by Susan Miller
Day 1 of Literacy Coaching -Today I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. My students started a reading journal, but I felt there was no real connection to their writing about reading. What would Mrs. Graham say? How would she help me make this connection to their reading journal? Our planning payed off because we brainstormed the idea of taking the reading journals and making them “reading diaries.” Well, by the end of our session, I felt wonderful and full of accomplishment.
Students were introduced to their new reading diaries today. I previously read Diary of a Fly to the students. We talked about why the fly wrote in a diary, and about how diaries keep what we know to be true about reading. The students seemed as excited as I was when we transformed their journals into diaries. They realized that this diary would serve as a special place for them to keep their connections to reading.
Assessment Day! Prior to our session, we had the students assess themselves as readers. From a list of characteristics of a reader, students chose three main areas they felt that they needed improvement. From those three choices, students were then asked to pick one as a goal they could focus solely on to improve themselves as a reader. This was the day that the Gumball Chart was formed. The Gumball Chart, now called “Our Reading Goals”, hangs proudly in our room displaying the students’ goals.
Today we taught the students how to take a post it further. Readers were taught how to stop, jot, and connect to their reading. They did this by thinking in their mind what the story was about, stopping and jotting that thought, and then continuing to read. The final step was to place that post it in their reading diary and write about their connection. It was wonderful watching them light up as they wrote in their diary.
As our fiction unit came to a close, the pages of our nonfiction unit opened. Today we needed to brainstorm how our writing about reading could continue in nonfiction. We discussed and looked at the RAN strategy. Could it be implemented into first grade? Would it be too complex for my students to understand? Well, again inspiration hit. We updated the RAN strategy, and made it easier for my students to use.
I am sad today. Today is my last session of literacy coaching. It has been a wonderful journey of learning. It was delightful to go in and teach the students today about another tool they can use in their reading diaries. I understand that my inspiration to teach these growing first graders will continue, but the “Idea Room” is closed for now. Until next time…