Chapter 1: The Role of Explicit Instruction in the Reading Workshop
In the classroom, teaching one set of basics for everyone may appear to be easier for the teacher because the teacher needs to know less, a single routine leaves little room for disagreement and hence may foster obedience to authority.
Ellen J. Langer, The Power of Mindful Learning
The reading workshop is a framework for organizing an array of classroom learning experiences. Within this organizational framework, students are given time to engage in reading and are encouraged to share their responses to literature and informational texts with each other. The reading workshop framework also provides teachers with numerous opportunities to teach reading. That's right, teach! Explicit, deliberate, pre-planned, engaging reading lessons. Effective teachers teach during the reading workshop, everyday, in a variety of settings, for a variety of purposes.
Although, reading instruction is often thought of as a time when a teacher stands in front of a classroom lecturing to students, delivering the type of "one size fits all" lessons referred to in the opening epigraph, reading instruction actually takes place throughout the entire reading workshop. When teachers are working alongside a student helping them to use different strategies to make sense of a text, or explaining to another student some of the criteria successful readers use to choose an appropriate text for independent reading, they are teaching reading. However, there were also times in my reading workshop when I did, in fact, stand in front of my students for a brief period of time and demonstrate particular reading strategies for comprehending texts or procedures to be followed.
The reading lessons I conducted in my reading workshop were pre-planned learning experiences that served as an instructional "compass" helping my students understand the direction we were heading during the reading workshop. These lessons were designed to call students' conscious attention to the various "roadblocks, signposts and challenges" up ahead. Simply stated, my reading lessons were explicit, deliberate, pre-planned instructional experiences designed to help readers develop their ability to read.
<A> Explicitness in Reading Instruction
It's hard to find the words "reading instruction" in commercial programs and government sponsored documents without finding an adjective like "explicit, direct, sequential or systematic" attached to it. But what does this really mean? Does it assume that teachers haven't been teaching, or haven't been teaching correctly? Does it mean that the word "instruction" has been expanded to mean too many things and we have to be more specific in our use of the word? Or does it allude to the idea that reading instruction must be controlled through mandated commercial programs in order to be effective?
Particular literacy educators have been advocating explicit, systematic instruction in decoding and comprehension skills for many years. Some envision explicit instruction as a series of required instructional steps or procedures designed to guarantee that students understand explicitly what is expected of them and what is being taught. Others are concerned that explicit instruction is simply a new label for commercial reading programs that contain tightly structured, scripted lessons. Whatever the case, the word explicit keeps popping up and I believe it warrants some discussion before proceeding to other considerations of quality reading instruction.
Explicit instruction is often considered the opposite of vague, implicit or embedded instruction. The word explicit, when attached to the word instruction, implies a more sequential, more rigorous type of instruction when compared to the embedded instruction often associated with workshop approaches to reading instruction. However, I believe this is misleading. Describing the differences between explicit instruction and embedded instruction on the basis of when it takes place, where it takes place or the series of instructional steps contained in the lesson may oversimplify some important distinctions. Simply adhering to a series of instructional moves does not guarantee that explicit instruction has taken place. The degree of "explicitness" in an instructional experience hinges upon the language used in the instructional event and the relationship that is developed between the teacher and students during the instructional transaction. What may be very explicit to one student may be quite vague to another. In fact, one could go the other way and be too explicit, offering redundant information to students during a reading lesson.
Randy Bomer wrote that explicitness is a focus on the degree of clarity of a particular lesson. He wrote that the test of clarity lies in the learnerÕs constructions and deliberate use of a particular concept, strategy or procedure. His focus was on the learning that took place, not on the degree of explicitness found in the language used by the teacher in the instructional experience. Whether we have been explicit or not can only be assessed after the learning experience, when we are able to determine if students understood what we taught them. In order to determine whether they have learned the concepts we have taught them, learners are required to demonstrate particular actions or understandings after the lessons have been completed. It is a focus on the learning that has taken place, not simply an evaluation of the language or sequence of procedures in an instructional experience that determines whether a lesson was explicit or not.
Richard Allington describes quality reading instruction as "active" instruction, the kind of instruction that demands participation from both students and teacher. It involves rational planning, based on close observations of students. For Allington, explicitness refers to one's ability to bring to conscious awareness one's learning and reading processes. Based on his suggestions, maybe explicit reading instruction should be called "wide-awake instruction."
Instruction at the point of use, is how Deborah Price described explicit instruction. She suggested that instruction must be contextualized in the act of reading and should focus on students' needs as they arise. In order to focus on students' needs as they arise, teachers need to pay close attention to the readers in their classroom. An important aspect of explicit reading instruction is the teacher's ability to observe and determine what students need to learn in order to progress as readers. Teachers would not simply follow a script, or as the opening epigraph indicates, teach one set of basics for everyone, rather they would adapt the learning experiences and focused engagements in their classroom to fit the needs of their students.
In addition, Brian Cambourne has offered a series of four "Possible Dimensions of Learning and Teaching" for us to consider when we are analyzing our instructional practices and reading lessons. He discussed the differences between explicit and implicit instruction, mindful and mindless instruction, systematic and unsystematic instruction and contextualized and decontextualized instruction. He concluded that literacy instruction that is explicit and systematic, but also mindless and decontextualized, may be dangerous because it makes learning more complex than in ought to be. He also suggested literacy instruction that is mindful and contextualized, but also implicit and unsystematic may create serious barriers for many learners. It seems that it has become more complicated than simply whether we are being explicit or not.
For the purposes of this book, I will describe explicit instruction as instruction that focuses on a strategy, practice or particular aspect of the reading process, calls to conscious attention what is being taught and strives to clarify for students the expectations we have for their learning. However, whether one is explicit enough is not the only consideration that should be addressed when designing effective reading instruction. In addition to being explicit, reading lessons should be:
The following list of characteristics has been developed from a range of contemporary, rigorous, scientifically based, reading research and provides further direction for determining the quality of our reading instructional practices and programs (see Figure 1.1).
Scientifically-Based Reading Research Says Effective Reading Instruction:
á provides opportunities for students to read
á integrates reading with other subject areas
á focuses on meaning and the process of constructing meaning with text
á helps students understand what it means to be a successful reader
á provides opportunities for discussing literature and other texts
á depends upon the effectiveness of the teacher, not a particular program
á utilizes diverse and flexible grouping patterns
á utilizes a wide variety of reading materials
á employs explicit instruction in the context of reading
á focuses on developing independent, proficient readers
á provides demonstrations of reading and comprehension practices
á helps young readers engage in the experiences of successful readers
á is based on a model of "emerging expertise"
á supports readers at the point of need
á sees mistakes as an opportunity to teach and learn, not habits to be broken
á understands the connections between classrooms and the world around
á promotes the development of a community of readers
Along with considerations of degrees of explicitness, reading lessons should be focused and engaging learning experiences designed by classroom teachers to demonstrate particular aspects of reading and being a successful reader. These lessons are focused instructional opportunities designed to support children's development and growth as readers. In addition to serving as a compass, providing direction for our reading instruction, our reading lessons also act as an instructional "zoom lens," allowing us to focus in on particular aspects of reading and literacy development at particular times. Our reading lessons should focus on particular reading strategies, various structures and elements of literature, ways to effectively participate in literature discussions, comprehension practices and new ways to respond to literature.
Not only are reading lessons focused, they are also designed to engage students and support their participation in the learning experiences of our reading workshop. Students need to be engaged in our instructional experiences if these experiences are to be beneficial for them. Based on Brian Cambourne's conditions of learning and engagement, students need to know they will be able to do what we ask, they need to see purpose in what we are doing and they need to be allowed to make mistakes along the way.
In short, my reading lessons were ten to twenty minute learning experiences that called students' attention to various aspects of reading, literature and being a member of a community of readers. It is this "calling to conscious attention" that is the primary purpose of these reading lessons.
Engaging students in the lessons we provide can be a challenge. By providing choice and ownership in the experiences of the reading workshop, responding to students' contributions, providing time and opportunities for students to read and discuss literature, and creating engaging instructional experiences, we can support the kinds of readers we want exiting our classroom at the end of the year.
The reading lessons I will describe throughout the remainder of this text are based on an emerging expertise, or gradual release of responsibility model. Also known as scaffolded instruction, this model of instruction is based on the gradual release of teacher responsibility to students as their expertise begins to emerge. In this model, teachers are responsible for maintaining the quality of the learning experience as novices assume responsibility for their learning and performances. Beginning with teacher demonstrations, moving to assisted performances and ending with independent student use and practice, the emerging expertise model supports learners at their point of need and development.
Teachers begin by demonstrating a particular reading practice or strategy, using explicit language to make their literate abilities "visible." These demonstrations are designed to help students understand what proficient readers do and are intended to call to conscious attention a particular aspect of reading or the reading process. The primary objective is to focus students' attention to what is being demonstrated.
Next, teachers work alongside readers as they attempt to learn the practices and strategies that have been demonstrated. It is like running alongside a child learning to ride a bike. We provide just enough support to keep them from falling as they learn to peddle and balance on their own. In much the same way, teachers maintain the quality of the learning experience by seeing to it that readers don't fall, because we let go too early, or get bored because we hang on too long. In many ways, we show readers what to do then work alongside them while they learn to do it.
Finally, as readers accept full responsibility for their reading, they begin to independently use the strategies and practices we have shown them. Students are provided the opportunity to apply the reading strategies and practices we have demonstrated in authentic reading events. Through this process, students become legitimate members of our communities of readers.
In addition, I believe that we need to provide opportunities for students to reflect on the teaching and learning that has occurred. They need opportunities to discuss how the strategies we have taught worked for them and address any challenges they may have encountered. During these opportunities for reflecting, we can address any confusions or gaps in understandings that may have arisen. This time for reflection also helps us to assess students' understandings and confusions, and provides information that is used to develop future reading lessons.
The discussion about what constitutes a quality reading lesson has been going on for decades or longer, and it will probably continue into the distant future. This chapter has tried to address some of the issues involved in that discussion. As these discussions continue, one thing remains certain, effective teachers teach, every day in a variety of formats and contexts. We need to continue to conduct research on the language of instruction and how particular instruction effects students' engagement and learning, how teachers maintain the quality of the learning experience throughout the release of responsibility and how teachers can provide instructional experiences that are not boring, nor confusing. It is through sharing our reading lives, making our literate abilities visible, maintaining the quality of the learning experience as students assume responsibility for their reading that is the basis for the reading lessons we provide in our classrooms.