Subjects Matter
(Page 184) “…to grow the community of lifelong learners around our schools, part of every school day must be devoted to independent reading. Period.”
I think we’ve established in class the importance of having students read every day at school. So how do we convince teachers the value of this, that reading isn’t just a waste of time, and that kids really will read if you put something worthwhile in their hands? We’re exploring the possibility of implementing a school-wide SSR next year that is built into the school day. What do you think it will take to convince the faculty who are not a part of this study group that this really will improve student learning and make students more successful in all of their classes?
For those of you who do SSR in your classes: What do you do while the students are reading? In this chapter the authors suggest having conferences with students about their reading, but I always had difficulty keeping students focused on their own reading if I wasn’t doing the same. I found my students to be most engrossed in their books if I was reading along with them. This also gave me the time to read lots of YA literature and be able to make recommendations. Has anyone tried the conference thing with success?
When Kids Can’t Read
(Page 184) “…to grow the community of lifelong learners around our schools, part of every school day must be devoted to independent reading. Period.”
I think we’ve established in class the importance of having students read every day at school. So how do we convince teachers the value of this, that reading isn’t just a waste of time, and that kids really will read if you put something worthwhile in their hands? We’re exploring the possibility of implementing a school-wide SSR next year that is built into the school day. What do you think it will take to convince the faculty who are not a part of this study group that this really will improve student learning and make students more successful in all of their classes?
For those of you who do SSR in your classes: What do you do while the students are reading? In this chapter the authors suggest having conferences with students about their reading, but I always had difficulty keeping students focused on their own reading if I wasn’t doing the same. I found my students to be most engrossed in their books if I was reading along with them. This also gave me the time to read lots of YA literature and be able to make recommendations. Has anyone tried the conference thing with success?
When Kids Can’t Read
I love how Beers gives all of the features struggling readers like to find in books. Perhaps if my teachers had known this when I was in high school, I would have read some books. There always seemed like there were a million words on a page of those classics and there was practically no margin! I think students have been given so many books that carry no interest for them for so long that they tend to lump all books into one category: boring. The world of YA lit has exploded over the last several years and the choices are endless. I’m amazed at how much the section has grown at Barnes and Noble; it has doubled in size over the past few years. I think we also need to remember that just because a kid (or adult) doesn’t read a book doesn’t mean he’s not a reader. There are so many other types of material out there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my husband read a book, but he reads the newspaper every day religiously. How many of us read magazines? It’s important to recognize different types of reading. Does it really matter if a kid doesn’t read a novel if he reads tons of other informational text?
14 comments:
Subjects Matter Chpt. 8
Teachers shouldn’t need convincing that some sort of independent reading time (IRT) would benefit their students. The research is too concrete for them to disagree with it. How do we convince them that they can have IRT and still have time to teach what they have to teach is the issue. (It is possible.) I do, however, believe that for some kids it doesn’t matter how worthwhile the text is, they still won’t read it. Having taught my first CP class last semester, there is a definite difference in the IRT atmosphere of a CP class and a lower level class. In my lower classes, I always have to ask kids to wake up or to keep their eyes on their texts. This occurred far less frequently in my CP class, almost never in fact. I have one student this semester who never reads during independent reading and he had his choice of Alex Flinn novels. They’re worthwhile and enjoyable, right? I realize that for some kids, boys in particular, reading is torturous, due in part to the fact that they’d rather be doing something more active that most likely involves less brain power and more physical power. I just wonder if my kids, when they’re out in the adult world, will ever read from intrinsic motivation like it talks about at the bottom of page 183. That is my dream come true. (Well that and meeting Matthew McConaughey.)
When Kids Can’t Read Chpt. 14
I thought this chapter gave EXCELLENT ideas for helping students find the right books, especially reluctant readers. Who knew that not enough white space would cause a reluctant reader to feel overwhelmed? As a middle school and early high school student, I was a voracious reader. I was never overwhelmed by the books I chose for myself or ones we had to read for English. As a matter of fact, I spent much of my allowance on books and can remember being angry if a book I wanted wasn’t long enough because I felt like I wasn’t getting my money’s worth. (I don’t remember checking books out of my school library or the public one. Sure could have saved myself some money that way.) Even as a proficient reader I love books with short chapters, so it makes sense that struggling readers would like that too. It makes it much easier for me to find a stopping point if I have to do something mundane like unload the dishwasher or clean a toilet. (Do one chore; read a short chapter; repeat.) I would imagine this could make a real difference to a student who doesn’t enjoy reading. Does it matter if a kid doesn’t read a novel? I don’t think you would say someone’s not a reader just because they don’t read novels or nonfiction books. I do think there has to be a balance to ensure that kids are at least occasionally committing themselves to longer texts. But if English teachers are going to begin moving away from using novels in the classroom like Pat Ogletree says, maybe it doesn’t matter.
Daniels and Zelman Chapter 8
I agree with Claire that you shouldn’t have to convince teachers that SSR is a good thing. I came from another school district that mandated it as a separate period for 20 minutes each day following lunch. Several students used it as a study hall and resented being told ‘not to do homework’ but instead read. One can quickly understand the student’s thinking there but still the SSR period will not work if its not implemented by the teacher in their own classroom. I also agree with the authors that we can’t assume that post-secondary school our students will then get a chance to enjoy what they read and then become life-long learners because in most cases it just doesn’t happen. I also liked the workshop idea where the students pose questions in their journals reflecting their own concerns-definitely relevant. The SSR period also provides the time that Christy was looking for in her last blog to actually have meaningful one-on-one conferences with her students.
When Kids Can’t Read Chpt. 14
I finally feel less nerdy...Claire I also spent much of my money in middle school that I made babysitting on the Sweet Valley High books. Do any of you remember those books? I used to wait on new books in the series to come out and look forward to time all by myself to read a book that took me far away from the stages of adolescence that I found myself going through. I think introducing kids to book after book is one way to get kids to read but to find shorter books that have more “white space” as Claire mentioned is not bad if it will get an intimidated reader to actually try to read piece of adolescent literature. I finally went shopping at Barnes and Noble and spent the money we were given in December and found that the students liked the stories that resembled something in their lives and they actually fought over the books during the book choice time. I knew that there had to be something right with letting students choose and also presenting them with books that were of interest, historical, fictional and non-fiction. As Diane saw in her observation, I am far from master at the book club but eventually I think the students will reap the benefits even if they are my guinea pigs right now!
Subjects Matter - Ch. 8 - I am a big proponent of us going to a school-wide reading program. An after lunch period of about 25-30 minutes would be ideal, because it would also help to settle the students down. My students read for 30 minutes a day in Academic Support, and I still have a few that I am struggling with to get them excited about SSR. I have two sophomores who are reading machines. One has read 50 books since the start of school, and one is close behind with 49. They are unique in that they both read at home. I have one junior, African-American male, who will fuss at his classmates if they talk or bother him during SSR. He has read 10 books and is working on number 11. I know that he does not read at home at all. In fact, he probably doesn't even tell his friends outside of my class that he has read this many books, but he loves to read during SSR time. I bet we have a whole lot of students like that.
Ch. 14 - When Kids Can't Read
Jamie and Claire, I am also a book nerd and have been since I was eight. For that particular birthday, my mother gave me the first six books in the Nancy Drew Series. I bought a new book everytime one came out. I have the first 58 books in the series in hardback. The first 56 are the old denim cover, and I understand they are collectors' items. I would not part with them for anything. They are proudly displayed at home on a bookshelf. I even have the Nancy Drew cookbook. My own love of reading comes from someone finding the just right book for me at an age when I was ready to read, and I love when I help my students find that just right book for them. There is nothing better than a trip to Barnes and Noble, and like Diane, I am amazed at the explosion in the YA section over the last few years.
March 26, 2007 SCRI Blog
Subjects Matter, Chapter 8; Independent Reading Workshop in Content Areas
I disagree with the Daniels and Zemelman re: having a ready-made stash of content area-related articles for students to read while wending through the textbook. It makes more sense (for a variety of reasons) to utilize the media specialist, media center, and computer lab and have students do their own research….. Jamie Spires has been using this strategy for years. Imagine that, teaching students about Information Literacy, abiding by Fair Use for Educators (no choice since it is the law), shoring up computer skills, and really and truly tapping into what students are intrinsically interested in researching.
I think convincing folks who are not currently in either SCRI Study Group or employing SSR in the classroom to “buy into” SSR next year will be a challenge. Most teachers, hopefully, will provide students with a wealth of books and periodicals to choose from and model “best practices” by reading themselves. I have a hunch a much smaller group will be more of a “tough sell.” It will be interesting to watch. As Tip O’Neill said, “All politics are local.”
When Kids Can’t Read, Chapter 14; Finding the Right Book
Reluctant readers who come to the Airport High School media center love nonfiction. Graphic novels, the Guinness Book of World Records, drawing books, Garfield and Peanuts comic books, and Chicken Soup books are continuously being checked out. These readers gravitate toward biographies and are quite enamored with books about sports stars, musicians, and actors. We have purchased many 32 and 64 page books to try and fill a void that existed in our media center. We had many several hundred page long nonfiction books, and LOADS of outdated stuff that “had to go”, but not much for students reading toward the lower end of the Lexile range and next to nothing to Special Education students. That dismal situation has been rectified… thanks in no small measure to Shelly Hardin for getting the proverbial ball rolling with some great suggestions! Come on by and check out our nonfiction!!
Chapter 8 Subjects Matter
Independent Reading Workshops in math would be a fantastic way to help students connect their math lessons to the real world. I have students that say they are interested in building construction but can’t understand why they have to learn math. I want to start collecting a wide variety of reading materials using career information as a starting point. I’m sure students would find it interesting reading information about different careers such as educational requirements, skills needed, employment opportunities and even income potential.
Chapter 14 When Kids Can’t Read
I’m definitely the reluctant reader but love to read for information. I could readily identify with the students that walked into the library and appreciated the box labeled
“Good Books”. This chapter has given me many ideas of how to encourage reading. I’m going to start by adding a section on my student information sheets asking them if they enjoy reading and what do they like to read. This will be something they can share with each other, once I place them in their small groups. Hopefully out of these discussions, the readers will be able to get some of the reluctant readers excited about a certain book or article.
A wander-around book is a book something like Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Book of Lists for Teens, or Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses? It's not like a novel where you have to read it from start to finish to understand it; you can pick out a section here or there to read.
When Kids Can’t Read – chapter 14
Subjects Matter – chapter 8
March 26, 2007
In response to Diane’s question “Does it really matter if a kid doesn’t read a novel if he reads tons of other informational text?”…
I think that at times students should be allowed to read texts besides novels. I have my students do reading responses after they read each day which helps them to think back to what they just read and ask questions, make connections, make predictions, etc. I wouldn’t mind letting my students choose other types of texts but I have not yet come up with a way to regulate what is being read/how often/and the response after. I know that I need to just sit down one day and come up with a response guide for students who read the newspaper or magazine articles so they can show me that they are doing the same thing the other students are doing as they read but with a different text.
While my students read for SSR each day, I usually read with them. Like Diane said, I do find that the students are more focused on their reading when I am reading too. Unfortunately, I find myself thinking of a million other things I “should/could” be doing during SSR time and I have to remind myself not to feel bad that I am taking the time to read with my kids.
In order for our teachers to be gung-ho about the idea of a school-wide SSR time we would need to have something for each teacher to share with their class (and for the teacher’s knowledge, too) that gives reasons why reading is so important and why we have SSR. If a teacher knows that reading is important doesn’t know how to express those ideas to the students then the students are not going to be interested. In other words – we not only have to get the teachers on board but we have to give the teachers something to help the students get on board. If the students don’t think it’s worth it then the teachers are going to be less willing because it may end up becoming a struggle within their classroom. A quick SSR seminar of “here’s why, here’s how, and here’s the information to share with your students” might make teachers feel more comfortable about implementing this new idea.
Subject Matters Chap.8
The concept of SSR is back again. I believe that it can be worked out. When I was at Airport as a student, we had club time like Lola mentioned and we had SSR time. I don’t remember exactly how/when SSR time was implemented, but I do remember it. I also remember being involved in wonderful clubs here at Airport.
I think that independent reading workshops would help all students connect their learning. Kids need to know how everything in the job market is related to what they learn in school.
When Kids Can’t Read, Chap. 14
I too like Rita what the reluctant reader. I remember reading some books as a child for school assignments and sometimes for pleasure (in elementary school), but my extent of reading for pleasure consisted of the Reader’s Digest Condensed Version and a lot of church material. I wasn’t allowed to invest my time in any type of book that wasn’t considered appropriate reading. I also remember my parents taking me to the public library for research and nothing else. I guess that is why I read to my children from the day they were born. I’m glad that our students are using the library for more than just research and I hope that in the future that we can reach all students including Shelly and Becky’s students. We need to encourage students to read all types of material from magazines to novels.
I enjoyed reading When Kids Can’t Read, Chapter 14. It was very interesting to read the title Finding the Right Book just after one of my students asked me if I had any good books that she might enjoy reading. I would not know what she enjoys reading unless I know her interest and what type of books she enjoys. I also like to do a Book Pass at the beginning of each semester. A Book Pass helps the students get a taste of what the book is about and then they can rate their favorite books by interest. Then, the student can read the books in order of interest. I also enjoy reading aloud to my students. “While many students will tell us they don’t like to read, few will tell us they don’t like to hear a good story” (Beers, 290). Amen to this! At the beginning of the year, my students would not want me to read to them, now they ask me about it on days that I don’t read. It’s amazing to see how much they enjoy listening to read alouds. One thing that I want to do more with my students is take them to the library. This is important so that they can see a wide variety of books. I have some students who will never go to the public library so it is important for them to go to the library at school.
Participating in the SCRI course has improved my teaching skills especially in teaching silent reading. So many times in the past, I would read the material to the students and then follow-up with comprehension questions. Now, I give them the time needed to read articles and books silently, summarize, and discuss the material read. It took some time to teach them how to read silently. Record keeping was necessary to monitor their progress and to encourage them to continue. They really enjoyed using the Reading Response Chart because it was a short and sweet way to summarize the story. I liked using the chart because it assisted the students in predicting, summarizing, and connecting during their reading each week.
I also look at reading differently. I try to think of the various processes I personally go through when reading. I then try to make sure my students use some of the processes.
Making connections is so important to my students. Because when they connect, they remember. Also, making predictions, asking questions, marking text, relating the material to other materials/movies and writing summaries are all important tools to use when reading. They all help them remember the text.
Several years ago we had SSR reading time placed into our schedule. At the time I was teaching Freshman Focus and it fit right into to what I wanted to do with the students, show them that reading can be fun. I do not know how many teachers actually used that time and I don't know why it disappeared from our schedule but I thought it was a worthwhile endeavor. If it's going to work though, we need to have 100% of the faculty involved in it.
As for what the student reads, I believe what they read has to be of value to them. I allowed my Freshman Focus students read what they wanted to (magazine, comic book, novel, etc.) instead of me forcing them to read something that meant very little to them. I also had them keep a journal of what they read and read these journals myself, kind of an assessment.
Subjects Matter- Chapter 8
Well, I love the idea of a built-in SSR time. I have been thinking that the new freshmen teams could possibly build this in to our schedules. I have been using the first ten-twelve minutes of class to devote to SSR. Most students LOVE this time to read. Surprise- my CP class seems to value this time much more than my two honors classes. Like Kelly, I usually have a million things to do but when I settle down to read, there seems to be more participation from my students. I have to admit that I like the reason to actually read. When I am reading something funny and laugh out loud, students will often ask me what is funny. After reading time, I will ask them what they read. Daniels and Zemelman mention the importance of mini-lessons to improve the concept of SSR in classes. Daniels has written a whole book devoted to literature circles and mini-lessons. It is a wonderful resource for a novice like me. See Diane’s copy- I am sure that she will not mind loaning it! If someone has been successful with conferences during this time, then please talk to me and give me some pointers. I hope that we can convince the rest of the faculty that SSR is valuable to all content areas. Claire mentioned that the research supports SSR but we may have nay-sayers in midst (hard to believe, I know). We need to be vigilant to support this in our school.
When Kids Can’t Read- Chapter 14
Like many of you, I am also a book geek. My husband does not understand my obsession with books or my insistence to never throw away a book (it is against my religion!). My children’s book shelves are over flowing! Thanks to the media center for expanding our selection of nonfiction and biographies- my favorite! Until I took this class, I had not read a YA fiction book in years! I did not realize how it had exploded. I had never even read Hatchet. I bet I have read 10-15 YA books this year- thanks Alex Flinn. I agree with Beers- we have to sell the books to our students. I have read passages, talked about the author, taken kids to the library, and teased my students with scenes. I like nothing better when I have recommend a book to a student and they come back to tell me they LOVED IT!!!
During SSR, I often try to also read so that I can show my students that I too read for enjoyment. This is also something I ask of my 4 assistants to do as well. I like for them to see that reading is something that we do as adults and something we enjoy (well, I at least try to enjoy it - :0) ). I do also talk with my students about what they are reading and try hard to get them to talk to me about it. As with all studnts, some of them are more willing to do that with me.
I think that part of the problem with my not liking to read are a lot of the things that Beers addresses. I have always been bored with reading. I also have a problem with text that is small and it stresses me out to have to look at so much on one page and try to really comprehend it because I get lost in just the print! I have always classified myself as not a reader, but I do read, I read tons of magazines, e-mails, webpages, blogs, etc… I just am very intimidated by books as most our students (especially those who are struggling readers). The suggestions that she gives of how to set up a box of good books, reading aloud, creating book jacket bulletin boards to draw interest, and to connect with students personal intersts are GREAT! If only someone had done some of these things when I was in school, I think that I would now be a much better and more willing reader.
I loved the idea of independent reading workshops in content areas. I did not provide time for independent reading when I was in the classroom. If I had my own students now, I would certainly structure time for independent reading.
Again, I am impressed with the authors’ practical ideas and advice. Placing sticky notes with comments about student performance in squares on a chart is a clever idea. The reminder that journals and learning logs are informal and should not be marked for grammar or spelling promotes student sharing and saves teacher time. That “[i]t will take time for good teachers to build up their article sets” reminds us to be patient with ourselves. The last paragraph in the chapter reminds us that using the Internet really expands our resources.
The paragraph about making the classroom a more active learning community elicited one of my favorite classroom memories. In a heated whole class discussion following a guest speaker’s presentation of alternative ideas about the nature of cultural evolution, all students engaged in expression of diverse views. The students listened to and responded to each other. When the class ended, I felt like I had conducted a symphony of creative, and, certainly, unrehearsed thought.
I fit in that “book nerd” category that many of you owned. I love books. I find it hard to pass a bookstore without going in and then I am tempted to buy a book even if I have a bunch I have not yet read. Just today, I heard a review of Cannibal Women. I immediately wanted to read it. Beers’ rationale and suggestions for “Finding the Right Book” reminded me that many students not only do not love books but also may really not like what I like. She also helped me know how I can help them find what they like. My connection to the phrase “bird by bird” is “one glass at a time.” A friend described how she cleaned up after a party. The concept does help overcome the dread of an overwhelming task.
“If you absolutely had to read a book, what would it need to be like for you to enjoy it?” This question connected to the useful question I heard at the literacy conference: “Well, I know you don’t know, but if you did know, what would you say.”
Realistic language is a problem in our conservative district. Lexington School District Two policy requires offering an alternative book for classroom assignments if parents request it. I have received complaints from parents about language use in both Slam and Jake Reinvented. This year a student approached me in the cafeteria during lunch to question approval of the language in the book the class was reading.
I agree that we need school-wide SSR and I want all teachers to want it. Oh well . . .
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