SelfSelected Reading in Big Blocks

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Self-Selected Reading in Big Blocks

• Susan Roberts, Reading Specialist
• Jefferson County Schools

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Self-Selected Reading in Big Blocks

• Approximately 180 minutes per week including the
  following
• Segment One
• Teacher read aloud and mini-lesson (5-15 minutes)

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Self-Selected Reading in Big Blocks

• Approximately 180 minutes per week including the
  following

• Segment Two
• Students reading from a variety of materials
  (20-30 minutes)
• Teacher conferences with students

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Self-Selected Reading in Big Blocks

• Approximately 180 minutes per week including the
  following

• Segment Three
• Weekly responses to reading

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Goals of the Self-Selected Reading Block in Big
Blocks Classrooms

• To introduce students to all types of literature
  through the teacher read aloud
• To model strategies in mini-lessons
• To encourage students reading interests
• To provide and encourage independent-level
  reading
• To provide instructional guidance and support as
  students apply decoding and comprehension
  strategies
• To engage students in conversations about their
  reading
• To build intrinsic motivation for reading

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Effects of Self-Selected Reading Why it must be
built into the Big Blocks Instructional Day.

• Research supports the fact that time devoted to
  independent reading affects many aspects of
  students lives

• The amount of time a person spends reading is the
  most powerful factor in the development of the
  reading processes (Allington, 1994).
• Students who read more become more proficient in
  reading fluency and comprehension, develop a
  larger vocabulary, and have greater cognitive
  development (Anderson, Wilson, Fielding, 1988
  Stanovich, 1986).

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Research supports the fact that time devoted to
independent reading affects many aspects of
students lives

• Students who spend more time in silent reading at
  school increase their independent reading levels,
  score higher on comprehension tests, have
  significantly higher grade point averages, and
  develop more sophisticated writing styles than
  peers who do not engage in silent reading (Block
  and Mangieri, 2002 Block, 2001).
• Upper-grade students see silent reading as an
  opportunity to make more sense of the text at
  hand, since the time set aside frees them to
  concentrate, comprehend, and reflect without
  being disturbed or distracted by some other task
  (Ivey and Broaddus, 2001).

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Research supports the fact that time devoted to
independent reading affects many aspects of
students lives

• Students who participate in ongoing independent
  reading in school are more likely to read outside
  of school and increase their reading levels
  (Greaney, 1980).
• When students do not read on their own, their
  general academic progress is in jeopardy (Worthy,
  2002).

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Segment One Teacher read aloud and mini-lesson
5-15 minutes

• Reading aloud to students has been found to be
  one of the most important things teachers can do
  to increase student achievement in all academic
  areas, increase vocabulary and fluency, and
  develop a love for reading in students (Block and
  Mangieri, 2002).

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Segment One Teacher read aloud and mini-lesson
5-15 minutes

• Read aloud and model comprehension and decoding
  strategies by thinking aloud.
• OR

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Develop a mini-lesson that focuses students on
the particular features of a genre or author

• Six different types of mini-lessons
• Procedural (Big Blocks p. 31)
• Comprehension strategies (Big Blocks p. 32)
• Decoding strategies (Big Blocks p. 32)
• Vocabulary strategies (Big Blocks p. 32)
• Literary elements / Authors craft (Big Blocks
  p. 32-33)
• Personal response or interpretation (Big Blocks
  p. 33)

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Segment Two Students reading from a variety of
materials while teacher conferences.

• Conferences

• 3-5 minutes long
• Struggling readers on different days of the week
• Advanced readers on different days of the week
• Focus on meaningful conversations
• Coach students on applying strategies
• Assist students in selecting new books when
  appropriate

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Conversations not interrogations

• Questions to stimulate conversation with a
  student who
• has just started a book (Big Blocks p. 35)
• is in the middle of a book (Big Blocks p. 35)
• has just finished a book (Big Blocks p. 36)

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Also consider group conferences with

• Students at one table
• Two students reading the same story or similar
  stories
• Group conferences may be 12 20 minutes in
  length.

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Segment Three Weekly responses to reading

• Daily Reading Log (Big Blocks p. 37)
• Reading Journal (Big Blocks p. 37 38)
• Self-stick notes
• Response forms

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Sharing (Big Blocks p. 41-42)

• Whole class
• Small group
• Four Share (roles assigned)
• Partner Quickshares

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Never forget, you are working with an adolescent.
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Brain of a Male Adolescent