90-minute reading block

In RED 4519, I learned that the 90-minute-reading block is a safeguarded time where the teacher must give a full, uninterrupted, 90-minute reading instruction. Last semester I volunteered in a Kindergarten classroom and I realized how this 90-minute instruction came to life in Mrs. Marques’ classroom. First, she would start with an activity to get the students engaged, then she would read a story to her students, and then she had various centers that the students would rotate in. One of the centers she used was a one-on-one table where she worked with a few students at a time. During this time, Mrs. Marques scaffolds her students and assists students with difficulties in their reading growth. (REC 5.3) Another thing Mrs. Marques assisted her students with was difficulties in any area of the reading components. (REC 4.5) Some students really struggled with vocabulary, while others struggled with phonics, phonemic awareness and comprehension skills. I found the opportunity of working with Mrs. Marques very interesting because I had not been in a classroom during a 90-minute reading block. One ah-ha I learned about the reading block is that it cannot be interrupted. If there is an assembly during the 90-minute reading block, students will not be able to go because the 90-minute block is very essential and the most important 90-minutes throughout the school day.