Last week we talked here about the power of silent reading. Jim commented on how he and some colleagues had to fight to bring it back after a two year hiatus while the administration imposed some institutionalized dumb activity in its place. Alisa also commented:
Not to brag friends but SILENT READING IS ABSOLUTELY SACRED for lil kids (in my school, at least). Their regular classroom teachers do a fabulous job with D.E.A.R time (Drop Everything and Read) – so it’s sacredness extends into my classroom, too. Freaking Awesome, I know – and I take no credit for it whatsoever.
You could hear a pin drop for the few minutes that I infrequently offer FVR. My awesome T/CI French colleague, Carla, has re-dubbed it FVP – Free Voluntary Perusal for the wee ones – they are scanning the illustrations – maybe some are reading a sentence here or there, but it’s a reading muscle and confidence builder and great when the room energy is low. I may pull it out with my first graders this afternoon (yes I see 3 1st grade classes on Friday afternoons- last 3 classes of the week).