Reading has always been a struggle for me. As a young learner, I hated reading over any other subject in school. I had to work extra hard when it came to reading and comprehending what I had read. I would always find myself reading a book and then getting to the end and not having a clue what I had read. I feel as though this was mainly because as a student I was never given the option to choose what I read.
As I entered high school and college my view of reading became different from the past. My high school literature teacher gave the students options for novels that we read. I remember the first book that I ever read that grabbed my attention was "To Kill a Mockingbird." From this point forward I found that reading was something I could actually enjoy and wouldn't mind doing in my personal time. I wish my teacher in high school knew what she taught me not only about reading, but the personal connections you can make with a writing.
As I made my way through college and began taking reading courses, I realized so many different things. Although I knew that I always wanted to be teacher, I worried about teaching reading to elementary age children since it was such a struggle for me. Reading could actually be made "fun" instead of boring. I believe that making a comfortable environment is key to being successful when reading. For a non-reader, I believe that having a safe environment where the student doesn't feel ashamed to make mistakes is important. I also realize that reading doesn't just take place out of a text book.
When I became a teacher I am sure you can guess what my number one goal was for teaching reading effectively in my classroom, MAKING READING FUN! I have a classroom with many below grade level readers each year. Many of them come to me feeling as though they hate reading, which I can totally relate. From the beginning of school, all of my students get "book boxes" which is where they keep all of their books. I encourage each of them to choose 2 books that interest them and are on their level, as well as 1 book that is a bit of a challenge. I have implemented CAFE and Daily 5 this past year in my classroom. Doing this helped my students with reading and literacy in many ways. My students have a choice every day as to what they are going to read and each of them has a set day a week to meet with me and conference about what they are reading. I can't tell you how excited they are to see me on their special day. They get so excited about the individual time with me, that they forget they are talking about reading comprehension, fluency, accuracy, and expanding their vocabulary.
Overall, I have a deep compassion for teaching students reading in my classroom. I believe reading should be something everyone feels confident doing whether it be to themselves, out loud, giving a presentation, etc. I have seen from my personal experience in the classroom as a teacher how students gain confidence and learn to love reading. I do group reading as a whole class or small group so that some of the lower level readers can hear other proficient readers. I believe reading aloud to my students daily also helped them hear how a fluent reader sounds with expression and emotion. I have grown to love teaching reading so much that I believe I could do it all day long, everyday, and never get worn out!
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