ground Phonemic Awareness Work in Language Play	51
	Maximize Whole-Class Teaching	52
	Include Interactive Reading	52
	Connect Reading with Writing	53
	How Much Written Response Is Appropriate?	54
	Create Your Own Texts for Shared, Guided, and Independent Reading	54
	Put It into Action: An Integrated Reading-Writing Lesson	55
	Summary of Reading-Writing Activities	57
	Text-Solving Activities	57
	Word-Solving Activities	60
	Raise Your Expectations	62
5	Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library	63
	Classroom Libraries and Books Improve Reading Achievement	64
	Expand Access for Struggling Readers	65
	Be Sure to Include and Value "Light Reading"	65
	Take a Critical Look at Your Classroom Library	66
	Provide Lots of Choices and Books	67
	Find Out Students' Favorite Authors, Series, and Book Titles	68
	Pay Attention to Students' Interests and De-emphasize Leveled Books	69
	Include Lots of Nonfiction	70
	Make Books and Book Talk "Hot" in Your Classroom	71
	Make Classroom and School Libraries Attractive, Comfortable, and Accessible for Reading	73
	Involve Your Students in Library Design and Organization	75
	Teach Students How to Care for Books	79
	Start a Summer Reading Program	80
	Classroom Libraries Simplify Guided Reading	81
	There Is No Substitute for Quality Books	81
6	Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading	82
	Students Need to Do More Reading	83
	Struggling Readers Need Much More Time to Read	84
	What Do We Mean by an Independent Reading Program?	85
	Research Strongly Supports Independent Reading	85
	Connect Independent Reading with Teaching and Evaluating	86
	Notice Where Independent Reading Fits in the Optimal Learning Model	86
	An Independent Reading Program Is Essential	87
	Set Up Classroom Procedures	88
	Value Independent Reading in Kindergarten	89
	Depend on Partner Reading	91
	Evaluate Partner Reading	93
	Teach Students How to Select "Just-Right" Books	93
	Establish Selection Guidelines	94
	Demonstrate That Reading Words Accurately Is Not Enough	96
	Don't Underestimate the Importance of Choice	97
7	Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner	98
	Make Assessment Work for You and Your Students	99
	Make Assessment and Evaluation a Daily Routine	100
	Regularly Evaluate Students Regarding the Texts They Are Reading	100
	Conduct Informal Reading Conferences	101
	A Framework for an Informal Reading Conference	104
	Child-Friendly Reading Goals	106
	Teach Intentionally	107
	Try Some Informal Reading Conferences	108
	Use Standards and High-Stakes Testing to Improve Comprehension	108
	Make Ongoing Accountability Central to Teaching Reading	111
	Have a School Policy in Place	111
	Work to Change Cumbersome District Policies	112
3	Teaching Essentials
8	Teach Comprehension	117
	Teach Comprehension Right from the Start	117
	Start with the Texts Students Are Reading	118
	Demonstrate That Proficient Readers Use Many Strategies	118
	Be Careful About How You Teach Comprehension	119
	Balance Explicit Instruction with Lots of Time for Application	119
	Teach and Apply Your Own Comprehension Processes	120
	Make Your Reading/Thinking Process Visible	121
	Teach Rereading as the Single Most Useful Strategy	122
	Use Writing to Help Recall Key Points	123
	Teach Students to Survey Text Before They Begin to Read	123
	Make Connections	124
	Teach Self-Monitoring as Crucial to Understanding	124
	Interact with Peers to Increase Comprehension and Enjoyment	126
	Use Texts That Are Easy Enough and Meaningful Enough to Support Comprehension	127
	Keep Fluency in Perspective	128
	Teach Students How to Ask Significant Questions	128
	Use Caution and Common Sense When Teaching Strategies	129
9	Emphasize Shared Reading	130
	Make Shared Reading an Integral Part of Your Reading Program	130
	Notice Where Shared Reading Fits in the Optimal Learning Model	131
	Use Shared Reading to Demonstrate Reading of All Kinds of Texts	132
	Add Shared Reading Aloud	133
	A Framework for Shared Reading Aloud for All Grades	134
	Observe Shared Reading Aloud in Action	139
	Enjoy a Picture Book in a Shared Read-Aloud	139
	Present an Informational Book Through a Shared Read-Aloud	143
	Introduce a Literary Genre Through a Shared Read-Aloud	147
	Evaluate Shared Reading Aloud	149
10	Examine Guided Reading	150
	Clarify Guided Reading for Yourself	150
	Understand Where Guided Reading Fits in the Optimal Learning Model	151
	Be Cautious About How You Group Children	152
	Create Opportunities for Flexible Grouping	153
	Choose Books for Guided Reading Carefully	153
	Examine Your Book Collection for Quality	154
	Qualities of an Excellent Text for Guided Reading	155
	Establish a Workable Schedule	156
	Broaden Your Groups and Shorten the Time You Meet with Them	157
	Examine Your Instructional Reading Schedule	157
	Be Flexible About Guided Reading in Kindergarten	159
	Make Management Easy and Meaningful	160
	Have Students Spend Most of Reading Time Reading	160
	Make Sure Your Literacy Centers Are Worth the Time They Take	163
	Make Sure Your Management Techniques Are "Manageable"	163
	Model Exactly What You Expect Students to Do	163
	Evaluate How Well Students Not in a Guided Reading Group Have Managed Themselves	165
	Plan Your Guided Reading Lessons with a Focus on Meaning	167
	Some Important Purposes for Guided Reading	168
	A Framework for Thinking About a Guided Reading Lesson	170
	Essential Materials for Guided Reading	172
	Excerpts from Guided Reading Groups	175
Grade 1	Readers Who Struggle	175
Grade 1	High-Achieving Readers	178
Grade 2	Average Readers	180
Grade 4	High Average Readers	182
4	Advocacy Is Also Essential
11	Build on Best Practice, Know the Research, and Use Programs as a Resource	185
	Build on Best Practices in Teaching Reading	186
	Be Knowledgeable About Relevant Research	187
	Be Informed About the Influential National Reading Panel Report	189
	Know and Apply the Research on Effective Teaching	191
	Use Programs Only as a Resource	191
	Take a Close Look at Your Commercial Basal Reader	193
	Become Knowledgeable About Direct Instruction	193
	Ask Questions Before Any Program Adoption	195
	A Word About Computerized Reading-Incentive Programs	198
	Take Professional Responsibility for What You Believe	200
12	You Only Have So Much Time	201
	Live an Interesting Life	202
	Spend Most of Your Time Thinking	202
	Trust Your Own Experiences to Help You Plan Well	203
	Keep Work Meaningful	203
	Keep Work Simple	204
	Make Every Minute Count	205
	Use All Time Spent with Your Students to Teach and Assess	205
	Make Ongoing Evaluation Part of Every Literacy Activity	205
	Keep a Lively Pace	206
	Create Structures That Maximize Participation and Learning	207
	Fight for More Time for Students Who Struggle	207
	Use Transitional Periods as Teaching Times	208
	Introduce "Mystery Words"	208
	Make Work Done While Waiting for the Bell to Ring Sensible and Pleasurable	209
	Make Resources in the Room Useful and Easy to Access	210
	Minimize Coloring	210
	Reduce Interruptions	211
	Reevaluate Time Blocks	211
	Look at Your Schedule Carefully	212
	Make Time for Ongoing Professional Development	212
	Sample Teacher Schedules	213
	Take Part in Schoolwide Conversations	216
	Make Time for Personal and Professional Reading	217
	Do Less, More Effectively	218
	Build in Time to Reflect	218
	Cultivate a Love of Learning	218
	Enjoy!	220
	Without Human Caring, the Best Science Is Minimally Effective	221
	Appendices
A.	Selected Strategies for Struggling Readers	2
B.	12 Practices of the Most Effective Teachers	3
	Letters to Parents
C.	Why Independent Reading Is Necessary	4
D.	Help Your Child Choose a "Just-Right" Book and Encourage Home Reading	5
	Choosing Books
E.	Use the Goldilocks Strategy to Choose Books	6
F.	Choosing Books for Independent Reading	7
G.	SSR Reading	8
	Reading Forms
H.	Informal Reading Conference	9
I.	Reading Log	10
J.	Monthly Recording	11
	Brief Definitions of Terms	12
	Notes	17
	Index	1