#cyberPD: Reading in the Wild (Week 1 of 3)

Let's Get It Started
Today we begin our 4th annual summer #cyberPD conversation here at Reflect and Refine.  If you are joining our conversation, please leave your link in the comments below.  Across the day I will move them up into this post.  

Reading in the Wild
by Donalyn Miller

This year we chose Donalyn Miller's, Reading in the Wild.  Our event is a progressive conversation that starts with appetizers here.  Dinner is served by Laura Komos next week and Michelle Nero will end the event with dessert.  

• July 9th:  Chapters 1 & 2 here at Reflect and Refine
• July 16th:  Chapters 3 & 4 hosted by Laura at Ruminate and Invigorate
• July 23rd:  Chapters 5 & 6 hosted by Michelle Nero at Literacy Learning Zone
• To Be Announced:  July 30th @ 8 p.m. EST

To participate:

• Link in the comments of the host blog (Ch 1 & 2 here).
• Comment on the host blog.
• Tweet comments using #cyberPD hashtag.
• ???  (creativity is always welcomed)

After three previous years of participation I can tell you I am amazed by how much I learn as I move from blog to blog.  I value the varying perspectives from other colleagues joining the conversation. Because it is the conversation that matters, I suggest reading and commenting on at least three other posts each week.  

Reading in the Wild

First of all, can I begin by saying kudos to Donalyn for including so much research supporting the importance of time to read in our classrooms.  Thanks to her work, I have many references to support our reader's workshop and time to self-select reading.  

With my upcoming change in position from a first grade classroom to primary reading support, I seemed to read this book with an eye on the "developing reader."  What do these students need to grow their reading lives while learning to read?  

These statements particularly caught my attention (Loc = eBook version location):

• "When we teach and assess reading in our classrooms, we cannot overlook the emotional connections avid readers have for books and reading and the lifestyle behaviors that lifelong readers possess." (Loc 288)
• "Children who read the most will always outperform children who don't read much." (Loc 308)
• "Our true obligations regarding children's literacy:  fostering their capacity to lead literate lives." (Loc 310)
• "Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Frazen (2013) assert, 'There are too many research reports on the relationships between reading volume and reading achievement to continue to ignore the necessity of expanding reading activity for struggling readers (p. 7).'" (Loc 569)
• "Developing readers need more reading, not less." (Loc 569)
• "Beyond time spent reading, we deny our neediest readers full citizenship unsupportive classroom reading communities when we commandeer their independent reading time for reading intervention instead."  (Loc 569)
• "At risk readers don't build reader-to-reader relationships." (Loc 569)
• "At-risk readers need substantial reading time and access to peer communities that value reading." (Loc 587) 

It seemed fitting to
enjoy "Reading in the Wild" on
a plane.  What wild place
did you find yourself
reading our #cyberPD title?

As I read I began to consider my new role not as someone teaching reading, but as someone helping to build lifelong reading habits.  Donalyn reminds us that our responsibility is to help readers grow their love of reading; to develop readers who keep reading outside the school day and beyond required reading.  

Because developing readers need to be part of a reading community, I want to be able to provide support without sacrificing their time to build a reading life.  How best to accomplish this is something I look forward to puzzling out with readers, parents, and teachers in the coming year.  

For developing readers to become wild readers, they need to be part of their classroom reading communities, be present for read alouds, and learn to self-select books.  Donalyn's work has reminded me of the necessity of helping to build connections between developing readers, books, and peer readers.  

The Conversation Begins
At Ruminate & Invigorate, co-host, Laura Komos, promised her fourth graders they would make time to read everyday.  In her reflection, she shares some of the ways she worked to keep that promise. In her post she talks about "edge times," reading aloud, and her considerations for authors students should know (and much more!).  

At Literacy Learning Zone, co-host Michelle Nero, discusses "building independence and creating readers that choose and comprehend good fit books is evident in developing lifelong readers."  In her post she reflects upon the reading and the implications for her work as a reading support teacher.  Additionally, Michelle has created a PADLET for participants to share their touchstone authors.  Stop by for the link and much more.  

Linda Baie shares her reflections at Teacher Dance.  Linda talks about the importance of peer relationships in developing wild readers.  Linda reminds us that our collaborative #cyberPD community is an example of the power of reading together.  

At Mrs. Knott's Book Nook, Michele Knott, shares her takeaways from Reading in the Wild.  As a reading specialist, she shares some of her reflections for making changes that create wild readers.  

Lisa, at A Little of This, A Little of That, shares her take aways from our reading and the implications as she moves to second grade next year.  

Adam Shaffer, at Shaped Like a Blogg, jumps back into the blogging world to join the conversation about Reading in the Wild.  He asks some tough questions about developing wild readers in systems with prescribed reading programs.  

Val Ruckes, The Sensibly Savvy Teacher,  shares many great suggestions for shaping wild readers in the primary grades.  (Of course, these smart ideas easily apply to older grades too.)  

At What I've Learned from 6th Graders, Katy Collins, shares her top 10 questions/ah-has/quotes from Reading in the Wild.  

Jamie Riley, at Rethinking Media Centers, considers implications of Reading in the Wild in her school's media center.  

At Ms. Victor Reads, Erika shares ideas she uses, and those she plans to try, to create wild readers.

Deb Day, at Coffee with Chloe, shares reflections of Reading in the Wild from her view as a high school teacher.  She shares many takeaways and some suggestions for building a library for older readers.  (Many of her ideas apply to younger readers as well.)

At In the Heart of a Teacher, Suz shares her reflections about Reading in the Wild in our current test driven educational system.

Chris, of Reading Amid the Chaos, shares the implications of her reading in the planning she is doing for next year's move to first grade.

At Fourth Grade Literacy Lovers, Megan shares her takeaways from Reading in the Wild.

The perspectives in this year's #cyberPD conversation are diverse.  Here, Elisabeth Ellington of The Dirigible Plum, shares the way she implemented the ideas from Reading in the Wild into her college course.  She worked to overcome many of the same obstacles many of us have in our reading workshops.

At A Web of Thoughts, Laura suggests, "the real question lies in how we can teach students to become wild readers.”  She shares some of her thoughts on making this happen.  


Tonya Buelow joins the discussion at Learning, Growing, and Reflecting Educator.  Tonya considers the essential need for time to read and the challenges of creating time for all readers as she works toward her dream of a thriving community of readers.  

Tara Smith's synthesis of Reading in the Wild will make you pause and think more deeply about the ideas within the pages.  She reminds us that reading can be infused with joy and purpose as she considers the ideas of Donalyn's book at A Teaching Life.  

Melissa Guerrette, at Educate, Empower, Inspire…Teach, made me take pause as she considers a reading community vs. a reading network.  She discusses our role as "lead readers" and gives some ideas for building reading networks for our students.