Planning for Reading Growth (It’s not too late)
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Hey educators! It is time for our weekly reflections. This year I want to switch it up and start asking you a weekly reflection question. After hearing the question, take a moment to think and jot down your answer. I know some of you are listening to this on the go or possibly reading this in passing. I would still like you to take five minutes and reflect. This can have a huge impact on your teaching. Here is our weekly reflection question: Am I taking any potential reading activities for granted? Think about your opportunities for reading activities and ask yourself this question. This is a chance to think about how you can plan for reading growth in your classroom.
Teachers can get stuck in the trap of planning for reading growth as a part of test prep. When instead this is something that should be constantly happening throughout the school year. I want you to know that there is still time to start planning for reading growth in your classroom. Even with the testing season knocking at our door, there are strategies we can do right now to prepare our Language Learners with tools to grow their reading skills. It might not feel as if time is on your side, but there are simple steps you can take now to achieve reading growth with your Language Learners.
At the beginning of the second semester, I felt a sudden rush of panic. I had this feeling hovering over me like I did not do enough. I felt overwhelmed about the thought of my students reading scores. I found myself thinking a lot about whether I did enough this school year.
Since it was the second semester, I felt like I should focus solely on test prep and hope for the best. There was this huge part of me that knew this was the wrong outlook. I was still looking for ways to make up for the missed time and cramming in so much that it was not meaningful for the students.
I made up my mind I was not going to have a pity party for myself or the students. I decided to take my own advice and use the tried and true teacher rule. “Use your time wisely.” A part of this strategy was to focus on the key skills that my students needed. I started weeding through my lessons and took out all the over packed lessons. I also was really stressed out about pacing. I felt this need to be on an exact lesson at a certain point during the week. After reflecting and being prayerful, I decided to let this pacing obsession go. I am so happy I did because it allowed me to be hyper focused on the reading skills my Language Learners needed for growth.
Another light-bulb moment came while I was talking with my co-workers. The students needed exposure to how the reading assessments would like and how the questions will be answered. This led to us creating weekly do-now (a quick check for understanding when students start class) that looks similar to the end of the year assessment. Students were encouraged to do more independent reading. They received incentives and special awards for their independent reading. There was also time carved into the week where they read books that they picked from the classroom library.
Look at your classroom schedule and evaluate your lesson plans. Think to yourself are there things that can be removed or slightly adjusted to make room for reading lessons. Think about your current routines and classroom practices. Plan for ways students can get exposure to what the reading assessments look like without taking a whole day to prep for the assessment. Also, look into what motivates your Language Learners. You can also include incentives when you can to help then get a little push. Before your students take assessments, sit down and have a data meeting. This provides the students a clear roadmap of where they need to go so that they can grow.
Here are your next steps:
- Take 5 minutes to answer the reflection question. Put aside some time to create next steps.
- Review your lessons and decide on what special skills you want to focus on this semester.
- Incorporate the assessment questions into your daily lessons.
- Setup data meetings with your Language Learners so they know their goals.
How are you planning for reading growth this semester? Share your comments below.
