Reading at a Crossroads

What a delightful way to spend a day! Reading and talking about books with 7-year-olds! Our district affords each teacher the opportunity to spend a day reading with students to try to determine what they have mastered as readers and what their next steps should be. Thursday was my day. Though I have been reading with children and observing reading behaviors all month, this chance to spend time reading and talking with children one-on-one without the distractions of the classroom gave me new insights

Second graders often find themselves at a crossroads. For most children, this year will mark the difference between learning to read and reading to learn. Some have already made the shift. Stormonth teachers have two tools for gauging reading abilities. The first, the Fountas and Pinnell benchmark system, is perfect for students who are still learning to read. Students read aloud from 16-page picture books as the teacher tracks their accuracy and reading rate. Students are then asked questions to check comprehension.

The other tool, for those students who are more fluent readers, is the Serravallo Independent Reading Assessment.  For this test, students are asked to silently read an entire chapter book on their own. They pause periodically to write responses to questions about plot, setting, character development, figurative language, and themes. This tests helps teachers to ensure that children are bringing to longer, more complex texts the deep thinking they demand.

Besides reading assessments, our reading work this week focused on paying attention to the ideas that flow as we read. The children noticed questions that made them wonder, connections between their own lives and text, predictions about what might happen next, and lessons that authors share. The boys and girls discovered that being "thought-full" readers set them up for more meaningful partner conversations.

In Writing Workshop this week, we practiced revision and editing. Trying to get second-graders to slow down for anything can be tough, and this work is no exception. Most children would prefer to dash off a new piece than go back and re-work something they've already written. But as a former copy editor, these skills are dear to my heart. I am convinced that revising and editing are essential to good writing - and I will work hard all year long to help the boys and girls see the light.

Math lessons featured various forms of word problems. Most children have become adept at recognizing the language that signals addition or subtraction. They know how to translate a word problem into an equation and how to use math drawings, like math mountains, to prove their solutions.

We had two technology lessons this week. Mrs. Ahles and her class taught us how to log in to our Google accounts and Mrs. Orth shared a lesson on digital citizenship. We've begun using Chromebooks for Dreambox at some math times. We'll continue to add to our repertoire of digital learning bit by bit.

It's hard to believe that when we return to school on Tuesday it will be October already. The weeks have sped by as we've gotten to know each other and established routines that help us make the most of the our time together. Happy Fall!

Mark Your Calendars:

Fri., Sept. 30 - Thank a Police Officer assembly

Mon., Oct. 3 - No school

Wed, Oct. 5 - Early release day for students; Book Fair begins; Picture Day - Remember to return your order forms, please.

Thurs., Oct 6 - Book Fair continues. Sub in classroom while I attend a curriculum meeting.

Tues., Oct. 11 - Second-grade field trip to Bookworm Gardens, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Thank you for returning permission slips and the fee.

Wed., Oct. 12 - No school

Wed. Oct. 19 - Fire Safety program

Thurs., Oct. 20, Wed., Oct. 26, and Thurs., Oct. 27 - Parent-Teacher Conferences. Thank you for returning your confirmation sheets. I look forward to meeting with you.