Early Literacy Experiences
Read Chapter 6 on Early Literacy or Chapter 18 Reading Instruction. Think about your classroom. We have many students who read books, but many students start and never finish. Sometimes just reading a book for enjoyment is as important as reading a book for a lesson. What can technology do to support reading….here are a few resources to check out: (see handouts from the server for more assistance)
Another Book to look at for motivating gifted students to read: some of My Best Friends are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers. Provided in the handouts for this session there is a chapter on how books can support a gifted child. We have a copy in the professional library and not only does it provide a great list of titles, it also has a great chapter in the front about gifted children and the importance of books. In the selected chapter to read: The Mind of the Child: Intellectual Development, you can see how important books can be to enrich and extend gifted students.
Here are some reading resources you may want to look at:
Tumble Books – on the Library Resources Page (Passwords)
Power Kids Science - on the Library Resources Page (Passwords) - These are science books that are digital and will read to the students.
Our Follett Shelf – check out on http://rcelearningcommons.pbworks.com The log in for the follett shelf is rce1 with the password of rce. Most of the books on the Follett shelf are non-fiction and have unlimited users. Think of how you can use this on your activeboards!
Pixel of Ink – Free children’s books – http://www.pixelofink.com
Kindle Cloud App –Free on your iPads – use the rcelibrary@gmail.com account and I’ve already downloaded a bunch of books –password is roadrunner. To download the Kindle Cloud App - go to this site: https://read.amazon.com/ and follow the directions.
Kindle Reader App – Free on your iPad/iTouch/iPhone – download books to your device (use Pixel of ink and they are free!) Get what is appropriate for your classroom. (make an Amazon account that is NOT connected to a credit card)
Go to the http://rcelearningcommons.pbworks.com site (click on language arts) and you will see more books that are available to be read on line. Dig around on the Learning Commons page for additional resources to support your classroom.
Check out these websites for all kinds of ideas for early literacy – including webquests - http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/index.htm , http://www.icpl.org/kids/early-literacy.php
Reading Links: Some of My Best Friends are Books Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4
Chapter 6 Chapter 18 Best Practices
Reading Links: Some of My Best Friends are Books Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4
Chapter 6 Chapter 18 Best Practices
Assignment for Session 5:
- How can you foster literacy development in young gifted children who are not “readers?” How can you provide multiple experiences to promote reading in young children? How can you continue to foster leisure reading in upper elementary grades? Looking at the book Some of my Best Friends are Books, what can you do to enrich the intellectual development of gifted students through books?
- After exploring some of the resources above, post some ways that you can use the resources available (listed above) in your classroom to foster reading. Go to the APP store and see if you can find an app (FREE) that would support reading in your classroom. Post the App on our Wiki List and put a comment on our comment page.
JB to foster literacy development in young people who are not readers they have to have a role model be it a parent, teacher, grandparent or older sibling that reads to them and in front of them so they see the importance in reading.
ReplyDeleteMultiple experiences in reading is important. Students need to see the importance of reading to learn knowledge but also to read for pleasure. Silent reading time in my room promotes reading for pleasure. Finding a book that the child loves and wants to read is the first battle. Then encouraging them to read each day to increase their knowledge and love of reading.
Leisure reading I think takes time to find your interests and books that are about your interest that you can read and learn from. Having students keep reading logs in the upper grades shows what they are reading but also gives the teacher incite into their students interests.
By gifted kids reading reading books at their own level that is differentiating and giving the GT student the opportunity to grow at their own pace and hopefully to learn more about a topic that they are interested in.
I'm always drawn to articles dealing with kids becoming avid readers for very selfish reasoning. My 15 year old son has never enjoyed reading. I have always been an avid reader and so is everyone in my family. Josh has seen me read forever, I've read to him since before he was born and continue to read to him today. We went to the public library on a weekly basis throughout his elementary years, attended umpteen story hours, etc. He loves books but hates to read. Josh would rather research a book via the internet or watch a movie of the book than pick one up and read it from cover to cover. I've avoided totally turning to technology but my next step will be a Kindle Fire that will read to him.
ReplyDeleteI can easily use the KindleReader and other related apps in my class during our new third grade project this fall. It will involve writing lyrics - poetry. There are some great books written in poetry just waiting for us!
DeleteAW - We can foster literacy development in young children by reading early, often and as long as possible. Children need to see that reading is valued and they need multiple opportunities to read at home and at school. They need to be provided with interesting and challenging reading material that they choose. When the interest in the book is high, students are likely to be engaged and motivated to read. We can enrich the intellectual development in books by having them read books at an appropriate intellectual and emotional level. The students also need to read books that are of a variety of literary styles. Then they need to express their ideas and be challenged through writing and speaking.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!
DeleteReading to and with children remains the best way to foster literacy development in all age groups. I am thankful to teach in a school district that encourages teachers and students to go "beyond the basal" and focus instruction using great trade books. Our curriculum encompasses many genres, incorporating both fiction and non fiction material. Flexible grouping and book clubs have helped match readers by reading level and/or interest. Occasionally, I see lower level students reaching for books beyond their reading ability because of high interest in a topic or series. While I try to steer my kids toward appropriate levels, I don't want to discourage them from checking out books. I do suggest they read that high level material with a parent.
ReplyDeletePart II--I've already downloaded the Kindle app on my devices, and encouraged my kids to bring their ereaders to school (the challenge is keeping them reading and not playing games!). We've used PowerKids for report writing. The kids loved that it would read to you. I've signed up to receive the daily Pixel of Ink/Young edition email for a list of the free books offered that day. I'm excited to work more the the Follett ebooks. I'd like to try a book club with ereaders and the Follett collection.
ReplyDeleteLD There were lots of apps and pages to look through in this session. All of them would allow more access to books and reading for all kids, including the gifted kids. I agree with all the comments above about reading to kids at a young age to really develop that love of reading. Reading takes on many forms as kids get older. Ereaders and reading online are two popular ways that older kids continue to read.
ReplyDeleteThe reading for this session spent a lot of time talking about the need for gifted kids to read and discuss with other gifted kids. Book talks and conversations about what they are reading are easy ways to build that fire that causes reading to catch with lots of kids. It isn't just enough to read books, because books by their very nature are social. You have to have someone to talk to about the story. I might try setting up something like that where kids have more opportunities to share their thinking aside from just our regular book clubs. There is also a need for kids to read their own books, not just teacher-selected text. These are considerations I am working on as I think about my class for the fall.
KH - Reading and providing suggested titles for students is very important. Usually an adult especially a teacher can have a big impact on choices for students. GT students especially can use books to help them learn to handle situations or explore things without actually doing them. Sharing a book with one or two other people is very important. When you read a book you should have some kind of emotion - either you like it or you didn't. Reading a book should make you think a little. This makes you want to share it. Book clubs are important, but one on one converstations are important to. Technology can support students as they read as well...they can have a handful of books on a single device.
ReplyDeleteKS. Technology is the answer to motivate the reluctant reader or the non reader. I am constantly amazed what kids will do to have technology on their hands. Using this as a motivator will make a young learnerr a reader! I Am looking forward to becoming more techno saavy to help the kids show their love of books in a more sophisticated way to share their love of books and motivation with others.
ReplyDeleteJS I am an avid reader of certain genres...mainly murder mysteries, CSI, Black Ops, etc. I am always amazed when kids don't like to read! What I have found as the best tool to help young readers is to have read the book first and to find a "hook" from the book to capture the kid's attention. Like Elephant in the Garden was a fabulous book! I have been able to talk with kids about World War II, zoos and caring for animals and each other. Those that have chosen to read the book have come back with rave reviews!
ReplyDeleteModeling is the best practice. The past 3 ½ years I have used the Daily 5 for my literacy block time. The structure of the Daily 5 has been phenomenal for increasing my students’ interest in reading and writing. When we first learn about the routines and choices I take the time to sit and read when I require the students to practice their reading stamina. I want them to see me, their teacher, as a reader so during DEAR time to continue to sit and read just as they are expected. I even keep my own book box at just as they keep their book box at their desk. I first began this 3 years ago when a student asked me why I talk about reading for fun but I don’t do it. That’s when it hit me- they can’t see me read at home so now I make sure they see me read at school. I also make sure I have lots of book choice in my room. I have a “Wish List” sheet that stays in my library that kids can request books. When I put in scholastic orders I check the sheet to see if there are any requests. It helps make sure I have book the kids are interested in and also helps me fill gaps I might have in my selection that I might not realize are there. It also might be titles that are already in the literacy library or school library that I can check out. The best thing this year was using edmodo for book clubs in the 2nd semester. It was self-paced, students were able to complete assignments that were meaningful, extend their learning through additional research and communicate with others through postings.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Stayce! Daily 5 has been a blessing for us in 2nd grade!
ReplyDeleteWhen the kids first come to school, I bring my photo album that my mom made for me my Senior Year of High School. I invite the kids to revisit my life, one picture at a time. I tell them straight forward the struggles that I had and how I would pretend to read. I also tell them about how excited I was to finally read a chapter book and the sense of accomplishment I had - even though it was around my 4th or 5th grade year. I also explain to them how painful it is for me to read now as an adult. Some of them can relate because they themselves are struggling readers. So, when I read out loud, they quickly learn how many mistakes I can make and how I sometimes have to reread several times before it makes sense!!! Sometime it helps them to know that I am human and one can overcome difficulties in life!!!
This last year, I transferred kids to online book clubs as they were bridging the levels 24 - 28 DRA II. I did this over Edmodo. The kids LOVED it! I really didn't have to do much work, because many of the questions I asked, I found on the internet!!! The kids started reading more and more and before too long, I was having to download some of the books onto the iTouch so my lower kids could feel a sense of belonging and accomplish the same goals as the others. This right here was crucial in one particular student. She came to me reading on a Level 12, and left on a Level 24 - self esteem higher than a kite! It was AWESOME to see!!!
I think the other best thing to do as teachers, is to provide our students with a selection of books to chose from. Let's not be picky about it either. If they want to read that "Super Baby" stuff - let them! It's not the best thing out there, but it has a tendency to HOOK boys onto reading! The goal is to read for pleasure, for information and for assignments.
I really doubt any of my kids ever leave my class not enjoying reading... Which I think is odd because I truly HATE to read! (Sorry to be a Debbie Downer for all you peeps that say it is your favorite pastime!) :)
I do find that with the new technology of the Kindle and Nook that it has changed and encouraged my children to read. Katherine enjoys to read but sometimes gets intimidated by the length of a book even if it the topic is very interesting to her. She sees herself as a "slow reader" and will put the book back. With the Kindle this has been eliminated. She can not dwell on the volume of the book and where her bookmark is;therefore, seems to finish reading more books because she is enjoying the content. KML
ReplyDeleteddm - To foster literacy development in my non-readers, I do lots and lots of book talks through conferencing. I start out reading aloud to the class daily and stop along the way as I speak my thinking to them as a reader. Modeling what my brain is doing while I'm reading is critical in their understanding of how to comprehend. I sit with the non-readers one-on-one at first and do this with them privately. As they become more aware of what the text is saying, we move to post-it notes to jot their thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe multiple experiences comes through different genre and technology choices. I have a huge classroom library so every child can find a variety of choices to read. As they enter third grade,they have to shift their learning to read into reading to learn. This is a jump and a challenge for the students.
To enrich intellectual development of gifted students through books, I give them many different assignments varying in multiple intelligence topics. I use books all the time in the classroom, and I encourage them to be a lover of books as well.
Annie Pooh - Fostering literacy development in young children is so important. I have mainly taught younger children in my teaching career and I must say that each child reads when they are ready to read. Of course there are always exceptions and children that need further help but for the most part- most children will read when they are ready- just like they walked when they were ready. With that being said- of course there is so much that must go into the background of fostering literacy development. Luckily the available books are so much better now than they used to be. There are a variety of books that hone in on topics that interest young readers. I have often wondered what makes one person an avid reader and the next person.... Not so interested in reading. I, myself learned how to read at a young age but I have never enjoyed reading- until 50 Shades of Grey came along. :). Because I have never read for pleasure, it makes me want to work that much harder to instill a love for reading in my students. Whether it is a newspaper, Facebook, a good novel or a magazine, I want my students to understand that reading opens up a whole new world!!!
ReplyDeleteI have seen reluctant readers begin to love and appreciate reading through the use of a Nook and/ or a Kindle. Technology- can be a curse but mainly a blessing.
There is good and bad to being the 17th person to reflect and respond to the reading on best practices to consider when reading with GT students. The good is that "dang we have some effective and thoughtful teachers working with our students." The bad is that many things have already been said that I agree with.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading, I realized that we teach in a time where we have so many resources available to use. Sometimes the biggest problem is accessing the ones that are the most appropriate for the student. No matter what type of student we are teaching, it is always critical that we use material that is relevant, thought provoking and on the edge of controversial. When we hook students into reading by provoking wondering, questioning, arguing and wanting to act, we not only increase comprehension but we also develop higher levels of critical thinking. The end result leads to the development of knowledge, life skills and responsibility in students - a worthy goal. nh
LT This is the day of a kgn teacher - getting kids to love reading! And, the fact remains, if you don't love reading, you will struggle in school. So, we have to immerse kids in a print rich environment, be positive, be playful, and not put the weight of the world on kids to read. We need to continue to assess and differentiate in our small group instruction!!!
ReplyDeleteTeaching young children to read and instill a love for reading is a huge challenge that we face each day in the classroom. I know as a parent as well as a teacher that young children learn to read at different times and you can gently nudge and encourage all you want but kids acquire the skill to read at their own pace. I have 3 daughters ...my first 2 daughters spent one on one time each day with my husband and I and learned to read at a shakey level. Our youngest daughter left kindergarten reading a level 24.... Which is way above grade level, this just proves my above point.....young children learn to read when they are ready not when we ask them to
ReplyDeleteHB Fostering a love of reading is so important in the early grades. As teachers and parents we need to be role models and show our love of literacy. As a young child I enjoyed reading, my true reading is the newspaper as an adult. My 7th grade LA teacher Required her students to read the newspaper and then answer questions. From this time until now I read the paper daily. I feel that I am up on current events and this is a skill I am trying to pass to my own children and if an article is relevant to my 1st graders then I bring to school to add to our discussions. For example, when we study Texas in February and March, there is usually and article about our great state that I am able to share with the class. So basically we as adults need to be good role models and show our love of reading.
ReplyDelete"Students who enter school reading at considerably higher and more sophisticated levels than the rest of their classmates require special, advanced instruction to meet their needs." I couldn't agree with this more. In the early years we are so focused on bringing up the struggling reader and many times the gifted reader stays idle. This can often lead to boredom and/or frustration. Enrichment with these young student is often required of the home, but we should be able to meet their needs at school as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lou Ann that those who do not find an interest in reading will struggle academically. You can be gifted in math and science, but if your skill level in reading falls behind, you will have difficulty even in those areas at some point in your school career. Students can't all be expected to love reading, but the teacher can create an interest that will ensure growth at each level. Not only through technology, but through conversations and activities surrounding books. It begins to take on a fraternal organization as the buzz heightens around a good piece of literature and becomes contagious. As Teresa said, you don't have to love reading, but you have to create that atmosphere and keep them interested.
This is an area I think about ALL of the time as a teacher. Having the privilege of teaching different grade levels has allowed my to see this across he board. I personally think that the best way to get kids to read is to carve out enough time in the day to allow them to do it without distraction or interruption. However this is sooooo hard because we have so much to do in our schedule. I love Daily Five in older grades. I think that it really lends itself to getting kids to read because it carves out that time within the classroom schedule. However in the lower grades I think technology provides us with one of the only ways to give new readers a chance to spend quality time with books that is not teacher led, because it reads for those who can't quite read on their own yet. Tumble books gives them book choice based on interest as well. I know I will continue to ponder on how to use technology in my kidder class to give my students that much needed book time.
ReplyDeleteI wish my elementary teachers had this article to read. During library time I remember going as a class and seeing certain girls in the class getting large chapter books. I was in class every year with the same group of kids k-6 so I really got to know who read what type of books. I hated reading and never read, but I pretended to read! I would check out the nancy drew books week after week and year after year, but never read them. Not sure why. Did know one help me find what interested me? Did I have trouble comprehending? Was reading boring to me? As an adult, I do not read unless it interests me or I have to learn about it. It feels like such a daunting task to finish a book for pleasure. I'd rather read something educational. Embarrassing to admit, but the fact is that there are kids out there like me. I see from reading the article that student choice and interests plays a big role in getting students started in reading and keeping their interests. Then there is my brother who was a second grader and has to go to the 6th grade class for reading. He later lost interest in school dueling middle school, but all his life he has had reading material at hand constantly and loves reading and writing. The same family and we have such different interests. Must be our learning experiences growing up.
ReplyDeleteSorry for all the typos. Can't figure out how to edit.
ReplyDeleteAnything one can do to encourage reading is a "must" in education! I believe parents and friends modeling the love of reading is very important but like Karen said sometimes that is not enough. I still remember my elementary teacher reading to the class it was one of my favorite times in class. I have a kindle and enjoy the available access to books. I think technology of this type makes books easy to begin and continue reading any time any where. Allowing students to choose books that interest them is an encourager for students to read. As an adult I read more because I belong to a book club. Being a member I have read books I never would have chosen; however I have enjoyed them. DM
ReplyDeleteAfter reading both Chapter 18 and Some of my Best Friends are Books, as well as thought through some of the practices I have used and seen others use, I have come up with these ideas. For those GT (or bright) students who are not motivated readers, I will provide a variety of genres. I will encourage them to choose their own materials to read, as well as have high interest books visiable to all. I will give students time during the day to read for the pure enjoyment. I will have groups of high readers working together to discuss and challenge each other. They will not read from basal readers (or at least only very rarely). I think the bluebonnet books are great books to encourage readers to choose from different genres. When looking for books of high interest, we will find friends who know of other similar books. We can also look online for these. We'll find reading that deals with important issues and gives new information to them. I will read aloud and encourage parents to continue to read aloud to their children. In class we will have discussions in small and large groups. I think the ideal solution is to let them read and discuss this with classmates. KE
ReplyDeleteFostering a love of reading is a constant struggle for teachers. I love the idea of using the nook or kindle because I have found that my children read more because they can use some "technology". I try to get students talking about books and a variety of genere including non fiction which might be eaiser to approach. I agree that the bluebonnet selections are a good place to start and find out what other new books are out there for the struggling reader to try. Persistent is the key. CC
ReplyDeleteBecause the students enter the classroom at varied reaading levels with so many different interests, it is always a challenge to find the right book to capture their attention and foster a love of reading. Struggling readers and GT kids are usually the toughest nuts to crack. GT kids seem to get stuck in a certain genre and are reluctant to try others. Struggling readers may not enjoy reading and are often embarrassed because the books they choose to read are below level or nothing like their peers. I think Nooks and Kindles have done a lot to foster reading among young readers. I choose to start the year wiht a class book club with a novel I choose. I purposely choose a book that most kids would not pick up on their own. They usually end up loving the book and it opens them up to new choices. Keeping a literacy library full of many different genres and levels is also key. JJ
ReplyDeleteGetting kids to love reading is one of my goals as a first grade teacher. This is especially challenging with struggling readers. Providing opportunities for shared reading, interactive reading, independent reading, and of course, guided reading groups on a daily basis are all important parts of developing young readers. I try to make my classroom library an inviting place where kids want to be. I want the kids to have access to all different genres and reading levels. The kids also have browsing boxes with leveled readers that they can read independently. Our first graders also take home leveled readers to read with their parents, as well as read books online through www.raz-kids.com.
ReplyDeleteAbove post by MR1
ReplyDeleteMRid- I feel that this is the biggest obstacle we face as first grade teachers. The teachers in the lower grades have to begin to build this passion for reading that the teachers in the upper grades can grow and foster. When a child begins to enjoy reading, his or her confidence sky rockets and it reflects in other areas of the curriculum as well. I see this each and every year! I got a Kindle this year and can see what a difference it has made in my own love of reading. Maybe it's the newness of the technology in my hands or the ability that I have the power to choose what I want to read, I have been really enjoying reading more and more. All in all, I think that we as educators need to remember to make reading fun and keep our kids excited about reading!
ReplyDeleteIt is so important to instill a love for reading at a young age. If a child loves to read it is going to make a world of difference in them being successful in the years to come. The children that struggle with reading, it is very difficult to get them to love reading. Providing many different reading opportunities throughout the day will help to develop young readers. My classroom library is an inviting place and I always caught kiddos there relaxing and reading with a good book! MH
ReplyDeleteCLM-We can foster literacy development in nonreading young GT children by surrounding them with a print rich environment, reading aloud to them daily, implementing reading and listening workstations, and providing for dramatic play of stories/plots/poems etc. Students can be involved in the acting itself, or the creation of sets or music, or writers of the adaptations. Providing multiple experiences is done through the above mentioned concepts and plans.
ReplyDeleteTo continue to foster reading in the upper elementary grades according to Martin's study they cited a "lack of choice" as one of the components of declining reading interest. So we need to provide choices! This can be done by offering different literature choices for a unit of study, or for a book club, or choices within a genre study.
The physical ways that a student reads can also vary: a hardbound book, a Nook or Kindle book, reading with a peer or aloud to a family member, or even listening to the book on CD. This variety also provides more choice for the students.
Quality literature choices need to be offered as well as ongoing assessment (formal and informal) in the classrooms. The practice of differentiated reading instruction and quality questioning strategies are also integral
to this plan for the upper elementary grades.
In My Best Friends are Books the basic premise to enrich intellectual development pivoted around book discussions with other gifted students. We can set this up with our GT clusters as another avenue of interacting
and involvement.
RR-Literacy development begins in the very early stages of childhood, even though the activities of young children may not seem related to reading, early behaviors such as reading from pictures,labeling objects,story time, are all examples of how we might encourage emergent literacy and are an important part of literacy development. While it has nothing to do with emergent readers, it is important to find exciting and interesting books to read aloud to older kids,book discussions will also facilitate intellectual enrichment. This will sometimes stimulate older children and helps to renew interest for those kids who have lost the initial excitment of reading. With the support of parents, caregivers, early childhood educators, and teachers, as well as exposure to a literacy-rich environment, children will learn to love reading.
ReplyDeleteLK-Reading, as with writing, kids need a social destination for what they are doing. Human begins have a need to make connections with others. these social connections can be a source of motivation when it comes to reading and writing. One of the ideas that struck me when reading the material for this lesson was that when a child is reading above grade level, the reading material we provide for them should not only be at their intellectual level, but emotional level. The other idea was that children need to see the significant adults in their lives as readers and know that they value reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm in agreement with all the previous comments-well said!! In addition to balanced literacy practices, I think there are three fundamental elements of fostering reading in the classroom: time, choice and social interaction among peers/ teacher. It is sad that the older kids get, the less they tend to like reading. I have talked to a number of teens who say that the number one reason for this is the lack of choice. The older kids get, the less opportunity they are given to read for pleasure. Too many times, they are overloaded with comprehension questions and other tasks that take away the enjoyment of reading. So how then do we hold kids accountable while ensuring time for kids to simply get lost in the story? I have struggled with this in my classroom and can not say that I have found a foolproof answer; however, two books changed the way I have structured reading time. The first is Nancy Atwell's The Reading Zone. Atwell, a middle school teacher, asserts that teachers can kill the love of reading by over emphasizing comprehension questions and strategies. Rather, kids need time each day to get in the “zone of reading”. Not only are kids given classroom time for reading each day, she communicates with every student as they write back and forth in their reader’s notebook. The other book is Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer. Also a middle school teacher, Miller taps into kids’ interests and provides stacks of recommended books for each student. In fact, she requires that kids read a minimum of 40 books in her class and swears that by the end of the year, kids are asking for more! In her book, Miller quotes Stephen Krashen’s research (in The Power of Reading) that illustrates that “no single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students’ comprehension, vocabulary, knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading.” It’s all about getting the right book in the right hands at the right time. Not an easy task, but well worth the effort!
ReplyDelete(MMS)One of my favorite things about teaching 2nd grade is that is the year the majority of children get really into chapter books. As a teacher I love to read a variety of series chapter books to my class such as Horrible harry, Magic Tree House, Goosebumps, etc. and it is the best feeling to see the children get so involved with the characters and the storyline. They race to find another book in the series as soon as they can. This is because of how the book is modeled and the conversation that is sparked by it. Luckily at RCE we rarely if ever use the basals and give children the choice to pick the books they want to read. The Daily 5 gives them ample opportunity to read for fun which motivates all children to want to read versus being told what to read. If I have an unmotivated reader in my class then I try to really focus on what interests they have make sure I expose them to it. Thankfully all of these books on line can capture their attention if the paper/hardback does not.
ReplyDelete#5 KC- As a non-reader myself until college, I sometimes feel bad when parents make me feel like I am not doing my job as their child's literacy teacher if I don't change their children into kiddos who suddenly LOVE to read. It happens, but not often enough so we need to recognize that some people just have mathematical/logical minds. If that is the case for a kiddo, then let's say it is OK for kids to read hilarious poetry, informational text with factoids, or those old choose-your-own-adventure books? Whatever happened to those? Setting up free reading time is key; even if it is just for a few minutes a day. I always tell parents that it is a good idea to let kids listen to audio books simply for the experience of hearing the “sound” of literature. That’s how I got enjoy some of the classics that you can hear for free on the audiobook iphone app. That’s also how I introduce all of my students book clubs so they can hear the names of the characters and setting by listening to at least the two chapters on an ipad. Plus, sharing snippets of different genres of books is good to do because you might just spark the interest in someone unexpectedly. I used to do that at the end-of-the-day in my classroom through my ipad speakers. Luckily, the war related historical fiction and survival themed novels that we read in 5th grade seem to be motivating to most readers, but not all. I have realized that the reason my own two children developed a love of reading was because my husband has read to them most of their lives. Yes, it's a joke that Mommy doesn’t have time to read, but I really tried to stop being that kind of role-model at home and need to stop being that kind of teacher too!
ReplyDeleteJL - My big excuse is that I do sooooooooo many other things and fall asleep if I sit down, so consequentially, I don't read much myself. Self help books will trip me up every time. I teach visual reading with art clues that tell stories. When on their own, students can write many versions of a story by observing visual clues. With apps, students can be encouraged to compose stories about art found in technology.
ReplyDelete