Advocacy

As teachers, we are often given materials and programs to use with our students. Most of these pre-packaged programs are frequently made by people that have never stepped foot in a classroom. Routman states that too often, “Teachers go along with program and practices they know are not working well for many of their students because their energy is spent meeting the rising demands of curriculum, standards, and high-stakes testing.” (Routman 186)

As knowledgeable and effective teachers, we need to keep up with the latest research and know which “research” to ignore. We must be willing to take a stand for our students and ask questions if we feel the program is not working. Routman believes that programs such as Basal should be used as a resource only. This fall we will be receiving a newly adopted reading program that is based on the new Common Core State Standards. I will be using the program as a guide but will also use my professional judgement. We also need to think about what Computerized Reading Incentive Programs and other extrinsically motivated programs are doing to our students.

When I taught second grade, I used Reading Counts during Literacy Centers and 100 Book Challenge for my Independent Reading. I noticed that many of my students were reading to gain points and steps and not for meaning or enjoyment. Often times I would see them trying to take a test that I knew they didn’t read and that were way above their reading level or way below their reading level.

As a school we all agreed that these programs needed tweaking. We no longer give medals to students that have the most steps or points. We use the same materials but the focus is more on enjoyment and comprehension. I’m proud that we as teachers, coaches, and administrators did what was best for our students.