Learning Log 3

Donalyn Miller, the author of The Book Whisperer, talks about how her husband carries a book with him everywhere he goes as he is one of those people who can read where ever they are, whether they are on a bus or waiting in the reception room for a doctor's appointment.  Due to the time constraints for instruction that teachers experience in the classroom, the content of this chapter in The Book Whisperer stresses the importance of finding the time for students to read independently throughout the school day. 

There are so many situations that we can find for our students to read besides scheduled independent reading time, which the author lists a few such as classroom interruptions for the teacher, waiting in line for pictures, when students have finished other work , as bell ringers and warm-ups in the morning, and during library time.  When students are using the library, the teacher should help students in setting goals for their use of their library time.  The teacher can aid in this by modeling what is expected of appropriate library time use.  The students should have a purpose in mind of how they are planning on spending this time when they are traveling to the library such as returning, renewing, or reading.  The author found that she was able to find an additional twenty to thirty minutes of independent reading time every day by having her students pick up a book and read during times that may not be full of meaningful instruction.

The author looks at the need for creating a place for her students to read comfortably.  Although she acknowledges that many reading gurus urge the need for a special place to read in the classroom, she is not an advocate of a reading corner as she has developed an attitude of being able to read anywhere she is at and at any free moment.  The author states that independent reading does not need to be a silent time as she feels that there is a need to let students have conversations about the books that they are reading during independent reading as long as the students can keep the noise at a level that will not disturb the other readers in the classroom.