Conferring Overview
What is a Reading Conference?
A reading conference is a one-on-one conversation between a student and teacher, focused on something the student needs to learn. The teacher uses the conference to quickly assess (research) the student’s reading skills and then to teach the student one concept or strategy that will help him grow as a reader. Some people think of a reading conference as a “private lesson.
A reading conference is a one-on-one conversation between a student and teacher, focused on something the student needs to learn. The teacher uses the conference to quickly assess (research) the student’s reading skills and then to teach the student one concept or strategy that will help him grow as a reader. Some people think of a reading conference as a “private lesson.
What is Essential About Reading Conferences? Conversational Tone A reading conference is a conversation with a student rather than a question and answer session. Consistency Reading conferences occur regularly. The teacher confers with each child at least once every two weeks. Motivation Reading conferences motivate the student to want to continue reading. Assessment and Instruction The teacher listens to the student and asks questions to understand the student’s thinking process. Based on this information, the teacher chooses one teaching point for the conference, and provides explicit instruction and demonstration related to the new skill or concept. Lucy Calkins refers to this as a “Research-Decide-Teach” structure. Teachers document their observations in order to track student growth and plan for individual and full class instruction. See the Appendix for examples of conference record keeping systems. Teach the Reader, Not the Book During conferences, students learn reading strategies that they can apply when reading in the future. The conference should offer the student a “tool” (new strategy or insight) that s/he can use forever, not simply in the book that s/he happens to be reading that day. What Are the Goals of Reading Conferences?
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