1. The term aliterate readers stood out as a source of concern. These are students who have the ability but not the desire to read. The text states that our aliteracy rate has surpassed out illiteracy rate.
2. The chart on page 7 entitled "A Complete Reader" made me feel as if I needed to go to confession! I feel like I have spent most of my time looking at phonetics, fluency, comprehension, sematics, and syntax and almost no time on interest, attitude, motivation and engagement.
3. On page 17 the author discusses the use of interest inventories. Layne suggest we target the most disenfranchised students to use their interest inventories to help students select appropriate books.
1. We have disengaged readers in our classrooms.
ReplyDelete2. Reading inventories can help me match students to books.
3. Book chats were an integral part of my day last year in 5th grade.
1. I found the graphic organizer (diagram) on page 7 very interesting. As a reading coach, I tend to focus on the left side, but haven't done much with the right side.
ReplyDelete2. I have had lots of conversations with teachers about setting goals with students about their reading. BUT he actually MODELED setting a goal. (Reference page 29.)
3. In chapter 3 I found it quite amusing when he "yelled at the student for being in the Bermuda Triangle". What a great occurence to cause a teacher to reflect!
I also seem to focus on the left side of the chart. I am trying to introduce teachers to the right side. I am glad we finally worked out how to post on the blog!
ReplyDelete1. As a classroom teacher, developing an interest in reading for pleasure was a priority. As a reading coach, I try to motivate students school-wide. Unless the teacher has a similar attitude, students may end up reading only to get points, to write a book report, and will probably hate reading. I like the idea of having an inservice on issues related to teaching the WILL of reading.
ReplyDelete2. "Why won't Johnny read, even if he can?" is a statement that really bothers me along with the fact that 52% of Americans ages 18-24 read no books for pleasure in 2002. Why? Too much TV, technology, video games? The author suggests that the real reason is that they have not been taught to value books because many kids have never 'truly experienced' a book. How do we address this in the classroom?
3. I really, really, really liked the "I thought of you" and the Navy SEALS stories. I recognized so many of my students there. I was glad to see that he only targeted 2 kids per quarter to motivate. That might make the teachers (and me) see it as a more practical goal (and I won't have to color on their face with a turquoise Sharpie.)
I also felt the "I thought of you" was a very do-able strategy we could use with our struggling readers. I am so glad you were able to comment and hope you can help me help others during our meeting tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to know more about Mrs. Henshaw's (Ginger)5th grade class and their book chats.
ReplyDeleteThe Complete Reader chart was convicting.
ReplyDeleteDo teachers give students inventory assessments about what they like to read?
I can see Book Chats being very beneficial for the struggling readers.
I gave teachers inventories to use at the beginning of the year. Have what I'm reading posted outside my room. We are starting literacy circles. I hope it all makes a difference.
ReplyDeletejasmith I agree with you that if students feel that we have a heart (passion) for the things they like they will be motivated to read. I get stopped in the hallway all the time by students that want me to know their progress. I think the push they need sometimes is to know that we care.
ReplyDeletetallen & bmrichburg I love interest inventories! I think many teachers fail to use the inventories because they have so much to do they don't have time for one more thing. Recently we had a new student to enroll. The student seemed very difficult and had a lot of gaps in his academic achievement. I had a tutor who I wanted him to begin to trust to do an interest inventory with him. It opened a whole new world to us about the difficulties this child had experienced in life. Since I had read this text I shared with her about the "I thought of you...." and it has opened new opportunities of attempt for this student.
ReplyDelete1. The ALITERACY POEM - If you can believe it, I had NEVER heard that term, aliteracy. I actually did a little of my own research (via the internet) after I finished reading Chap.1
ReplyDelete2. Another term that stood out to me, disengaged readers
3. And the place where I marginated WOW!..."because people who don't read make all of their future decisions on what they used to know. How can they base their decisions on anything else? Old knowledge is all they have...if you don't read much, you don't really know much. You're dangerous."
I found the interest inventories interestng. I don't think the teachers have time to really get to know their students. I think everyone does everything by rote these days. I think half the battle would be won if the teachers were more careful to generate a bonding between their students. It seems like human nature; you show me you care, I respond...rather than Linda you are right people who don't read make all of their future decisions on what they used to know. How can they base their decisions on anything else? Old knowledge is all they have...if you don't read much, you don't really know much. That is why we must create a love of reading in children...so that background knowledge can be built. How can we get parents involved more?
ReplyDeleteAnother good questions from Tonii :) How do we get parents more involved? As coaches we think alot about getting teachers involved so they will in turn get their students involved. So, I'm thinking...Why not book chats? Deliver a book chat during a PTA meeting as an intro. and invite parents to sign up to do a book chat of their own for an appropriate grade level, depending on the book...or maybe a book club consisting of teachers and parents for the purpose of a shared book experience and then going through the process of planning and delivering a book chat for each other as practice. Then take it to the classrooms and encourage studetns to do the same. Maybe an afterschool club? I don't know...I guess the possibilities are unlimited. Just a thought :)
ReplyDeleteTonii, you are right on target. I agree that we, including self, get caught up in doing everything on the skills checklist and leave off the bonding. I made an effort this week to SLOW DOWN and spend one on one time with some of the students. We talked about their likes and dislikes with reading and set short goals. It has been amazing!! I'm more motivated and so are they.
ReplyDeleteYo, that was a great idea to use an interest inventory with the new student. I need to start doing that. Not only can we learn about the student but it says,"I care about who you are" to someone new and possibly feeling insecure.
ReplyDeleteI know that this isn't really in the first 3 chapters, but I loved the ALITERACY POEM. I shared it at data meetings to help get teachers to thinking about what we do to our students. I thnk the interest inventories are a great idea and I will encourage teachers to use them. I guess my favorite was the chapter on book chats. I have given them, but I feel much more confident now.
ReplyDelete