Reading specialist Lois Letchford draws on decades teaching struggling readers to argue that teacher reflection on what works matters more than worksheets. She urges parents and educators to have active conversations with kids about what engages them and what confuses them, then adjust accordingly.
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Hello, I'm Lois Letchford talking to you about reflections on teaching. I am a teacher. I'm now a reading specialist and I've been a reading specialist since 1997 and I had the best job in the world when I taught and lived in Lubbock, Texas, and I taught children who had failed all reading programs. My children were aged 7 on to the eldest who came to me at 15 with the inability to read anything other than 10 words. It was an interesting task because when you're teaching children who have failed for so long, And failed so often, like daily, that the reading really has to be incredibly effective to gain the child's attention, know what you have to do, and keep them wanting to come back tomorrow. So it becomes a really complex task, not a simple task, to teach the most challenged children to read, which is why I'm here, because I taught my children to read. I say my children because I felt like they were my children. They were my students, but they were my children. And one of the key components of reading instruction for me was reflection, reflection on my teaching. And I had to reflect, what did I do that was effective today? What did I do that they didn't quite get, or they didn't get it and they couldn't remember it clearly to me? Again, what do I have to do? How do I bridge that gap? So as a teacher, what I'd like you to have— think about is, what are my children getting? What are your students getting? What are they not getting? And how do I have to bridge that gap? And the problem with reflection is it's not something that happens instantaneously. It takes time. And of all the things we do in teaching is I do believe we don't value the time it takes to reflect upon our teaching. And when we're teaching the most challenged children, the children that I've specialised in, it's time, my think time, that really has been the most important of all the things that I do. Because it's through reflection you get to see the complexities. You're not just saying they didn't do it. Then you're asking, I wonder what stopped them from doing this particular task? And then the next is, what else do I have to do? Parents, we're at a time of COVID-19. You are at home, and if you have time with your children, take time to reflect. And even if you have time, work with them to say, what work— what did you enjoy? What did you not understand? And then it's, how are we going to go forward with this so that there is engagement and that the child recalls what you're doing? We know that the least effective instruction is the completion of worksheets. The most effective instruction involves active engagement of students in the learning process. So how are we going to create actively engaged students to promote their learning? That's my question for you. Think about it and work on what are we going to change next week so our children are more engaged in learning every day. Thank you. I'm Lois Letchford. Hit like, hit subscribe, and join my channel and share it with others. Thank you.
