Chapter 4: Teach With a Sense of Urgency

The next section of Reading Essentials is titled "The Essential Reading Day" and includes four chapter, the next of which (Ch. 4) I am writing about today.  As Routman discusses this topic, he clarifies that he is not talking about urgency as associated with speed and anxiety, but more about making every moment in the classroom count.  He mentions the importance of engaging the students and using daily evaluations and reflections.  Teachers must also keep expectations high by introducing student to complex and relevant texts and curriculum through high-level tinking, problem solving, and questioning (p. 42). 

Routman lists the top five things he does to ensure students become excellent readers:

1. Demonstrate that I am a reader.
2. Provide an excellent classroom library
3. Let students chose books they want to read and give them time to read them.
4. Teach strategies students need to know to process and understand text.
5. Evaluate student regularly, giving them feedback and helping them set goals.

Routman introduces the Optimal Learning Model which he uses to help understand and determine the levels of support students need in learning a new skill, strategy, or task. He points out that we need to base our instruction on what kids need rather than on the components of a literacy program.  I have seen this thinking in other books referred to as the Gradual Release of Responsibility.

Routman separates this model into 4 Phases of Learning.
     1. Demonstration:  In this phase the teacher shows explicitly and intentionally "how to do it" by initiating, modeling, explaining, and thinking aloud.
     2. Shared Demonstration:  The teacher is still in charge of the lesson but students are encouraged to participate and collaborate in the activity and discussion.  The teacher scaffolds the skills.  Students work with partners, small groups, or whole group.
     3. Guided Practice:  Students practice thinking and acting like a read or writer.  The teacher validates, supports, encourages, helps, and feedback.
     4.  Independent Practice:  In this phase the student has developed the level of competence and confidence to work on their own.  They have learned to problem solve on their own.

As a teacher uses this Optimal Learning Model in their practice it is important to remember:

• Students do best when the skills they need are explicitly taught in meaningful contexts.
• Students need language play, hearing lots of stories, opportunities for reading and writing stories to become readers.

Another aspect Routman discusses is the use of Interactive Reading.  This is conducted during the reading, not before or after.  It is very beneficial because it allows the teacher's thinking to be visible. The use of partner peers gives the students more time with the text and joint thinking and talking aides in reading understanding.

The most important point of this chapter was to teach all of our students with no time to waste efficiency and with joy as we challenge them in meaningful ways.