Joan Moser
February 3, 2012
It was a big week for our niece Haley as she achieved something rare for many high school athletes; she scored her 1000th game point of her high school basketball career. For these proud aunties, it has been nothing but a joy to watch this remarkable young woman grow and mature in so many ways academically, socially, emotionally, and of course athletically (of course we are not a bit partial!).
When we observe Haley's success on the basketball court, we can't help but think about the students in our classrooms. Like most of the readers in our classrooms, Haley didn't begin with amazing skills. Throughout all her years of playing, influential people have worked with her, constantly monitoring and adjusting their instruction as they watched her play the game. As she grew, new skills were layered on, providing a solid foundation from which to build. As those skills were perfected, others would be supported, adjusted and refined. So goes the life of the readers in our classroom. Constantly monitoring and adjusting our instruction based on what each individual student needs is what we consider to be one of the imperative components to supporting a growing reader. They deserve it.
Another constant in Haley's basketball career has been the extended periods of practice time provided. After all, the best way to get better at anything is to practice. It is Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success who talks about the 10,000 hour rule. He found that people who mastered a skill or talent had spent approximaely 10,000 hours practicing. Since Haley was a very young girl, she has been on the basketball court, playing the game. Again, when we consider the readers in our classroom, we know that the other vital component to supporting their reading enjoyment and growth is to provide an exorbitant amount of time during the day to read. They deserve it.
Thanks for the inspiration, Haley. We are so proud of you. Congratulations on this amazing milestone. You deserve it.