Wednesday, July 9, 2014

#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.  

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.  


50 comments:

  1. Cathy, you and I share similar struggles in our resource/intervention roles. I strive daily to instill that love of reading, but when the reading is difficult, this task can be daunting. But we push forward and I believe Donalyn provided specific ideas, suggestions, and conversation starters to continue cultivating wild readers, even with our most at-risk students. Building a reading community that is overflowing with positive reading experiences is essential. Time and access to books are necessities too. The biggest struggle is the independence of selecting good fit books. Continuous conversations, modeling, conferring, and more conversations will help us create those wild readers! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    My thoughts about part 1: http://literacyzone.blogspot.com/2014/07/cyberpd-reading-in-wild-part-1.html

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  2. Teachers for TeachersJuly 9, 2014 at 8:52 AM

    We love this book and are so excited about this chat! Here are our thoughts on Chapters 1&2 --thanks for hosting!

    http://assessmentinperspective.com/?p=1700

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  3. Cathy,
    I struggled on choosing my focus on these two chapters. Your post is the option I did not choose and I am so glad you did. As a former special education teacher I saw time and time again how kids were taken from the norms of their classrooms. Sometimes at the request of the special education teacher and sometimes at the request of the classroom teacher, but never at the request of the student. Readers who need the most are all too often pulled away (with good intention) from exactly what they need. I am so looking forward to helping you puzzle this out!

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  4. Michelle,
    This caught my attention: " The biggest struggle is the independence of selecting good fit books." This is one of the pieces I want to consider as I move into my new position. What are readers taking home from the classroom? From our time together? How can I help support book choices in the classroom and create a love for reading that will always have students looking for that "next book." I just know I'm going to love having you along in this journey!

    Cathy

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  5. Michele,
    I was so sad to miss #nerdcampMI this year. Unfortunately, there was a conflict in my schedule I could not rearrange. Thankfully, everyone shared much of the thinking on Twitter so I almost felt like I was there. I look forward to thinking with you across the next school year about how we help those students who have not yet found their place in the world of reading. Is it possible that it is about relationship? Relationship with books? Relationship with other readers? I keep wondering if I can't support this a bit using older peer readers as role models. Hmmmm…..much to ponder.


    Cathy

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  6. Lisa,
    Glad you are joining the conversation.
    Cathy

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  7. Linda,
    It is a huge concern of mine. As a classroom teacher, I know the challenges of students missing time in their classrooms. I'm hoping we are going to be able to work together to make reading support work for young readers. I know it is going to be challenging, but I am working with an amazing group of teachers who will teach me a lot.


    Cathy

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  8. So excited you've chosen this book! Here's my post: http://deb-day.blogspot.com/2014/07/cyberpd-reading-in-wild-chapters-1-and-2.html

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  9. I hope you don't mind me jumping into your conversation.....I began Reading Buddies in my three 5th grade classes this year and teamed up with the 2nd grade classes. I was thrilled to see the relationships that grew from this experience and how proud the 2nd graders were to share their reading with older students and how "important" my 5th graders felt to be reading aloud to their buddy. I knew this was a good move when I asked my students to select quality picture books to share with their buddy the first time we met and they seriously chose books that were important and had good messages. My lowest reader asked to practice so he could "read it just right!" and had the biggest, proudest, smile on his face when his buddy said "That was awesome!" It is ALL about the relationships...within and beyond the book!

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  10. Glad you could join the conversation.
    Cathy

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  11. Deb,
    Counting on you to help me figure this out! As Stella reminded me when we talked about this last month, I need to keep the voices of the readers first in these decisions.


    Cathy

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  12. Welcome back to blogging.
    Cathy

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  13. Val,
    I'm counting on all my #1stchat friends to help puzzle this out.


    Cathy

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  14. I am already loving this book! Only two chapters in and there are already so many great "takeaways" for me!

    Here are some of my thoughts & reflections: http://writingwithoutaniche.blogspot.com/2014/07/cyberpd-week-1.html

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  15. Thanks for the comments today! And yes, it's always wonderful to find other primary reading people out there. More people to bounce ideas off of! One thought that came to me today as I was reading all the comments is that parent portion - each year at Back to School Night I walk around to all the classrooms that I'm in. This year instead of my usual spiel of what I do, I think I'm going to talk about "edge reading". Give parents an idea of what it is and how important it is!

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  16. I'm jumping in here because I think reading with struggling readers can look different based on the ages. Like Michelle says, it's hard when reading is difficult for a student. Sometimes I think the older kids just need help finding those good books - thank goodness for Nerdy Book Club, wow, my title knowledge has increased! But for younger students, they need to have books read to them, to help them know books are fun! I could spend a whole day with all of these kids showing them how to love reading!! Who needs math and science and social studies?? :)

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  17. Katy,
    I thought it would be fun to know where everyone was spending time with the book. Congrats on the new puppy --- and so glad to have you sharing in the conversation.


    Cathy

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  18. Every year there is something I love about the event. There always seems to be a particular strength that rises from the conversation. This year, I am noticing the variety of perspectives shared from educators in a myriad of positions to support readers. It's interesting to hear from primary, intermediate, middle school, media specialists, support staffs, college professors, staff developers, etc.. Looking forward to hearing your perspective across the discussion, Jamie.

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  19. Cathy, I am so excited to participate in the #cyberPD this year. I absolutely love Donalyn's book and was so excited to reread it. It was invigorating to think about how to foster a reading community in my classroom again! I look forward to reading all the posts. Here are my reflections which were hard to narrow down to one post. tonyabuelow.blogspot.com/

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  20. Thanks for taking the time to post in the middle of your busy days.


    Cathy

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  21. I appreciated Donalyn’s introduction that revealed her concern that was the catalyst for the book…that though she had an “independent reading culture” in her classroom, some of the students themselves were still “dependent readers” because they “had not internalized the lifelong reading habits” they needed to be lifelong readers (p. xviii).
    Just as it’s important to give students a picture of what good readers
    do as they read, we should be more explicit about sharing what lifelong readers do. Letting students in on the secret that most avid readers keep a book with them so they can read during in between times will help them to see that reading IS in their grasp…maybe not a
    45 minute chunk, but 15 mins here and there. Also, having students keep a reading itinerary is wonderful because reflective practices are guaranteed to uncover behaviors and preferences that help students learn more about themselves and what they need.
    Since a student will learn about her life as a reader, I believe such
    reflections are important for helping students view themselves as a Reader, not just a reader in my class.

    One thing I will protect this year is my read aloud time. My first years of teaching I was very faithful to read aloud, but as the years went by I began to feel the pressure of standards and ended up sacrificing much of that time for other activities. However, Donalyn makes multiple points
    that read alouds help students become more independent readers. Through read alouds students are introduced to authors and genres that they might not have been exposed to otherwise. Again, this helps
    students gather more information about what they like as a reader and gives them a direction to go when choosing books (author, genre, topic). As soon as I start Roal Dahl’s The Witches, my students have claimed all of his books in my classroom library as well as the school library. More than anything though, Donalyn includes that read alouds “reinforce that reading is enjoyable” (p. 50). Especially for the older students who are still struggling with reading and may have some insecurity about their reading abilities, having fun with a read aloud reminds them of why they should still try to work hard at reading.

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  22. Glad you were able to join the conversation, Deb.

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  23. I am already fascinated with the suggestions Donalyn Miller posits in just the first two chapters! I am new to the literacy world as I teach 8th grade math. I love the idea of encouraging our students to become wild readers and I know I can foster this idea by carving out reading time for myself. Life can be so busy, but if I can commit to other things (laundry, grad school, time with family) then I can certainly make time for reading. I miss the days of getting lost in a good story!


    I admire Donalyn for dedicating time in her classroom for read-alouds every day as a I never realized how beneficial it is for all readers. Students who have little to no reading experiences have a difficult time finding a book they would like to read and read-alouds expose them to genres and authors they may not be familiar with. Additionally, read-alouds support students' fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and expand their reading experiences. Read-alouds can light that fire for reading.


    Even though I teach math, I would like to create a book buzz in my classroom, like Donalyn suggests, to be informed of what books students are currently reading and to motivate students to talk about reading with each other! I would hope that this strategy will reach out to reluctant readers as well so they can be motivated to read books they hear their classmates talking about.


    I look forward to reading the upcoming chapters!!

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  24. Suzanne,
    So glad you are back to join the conversation. I always value your thinking and learn much stopping by to read.


    Cathy

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  25. Yes, you and I have some talking to do before the summer is over. It is interesting that we are trading places. I'm so glad to have you as a resource as I make this transition. I'll be interested in following your reflections in the coming weeks.


    Cathy

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  26. Megan,
    I'm so glad you are joining the conversation. It's always interesting to read reflections from so many different perspectives.


    Cathy

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  27. I hope you've stopped by Lit Prof Suz's blog. You two need to connect if you haven't already. I enjoyed reading about your work in your college course. I think working with students working toward a teaching career would be so interesting.


    Cathy

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  28. I am really enjoying this book so far. Donalyn's enthusiasm for reading is so evident, and her attitude is clearly contagious to her students. Just reading this book has made me want to finish several other novels that I have not made time for lately!

    I love how she advocates for equal independent reading time for all students, especially those who are pulled out for special services. I like how she writes, "Developing readers need more reading, not less." That section really made me think about the messages that we are sending our lower performing students about their role as readers. After reading the first chapter, one of my goals for next school year is to work with our interventionists to pick a different time for students to be pulled out of the classroom.

    The first two chapters really highlight the culture of reading that she has established in her classroom. While I think that most teachers value reading and even enjoy reading during their own personal time, I don't think that the genuine love and value of it is always communicated clearly to students. I think that it is often viewed in classrooms as a means to an end… the whole idea of "reading to learn" and the focus on increasing a student's reading level. I am excited to continue to learn how Donalyn cultivates this culture and to gather more ideas of how to create a classroom environment where everyone values and prioritizes reading!

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  29. Kisha,
    I enjoyed reading your thoughts and you are welcome to comment away here anytime. However, after reading your post, I think you really need to consider starting your own blog. Your work as a literacy coach gives you much to share with the rest of us. Welcome to the conversation. I hope to read more of your thoughts next week at Ruminate and Invigorate --- or on your new blog. **wink wink**


    Cathy

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  30. Welcome to the conversation.
    Cathy

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  31. Tonya,
    I'm glad you decided to join the conversation. I look forward to reading your reflections in the weeks to come.
    Cathy

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  32. Cassie,
    I'm so glad you have joined the conversation. I enjoyed your reflections and share your thoughts about the significance of developing reading communities to support developing readers. I look forward to more conversation in the weeks to come.


    Cathy

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  33. Anna,
    I had to smile at the way you say the book made you want to get back to your own wild reading. There's something about taking time to just dive into a book and read for hours. I also appreciated the reminder of how important it is for us to share our reading lives with our students and build those connections.


    Thanks for joining the conversation,
    Cathy

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  34. I look forward to hearing more about your reading parties. Interesting idea. All of this talk about wild reading is making me want to curl up with a good book.


    Cathy

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  35. I think that every teacher in the building can help create an atmosphere in the school that fosters literacy growth! Having the math teacher bless a book is sure to get it on everyone's "must read" pile!

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  36. LoraleeLandersDruartJuly 11, 2014 at 4:07 AM

    Thank you for doing this!

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  37. As I read through the first two chapters of Reading in the Wild, I had many revelations about my reading and my teaching, as well as having it confirmed that I'm on the right path in some ways too. First and most importantly, I have begun reading wildly again because of the inspiration I felt from Donalyn's love of reading. I have begun reading in all of the edge times I can find and have started spending hours each morning reading the books from my classroom library that I have not read before. How can I conference with students about a book I have never read?

    There are also several other lessons I plan on teaching to my students since reading Ch.s 1&2. I plan on having conversations with my students about abandoning books. In Reading in the Wild, Donalyn states that "Most wild readers abandon a book now and then." This is very true and I myself have done so, yet I rarely let my students abandon a book in class for any reason, except if it is too challenging. I plan on fixing this next year and making sure my students know it is ok to abandon a book now and then. I also plan on teaching my students to use the computers next to our classroom library to look up reviews and recommendations online.

    I used to host book discussions every Friday, but last year I moved away from this due to time and scheduling conflicts, but I know that teaching my 4th graders to have fluid and meaningful discussions about what they liked and didn't like in the books they are reading is vital. I plan on reintroducing these to my class next year. I will look at how I structured these discussions and use Reading in the Wild as a guide to improve them.

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  38. Enjoying my first ever #cyberpd - thank you to all who have posted and commented. I am enjoying all the learning. Here is my post: http://coachbsreflections.blogspot.com/2014/07/learning-from-reflecting.html

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  39. Love this idea of creating a padlet. While reading these chapters I made a note to create a list of 5 authors. Great to see who others think those 5 authors should be and growing from each others ideas! I will definitely add to the list.

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  40. Hello Everybody,

    I'm a little late coming at this #cyberPD although I did read the first two chapters on time! I am enjoying this book immensely. There was so much packed into the first two chapters that I can't wait to continue reading the rest of the book. Here's the link to my blog post in case you would like to read it and leave a comment. Cheers! Elisa

    http://ateachersruminations.blogspot.com/2014/07/independent-readers-are-wild-readers.html

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  41. Always love "Let My People Read." Thanks for reminding me about it. I am adding it to our #cyberPD Pinterest board.

    Thanks!
    Cathy

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  42. Thanks to everyone for joining in the conversation. The participation and thoughtful discussion reels me in every time.


    Cathy

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  43. Stephanie,
    Thanks for joining the conversations. I appreciated your points about abandoning books. Sometimes readers do need to move on before the end of the book. I guess the secret is in knowing when it is something to address. What are the reasons students are abandoning? How often does a reader abandon text? How long will readers be willing to stay with a text that just isn't working for them? So much to consider.


    Cathy

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  44. Julieanne,
    Welcome to the conversation. You've shared many important considerations. You are right; determining support for outliers is always a challenge.


    Cathy

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  45. Yes!!!: "One of my take aways was that silent reading time is not just for individuals reading - but for sharing, discussion, stacks of books, making book trailers, etc." This caught my attention as well.


    Welcome to the conversation!
    Cathy

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  46. Great points! We take students where they are and support them in next steps. I love her questions about how we can help create readers who read beyond our day. I've worked hard to make sure I provide reading time for my students during our day, but I know there is more I can do to help them build a reading life beyond the school day.


    Cathy

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  47. Welcome to the conversation.
    Cathy

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  48. We are lucky to work with first graders. You are right, there's a bit of natural excitement over their new found ability to make sense of print.


    Cathy

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  49. Thank you! Looking forward to the rest of the book study.

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