Re-envisioning Reading for Everyone

By Chris Gollmar

“Not everyone can read, but everyone can learn how to read.”

My student Joie shared these words on a September morning, as her 1st Grade class discussed why people read. She articulated this idea carefully, giving them a sense of importance. With a thick, blue marker I wrote her words on a large piece of poster paper. As if subconsciously trying to model this mindset, I misspelled “read,” crossed it off, and tried again.

Some months later, Joie’s words—and my misspelling— are still posted prominently in the classroom. The poster reminds me and my students that we are each on our own path toward becoming better readers.

What does it mean to become a better reader? Like most institutions, VCS’s reading instruction in the early years is built around five key components: comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics, and phonemic awareness. In any given classroom, students show a range of skills in each of these five areas. Generally, the range is quite broad in Kindergarten and 1st Grade, where fluent readers may sit side-by-side with classmates who are still mastering letter-sounds.

As was the case with nearly every area of students’ lives, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted some of our core practices in reading instruction. Before March 2020, many K-3rd Grade students left their homerooms during reading time, traveling down the hallway to separate reading groups organized by skill level. But the protocols we put in place to safely re-open in-person instruction meant we could no longer mix students between classes. How, then, would we ensure each student could learn and practice the right skills at the right time? In the spring of 2021, a group of Lower School teachers came together to envision a new system for reading instruction and support. Our goal was to improve upon our previous approach by offering a mix of differentiated and individualized instruction alongside a shared scope and sequence of reading skills. Whereas VCS’s previous reading groups were, broadly speaking, homogeneous—that is, students of similar skill levels were grouped together—our new system would be a mix of homogeneous and heterogeneous groups. Every week, students spend time learning and practicing reading with the whole class and with peers who are working on mastering similar reading skills.

Our new system has three components, with slight variations across grade levels. I’m thrilled by the work we have done together to re-envision reading at VCS, and I’d like to share with you what each component looks like in my 1st Grade classroom.

Whole-Class Reading Instruction

When we meet as a whole class for reading, I often begin by leading a short lesson to introduce and practice phonics and phonemic awareness skills. I don’t spend the whole time with systematic phonics instruction, though.

“I LOVE marshmallows,” I read, “They’re my favorite food!” The class giggles and groans at this last line. We’ve been reading a King and Kayla book together, and they know that King, a lovable golden retriever, has a new favorite food once or twice every chapter. Our shared book has become an introduction to character traits, an informal study of narrative structure, and a rich time to practice reading words with consonant blends.

“Not everyone can read, but everyone can learn how to read.”

On another day, a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks connects us to Black History Month while also giving students practice identifying rhymes and visualizing. In this and many other ways, students learn to stretch their reading skills while surrounded by their peers at all skill levels.

Small-Group Guided Reading

Two days a week, we shift to working in small groups of 3-6 students. While one group reads with a teacher, the others work on differentiated word study activities, read with a partner, or write about a book. Students who require additional support at the moment may work with a reading specialist, though the format is the same—a small, guided reading group in the classroom—normalizing the range of reading skills across the class.

Though I tend to think of these as homogeneous groups, it is no surprise to me that even within a small group of students with similar reading skills there is quite a bit of variation! As I listen to the group read a shared book, I give each student individual feedback. While one student is working on reading words with the “silent e” pattern, another is working on monitoring their reading for mistakes, and another is adding expression to their voice.

One of the joys of teaching 1st Grade is that students learn at different rates and along their own paths. This means that our guided reading groups change several times throughout the year, giving students the opportunity to learn alongside new friends.

Community Reading

We have an additional period twice a week for students to choose reading activities that reinforce the skills we’ve learned and practiced as a group. If you were to peek into 1C or 1D during Community Reading time, you’d see some students reading on their own, some students reading to a partner or a teacher, and the rest playing games to practice reading and writing. Students who need an additional level of support may have Community Reading time with a reading specialist,

once again reinforcing the idea that we all follow our own paths as growing readers while avoiding the potential stigma some students may feel about being pulled from class.

In addition to engaging games, I always have a listening center, where students can explore books and audiobooks on their iPads. I love noticing what students are interested in. Graphic novels are popular, but my 1st Graders are equally likely to research topics that interest them. Recently, there has been a group of kids in 1C that are becoming experts in trains, while another trio has focused their attention on books about cats.

A recent hit in Pods 1C and 1D has been the “book shopping” center, when students visit the classroom library to pick up new books to read. There’s a certain buzz of excitement in the room when a student discovers that a book that they found too challenging just a few weeks ago is now just right!

Everyone Can Learn How to Read

Children are often keen observers, and I know they notice the wide range of reading skills within their class community. We’ve worked hard to cultivate a classroom climate where all students can feel comfortable growing as readers following their own paths. In Joie’s words, “everyone can learn how to read,” and they show their dedication to this idea every day.