A couple of weeks ago I filmed my students reading some of Sketches a book by Eric Walters. I wanted the students to see, and hear, how far they have come as readers. It wasn't until a few days later, that I realized the importance of the videos.
After students watched the video, they all realized that they were actually decoding and comprehending at the same time! For these students, that is a big deal! If you can read then you will remember the process of learning to read. Learn the alphabet, learn to blend letter sounds, then start to put the letters and sounds together to read bigger words and eventually learn to decode all sorts of words. Once you could decode you were expected to read AND understand what was going on in the text. All of a sudden that thing between your ears called a brain was starting to multitask (even more than usual). This is where my students are now. My kids can decode most words they come across and comprehend what they are reading.
The next step for my students is to begin to read more fluently. The three kids in my class are three of the hardest working kids I have ever met. Perhaps it is the common goal, "to learn to read at grade level" or, "to read like everyone else" that fills them with grit.
The whole point of this post is to explain the importance of showing students the progress they have made. Whether you take sound bytes in September and compare them to December, you use video like a hockey coach uses game tape, or you simply compare writing samples with students, the benefits are vast. I believe that my students have become even grittier because they get to see their progress. I challenge you to try it in your classroom and reap the benefits!
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