On the very first page of this article an interesting point is brought up...why have we focused so much on writing conferences and not reading conferences? Even for myself I always feel much more prepared and confident to conference with my students as writers as opposed to readers. My writing workshop is better developed than my reading workshop, and my students seem to be more sustained writers than readers. I love and value reading to its core...I am wondering why my classroom doesn't necessarily reflect this.
"Conferring with young readers...first involves research in order to learn where the child is as a reader and understand the child's intention, then deciding what we should teach, and then teaching in a way that can influence what that child does on another day with another book."
I found this to be a powerful quote because it goes along with what we discussed in class today as far as lesson planning goes. To do this model effectively, we can't plan a year, a month, or even a week ahead...we have to let our students' needs guide our decisions and our teaching.
I appreciated the section of the article that discusses how coaches should intervene as little as possible while readers move through text. Our job is to "help readers develop unconscious habits." We are there to scaffold the reading work we hope will happen rather than to stop the reading completely to discuss all the strategies they can or should use.
"But in the end, children need to read as best they can, without our presence to hold them up."
I appreciate this idea as well, because it's something with which I struggle. It is really hard not to correct every miscue or attempt to turn each one into a teachable moment. We want our students to be proficient readers, but we want them to do it immediately. Oftentimes we shortchange them by giving them too much help because we do have this goal in mind. It is important for us to step back and give them the tools to become independent readers and problem solvers. We won't always be there when they are reading...they have to be able to do it themselves!
I agree with Brenna that I focus more on conferencing about writing than I do with reading. I think one reason that I did that was because I was not sure how to conference with reading. I feel so much more confident after seeing the videos today and reading this article. I like how Lucy Calkins points out that all of your readers needs are different so your conferences are not going to look the same. I also like the list of questions she provided to ask the readers, as well as, the types of questions she asks herself while conferencing with the reader. I think part of the reason I did not feel comfortable conferencing with readers is because I did not know the right kinds of questions to ask.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing she says is that teachers are coaches for reading. I think that is a great way to view how we teach reading.
The idea of conferring with students is all new to me but I really understand the need of the method related in the article. The begining of the article said that the conference should have a lasting effect. Therefore, how we approach the conference should be considered with great thought and detail. After reading this article and watching the Debbie Miller video, I have better understanding of how we can approach children to have a confernce in a way that is very informal and non-stressful for the child. The method of the conference seems to be very casual while being well-thought out.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that the focus in conferencing seems to have been on writing, especially when we see as we did today what an impact conferencing can have on a child's reading. It clarified things for me to see the conference broken into three different areas: researching in order to learn what level the student is at, deciding what should be taught, and then teaching geared towards influencing how the child reads. Lucy Calkins tells us that conferences alone should not direct teaching, but that the results of these should be combined with our whole-class emphasis. This was just what we saw modeled by Debbie in the videos today, when she led her conferencing teaching in the direction that she had steered them toward in the minilesson. She concludes by what we all know is so true: coaching is not easy and requires patience along with courage to lead our students onward toward successful independent reading.
ReplyDeleteI have really started to see the big picture after today's videos and this follow-up article that expands our "coaching" to readers in the same supportive and confidence-building structure. I now understand the power of observation and listening that puts a teacher in tune with the students strengths and guides us to help draw them to the next level as learners. Lucy Calkins' article shared many helpful cues that for coaching that I will be eager to put to use.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone. Conferencing with our students as readers as well as writers is important. This article gave an excellent picture of what conferences should look like. Her conversation with Matt and Pedro was very interesting. She could have taken this conference in many different directions based on what these two students were doing as readers. I think a lot of professional teacher judgement goes into conferences. Teachers are excellent listeners and watchers. We have to be patient and wait for our students to be our guide in some ways.
ReplyDeleteI agree too! This week has opened my eyes to the importance of conferencing, not only to develop students as readers and writiers, but in creating trust and building community. Lucy Calkins' article gives helpful ways in which to coach students through the reading process. I think her idea of being patient and establishing a procedure in which her students carry on as if she wasn't there, when she pulls up a chair is great! I thought the questions she posed in her observations of a reader, such as does the student use a finger or a bookmark under the words, while reading, are good tools in how to navigate a conference with the student. I like the personal reading goals section and the examples of why students were reading certain types of books...a glimpse into their interests,current events, or wanting to learn more about a topic due to recent experience.
ReplyDeleteLucy Calkins has obviously taken her love for language (both reading and writing) a step further by sharing her thoughts on conferring with readers. As one of the masters of Writing Workshop, she and her colleagues are expanding and sharing their knowledge in the area of reading as well. I always liked to attach a large reading component to Writing Workshop by using the students own work to confer with a focus on both-writing and reading. This was definitely a 'meaty' article.
ReplyDeleteCONFERRING:
ReplyDeleteI disagree with all of you! Just joking, you are all actually right on. L. Calkins made an excellent point about the attention given to writing conferences and lack of to reading conferences. I wondered Y? I think Felicia was right on when she concluded and shared that we just haven't really known what to say--what the approach and language is. Watching the video yesterday and reading the articles has helped me better understand that its not so much about the teacher saying as it is about him/her listening.
I like the idea of taking taking notes to listen actively, revisit previous goals, record successes, and set new goals---the written record of the conference ensures the teacher maintian the withitness really necessary to meticulously support the reader.
SHARED READING:
I like how this article was sharp, detailed, and pratical. The steps were helpful and enabled me to visualize the Read aloud process as a structure. I liked how it articulated the values of shared reading as well. Finally, the way it correlated the educational intent of the read aloud to the level of the reader was magnificent!
I really appreciate Lucy Calkins' emphasis on working side-by-side with readers and helping them move forward in a way that will help them now and in the future, not just with this text today. Again, the emphasis is on KNOWING your students. The article has great suggestions for questions to ask a student. I like that the teacher and student take on the responsibility and accountability of setting, writing, and following up with reading goals. Another repeated message that appears in this article, too, is the goal of "helping learners become independent." I love the coaching analogy...it reminds me of the Tim O'Keefe article and the OLM or Gradual Release. The end of the article is inspiring and hopeful! The more you conference, the better you will get. Be brave! Your students deserve it!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katherine O-N, the last paragraph of this article struck me the most..."Coaching and conferring take courage...The student turns trusting eyes to us, and we feel exposed in their gaze....Our Children deserve our bravest selves"
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does take courage to take a reading and writing style that students are used to and add a twist, and inquiry twist.
In high school, (sorry friends - I have no choice but to continually bring up high school) science teachers have to introduce reading and writing through inquiry. Yes, scientific reading and writing, it is like a new language to some students, while it comes naturally to others. On pages 114 & 115, the prompts offered can be very useful ...they serve as an excellent clinical approach that can be applied to Inquiry.