In yoga, there is a famous quote, “Practice and all is coming.” The heart and soul of yoga is the practice. It’s about showing up on the mat, day in and day out, knowing that on some days everything flows, other days not so much.
The yoga teacher’s job is to guide the practice, making small adjustments based on what each student needs, offering challenge and examples of possibility.
It is the same with literacy. Reading and writing are big-picture practices comprised of many smaller skills. Practice reading and all is coming. Practice writing and all is coming.
I see this so clearly with my 5th graders. In our second year together as readers and writers I see amazing growth. This growth looks different for each student, as it should, but it is undeniably evident. As they practice independent reading (with teacher guidance), their self-selected reading choices are naturally growing toward increasingly challenging material. They are independent and self-motivated.
They love writing! In our individual conferences I see growth in every aspect of each student’s writing. They are practicing skills of punctuation, grammar, spelling and vocabulary where it truly matters, not on a test or worksheet, but in a creative work of their own self-expression.
Note: These thoughts were originally shared on my classroom blog as the intro to an update for parents. One of my students read the post and left this comment:
1 comment:
Mrs. Hernandez, I am a student at the University of South Alabama, and this blog post completely connects with me! I have started a yoga class this semester, so that part is clear as the light of day to me. The fact that you have gotten to see your students grow over the course of two years is spectacular, and the comment shows me that you have taught them so much. It's still amazing to me how much teachers can impact students, I can't wait to become one!
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