"Differentiated Reading Instruction" Chapter 6 - Reading Response

by Laura Robb

Information and Summary

This chapter has so much useful information I wish that I had photographic memory! In summary, this chapter discusses the importance of independent reading instruction and the differentiation of students. Laura Robb discusses a multitude of strategies to bring meaning to independent reading including book talks, small group discussions, book logs, reflections, partner work, and several more. These strategies are detailed with examples and supplemental materials for classroom use. One main strategy is a strong classroom library for student use. Laura Robb explains how having a variety of books in the classroom, and making time for students to read them, is vital to the cultivation of students' reading lives. Not every student will connect with a fiction book just like not every student will connect to non-fiction books. To further this statement, the chapter discusses ideas on how to engage students with books that may not be their favorite, but also how to explain to students when it's appopriate to stop reading a book. This ability to have choice is discussed heavily in the chapter.

Reflection

Students need to feel like they can read rather than they must read. I found the information on book talks the most helpful because it gave me ideas on how to get my students thinking about different genres. As a person who reads mainly fictional books, I find it hard to connect to books in other genres that aren't on a topic I enjoy. This can present a problem when my students have vast and widely different interests than me (and they will). So, I need to know how to not only get myself thinking about these books, but how to get my students thinking about them as well. Surface level questions are used in discussions, but it's the questions that probe deeper that help students make connections to the text. I also really liked the talk about having a strong classroom library, and that I should allow myself time to build up a good repertoire. I'm working on building a small classroom library in another one of my classes, and it's not easy to look at books in a critical way, at least from my point of view. For my personal library, I like to read books because they seem interesting to me, but when it comes to my classroom library, I need books that will develop my students' skills and that I can use to plan instruction. This chapter gave me a lot of ideas and resources to use for developing my library. I find that this chapter will stay with me as I go into the work force and begin teaching students about the wonder of reading. Althought, not just the wonder, but also the deep understanding and connections between a reader and book.

#readingresponse #DRI