Cassie Heinz- Blog Post 1- No More Independent Reading Without Support Section 1

Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss use this section to explain the difference between DEAR/SSR time and independent reading time. They discuss the importance of conferencing with the student during this time. They explain that while it may be difficult to find the time to implement independent reading time, the benefits it provides are crucial to helping the students become better readers. Reading with students and conferencing with them gives the teacher insight into the strategies the readers use, their strengths, their weaknesses, and the connections they are making to the text. Teachers have a major impact on the students' reading and "with SSR and DEAR, both the students' and the teacher's process of making meaning of a text are invisible and can't influence one another" (8). The teacher learns just as much from the student as the student learns from them during this time. If a teacher neglects to conference with the students at this time, "it can lead to fake reading and ultimately disengagement whether it's due to lack of purpose or a perceived or actual lack of reading skill" (8).

I enjoyed this reading because it really helped emphasize the importance of conferencing and it showed the flaws in using DEAR/SSR. I chose to read this section because I often feel as though I am pressed for time during my reading block and I wanted to see ways in which we can maximize the time. This year, we switched from having guided reading take up the majority of the block to implementing readers workshop. This concept was new to me and I had a general idea of what I was to do with this time, but I still felt a little lost implementing a new reading structure. This summer, I read The CAFE Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser to help me get a better understanding of ways to implement it. I feel as though their conferencing structure and mini-lessons correlate with Miller and Moss's ideas of independent reading.

I am working this year to implement effective independent reading time. I have enjoyed my conferencing with the students and feel as though I have learned more about them as people and as readers. I enjoy discussing books with my students and discussing their strengths and their weaknesses as readers. I have seen many of my students this year blossom into avid readers that were not necessarily big reading fans before. My students have become more confident readers and are excited about reading time. I use the information about books my students give me during my second job at Barnes and Noble. People love the insight I am able to provide them based off my students' recommendations/ comments about books. I am a big fan of reading myself and my biggest goal is to encourage my students to be book lovers as well. Discussing their reading with them is something I enjoy and has enormous amounts of benefit for the students (and teacher) as well.