Personal Model of the Theory of Reading

            Ever since I was young, I have always loved hearing stories read aloud.  I so enjoyed it when the reader would make each character’s voice sound different and even act out certain parts.  However, I never truly enjoyed reading when I was young because it was difficult due to a speech impediment.  Also, I didn’t understand all of the words on the page.  I was reading word for word instead of reading for meaning.  Furthermore, my reading self-esteem was low because I would compare myself to my friends.  As I matured, I vowed that I would never let a child feel the way I did about reading.  Now as a professional, I understand that an abundant amount of differentiated text for all sorts of interests and reading levels should be offered in a classroom.  Additionally, I never compare my students to each other.  Rather, I stress that everyone learns at a different pace.  I help each child set their own personal as well as realistic goals for reading.  I also incorporate book buddies with a second grade classroom as well as reading buddies in our classroom which strengthens reading stamina and confidence.  Reading should not be stressful; it should be an enjoyable time where our minds can escape from our everyday lives.  I know that each child has the ability to read and learn but I also understand that they need resources and guidance at school to help them along the path. 
            I focus on why some students struggle with reading and then concentrate on how to apply different strategies that will help improve their fluency and comprehension.  I strongly believe in both informal and formal assessments so as a teacher, I can watch students grow and offer help when necessary.  I am blessed to be at a school where we have been trained by the Teachers College of Columbia University on the reading workshop model.  As a fourth grade teacher, I use the Columbia fiction reading level assessments to gauge where my readers are throughout the school year.  I am then able to assist my students in choosing books based on their Fountas and Pinnell levels in our classroom and school library.  The students are able to move up the scale throughout the school year as they strengthen their reading skills.  I also focus on their weaknesses during strategy groups and one-on-one conferencing during our reading workshop time.  I feel that I really get to know my students as readers during these individual conferences.  Here they can share their thoughts, feelings, and questions about the texts or reading in general. 
             I truly enjoy teaching reading workshop.  My students even look forward to this time because by offering varied strategies, I show them the enjoyment and importance of reading.  I believe that both building schema and having connections play an important role in building strong readers.  I also teach my students to “dive deeper” within their texts so they can analyze, evaluate, and judge their texts by themselves and with others.  I model how to use an array of different strategies during my reading workshop lessons.  I think the students benefit when they do a “think-pair-share” to test out the strategy before trying it independently.  They are able to think by themselves and then talk with their reading buddies before sharing aloud.  This allows students to realize that there are different views in reading and ways to implement strategies while reading. 
            While reading aloud to my students I allow time to stop and concentrate on different strategies such as making connections, using context clues, decoding unfamiliar words, developing characteristic traits, inferring, analyzing figurative language, and developing themes before, during, and after a text.  Throughout the entire year, the students use their reader’s notebooks that we develop at the beginning of the school year to write down their thoughts about their texts, copy anchor charts we complete together, or complete any of their strategy work.  This is a great reference tool for them throughout the school year when they need help or would like to “dive deeper” within a text they have already read.  Not only does this notebook allow me to see the growth of my students, I also use it as an informal assessment in reading and writing. 
            I think with more experiences and “diving deeper” into the theory and pedagogy of literature, I will be able to further provide interventions and assist all students in improving their reading skills.  I feel that it is important for all students to have the hunger to read since it is such a vital skill in our society.  A strong foundation in reading can only help someone achieve success throughout their life and this is where a teacher plays her role.