Building Stamina
2/22/2019
As I mentioned in two of my previous blog posts, I recently read an article from The International Literacy Association, "Creating Passionate Readers Through Independent Reading," that confirmed my philosophy of best reading practices, practices that PNA embraces as well, practices that in tandem with project based learning, help us create lifelong learners who remain curious about the world and have the tools to discover more about it. The authors of the article expounded upon several key factors of the literacy environment in schools: student choice; creating time for, nurturing, and instructing through independent reading; and growing stamina. In my previous blogs, I focused on student choice and independent reading. This post will focus on the last point, growing stamina. Why is reading stamina so important? Among other things, "students are required in classrooms and in life to put sustained attention into reading tasks." Additionally, "research establishes that one cause for the difference between good readers and poor readers is the difference in the amount of time spent reading." I have mentioned before that helping students fall in love with reading is one of the main reading goals in kindergarten. Students who love reading became avid and voracious readers who read more and more, which in turn makes them more skilled readers. This primes them not only for the more reading intensive school years ahead, but for becoming lifelong learners and readers as well. Stamina is intertwined with both student choice and independent reading. Student choice in reading materials helps motivate students to read for extended periods of time and providing time for independent reading in the classroom helps grow stamina. Students' reading stamina gives them the ability to "put sustained attention into reading tasks," helps them grow their reading skills, and allows me to provide targeted instruction for individuals or small groups of students. As you can see, all of the pieces work together and build on one another. In my kindergarten classroom, we systematically build stamina in reading during the beginning of the school year. Following the framework of Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, founders of The Daily 5, students are tasked to concentrate on the following things: getting started right away, staying in one spot, reading quietly, and reading the whole time. We practice what this looks like, sounds like, and feels like - and what it doesn't (which is always a favorite). I find this to be the most effective method for kindergartners because it makes the abstract concept of reading more concrete, especially when they cannot yet read the words. They know on exactly which things to concentrate. When someone breaks stamina, everyone stops and students evaluate how they did with the four components above. Each student chooses the area in which s/he needs to grow. We then set a class goal for our next stamina practice and try again until we eventually reach 15 minutes of unbroken reading time. Growing stamina also provides a wonderful opportunity to develop growth mindset and realistic goals. Oftentimes, the class stamina starts at only 1 or 2 minutes. By celebrating growth in stamina, we establish the importance of growth mindset and working towards a goal. It is so satisfying for me to look around and see our little ones reading intently through stacks of books during reading workshop. Sometimes they need nudges and reminders, but what an accomplishment for 5 and 6 year olds to be able to read for 30 minutes each day. I know they feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment as they read through their stacks of books as well.
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Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
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