Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Have a Good Day






Image from @grammarly

Friday, September 11, 2015

She Doesn't Know

Something amazing is inside a book.She hates to read. She only does it because she has to for school. Reading is hard for her. She feels like she is suffering during SSR(Sustained Silent Reading). At the beginning of the year, she was fake reading a book that she didn't understand. 

She doesn't know what she doesn't know. There's a story inside of books, and excitement and adventure, and mystery, and drama, and happiness, and sadness. Books take you places that you have never been and let you go to places that you dream. Books let you meet people--some that you like and some that you hate.

I know reading is not easy for her, but it is so worth it. If only she knew. There's just so much to know about the magic in books.

I wonder if anyone ever told her things a book should do?

1) You should enjoy reading the book. You are glad you picked it up. You don't want to quit reading when SSR is over. You want to take the book home and read some more.
2) You have pictures in your head while you are reading.
3) You can hear the characters' voices while you are reading.
4) You can read most of the words on each page.
5) You know what the book is about.
6) It might be a book a friend recommended.
7) It might be a subject you want to learn more about.
8) The book is by your favorite author.
9) The book is part of a series and you can't wait to read the next one.
10) You want to talk to friends about the book and share about it on your blog.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Are You Wearing Your Glasses?


Image from @Grammarly

Monday, August 17, 2015

Weekly Reading Assignment

Students' Weekly Reading Assignment rewards effort. Students choose a book that they want to read from home, the library, or the bookmobile. The only requirement is that they log the title, time read, and pages. 

Any time students read it counts. They will read on some days during language arts, and daily during SSR--Sustained Silent Reading time(1:30-2:18). In addition, they can read at home, on the bus, while they are eating breakfast, once they finish a test or assignment in another class. Any time they read it counts.

As a teacher, I reward the students that make the most effort. Although grades are not entirely tied to how hard a student works, poor grades are reflective of a lack of work ethic.  If a student wants a better grade, just read a little more.  I even give extra credit for students that read more than 250 minutes.

A =    250 + Minutes
B =    200 - 249 Minutes
C =    150 - 199 Minutes
D =    100 - 149 Minutes

Each time students read they will put it on their Reading Log. Then, at the beginning of language arts, students log their minutes on the online Reading Log.

Although students have no direct assignments associated with Weekly Reading Assignment, many of the activities and projects in class are based on the book they are reading. When students write about their book, it is easy to monitor comprehension and see if students are "getting it." The fact that students can pick their book to read helps because they can find a book that interests them.

So if you want a good grade Reading Workshop students, all you have to do is read!

The first Weekly Reading Assignment is due on Friday, August 28.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The Best Way to Get Stronger





Image from @Grammarly

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Want to be a Better Reader?




Image from @rgowgreene

Friday, May 1, 2015

Want to Read a Mystery?


Thursday, April 23, 2015

Happy World Book Day


Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Reading Poetry

Poems are built on ideas, experiences or emotions in a condensed form that makes the reader search for understanding.  The reader should slow down, think about each line and the words in it, and then reread and reconsider.

However, to understand poetry the reader must not go gently, but should attack.  As we begin to spend time in Reading Workshop with poetry/word study, students must overcome their fears and dive into the language of poetry.  Whether it be as a reader, analyzing the work of others, or when revising their own work, students must go full speed ahead.  They need to take the advise given by Eve Merriam.


How to Eat a Poem

Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.

You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
or plate or napkin or tablecloth.

For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.

What is Merriam's point?  What about the poem makes you think that?  What thoughts do you have when tearing into her poem? Or others? How does this compare to the way you revise your own poems?

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdot/10362168/sizes/s/

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Time to Read

Why are you smiling? Oh, because I said, get out your book. It's time for SSR.

Today in class when this happened, I smiled too. As a language arts teacher, nothing beats having students that enjoy reading. The sixth grade class this year has many readers. We are lucky too , because the library has about 10,000 books and all of them are geared towards adolescent readers. With such a great selection every student can find something interesting and exciting.

So thanks, Travis. You made me smile too. I am glad you enjoy reading!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

The Last 20 Pages

Please complete the form below.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Start with an Event

I just finished reading Compound by S.A. Bodeen. This is the opening scene:

My world ended with a bang the minute we entered the compound and that silver door closed behind us. The sound was brutal. Final.   .   .   .   My fists beat on the door. I bawled. The screaming left me hoarse.

In the next few pages the book explains that Eli's family is in an underground shelter but his twin brother Eddie and his grandmother didn't make it. Eli's father, mother, and sisters Lexie and Terese managed to get safely inside within the forty minutes needed to survive.

The world just ended with a nuclear explosion. Eli's family was safe only because of the compound. Eli's father (a billionaire) had prepared them for this day and made provisions to help them survive underground for the next 15 years.      

Eli was forced to live with the fact that he caused Eddie's death. Eli had talked him into sneaking into their grandmother's car. She didn't make it back to the compound in time to get to safety in the shelter. Now Eli had to spend each day knowing his brother, his twin died because of him.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

What Happened in the Book Last Night?

Here is an example written by Trinity T. in about 15 minutes.

Gecko had stolen a car from a lady. He was trying to find his brother Reuben but couldn't find him on foot. He was under age to be driving. He was only 13! The lady called the cops and he had cops after him in a few moments of driving. He was going about 80 mph down the highway trying to find his brother. He finally found his brother running out of the door at a game store with a bunch of games. Gecko figured his brother was stealing the games. Reuben spotted Gecko and ran to the back door. He hopped in with all of the games in his hands.

The cops started to catch up with him and soon were on their tail. Up ahead was an old lady pushing a stroller with a baby in it. Gecko swerved the car and the car started to spin. Gecko slammed on the brakes and the car stopped. Gecko noticed that he had missed the old lady. He sighed in relief. The cops were long gone. No where to be seen. So he headed back to the house. Gecko started to think that his life needs to change.

This is from the Gordon Korman book, The Juvie Three.


Thursday, October 23, 2014

Is Your Teacher Making You Read?

The class was having SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) and I noticed a girl scooting around in her chair. I started watching her and every little bit she would glance at her book and then look all around the room. She looked one way and then the other. She tried to see through the blinds on the windows. She wanted to take a restroom break. She looked at her friends trying to catch their attention. The one thing she never did was read her book.

This girl obviously was only reading because her teacher was making her. She does not like to read. She can't even fake it well. SSR clearly makes her miserable. But of all the reasons to read, reading because your teacher makes you is the worst.

She could read because:

1.   She wants to learn;
2.   She found an exciting book;
3.   She is on the fourth book in a series and the first three books were awesome;
4.   She can't wait to see what happens next;
5.   She wonders who did it;
6.   She can picture the story;
7.   She imagines herself as the main character;
8.   She loves books by that author;
9.   She likes scary books like the one she is reading;
10. She wants to solve the mystery in the book;
11. She hates the main character and wants to see if something bad happens to her;
12. She saw the movie (Maze Runner, Divergent, Hunger Games, Twilight, Holes);
13. She wants to read the book before she sees the movie;
14. She isn't a good reader and wants to get better;
15. She knows she will have to write about the book;
16. She wants to have intelligent things to say about the book on her blog;
17. She heard it was a great book from her friend;
18. She and her friend are reading the book and talking about it;
19. She wants to know how the main character will solve a problem.

Reading should be fun. Reading should be exciting. Reading should be a story in your mind where you can't wait to see what happens next. If it is not this way, here is what you should do:

1.   Get a different book;
2.   Try an easier book;
3.   Try a different author;
4.   Try a different genre;
5.   Ask a friend for a recommendation;
6.   Ask me for a good book;
7.   Pay attention to when you stop getting a picture;
8.   Reread, a page, a chapter, or the whole book until you get a picture.

Whatever you do, don't just read because your teacher is making you.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Why We Read in Class

I have always believed reading makes the best readers. That is the reason behind the Read at Home assignment. Recently I found an article on Twitter that talked about reading in school and how some teachers and their assignments kill students' love of reading.

One part states:

I don’t have time for in-class reading.” Have you ever said this? I used to say it all of the time. If you commit to instilling a love of reading in your students (the most important part of education), then you must make time to read in class–every single day! Two or three times weekly isn’t good enough. Readers read daily; it’s this simple. The single best lesson I ever learned is this: books are the best teachers. Books are more important. Let your students read.

I can't say it any better. This is why The Reading Workshop is based first and foremost on reading.

Image from http://msrosenthalsclassroom.wikispaces.com/

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Read Your Way to a Good Grade

Students weekly Read at Home assignment rewards extra effort. Students choose a book that they want to read from home, the library, or the bookmobile. The only requirement is that they log the title, time read, and pages.

As a teacher, I reward the students that make the most effort. Although grades are not entirely tied to how hard a student works, poor grades are reflective of a lack of work ethic.  If a student wants a better grade, just read a little more.  I even give extra credit for students that read more than 180 minutes.


A =    180 + Minutes
B =    120 - 179 Minutes
C =    60 - 119 Minutes
F =    0 - 59 Minutes

Although students have no direct assignments associated with Read at Home many of the activities and projects in class are based on the book they are reading. When students write about their book, it is easy to monitor comprehension and see if students are "getting it." The fact that students can pick their book to read helps because they can find a book that interests them.

So if you want a good grade Reading Workshop students, all you have to do is read!

Friday, March 15, 2013

An Amazing Story of a Reader

Savannah never read a chapter book before this year.  Somehow she got to six grade and never finished a chapter book.  She was a fake reader.  She tried reading Scat five times last year.  She kept getting lost and restarting.  It didn't matter because she didn't get it anyway.  Besides, reading gave her a headache.  

Talking about second grade she said, "They pulled me out because I couldn't read. I was just below average."  In her pullout class, she had to read these little books and little pamplet stories.  She just really didn't read though.

Her grandpa started the change.  He would read with her.  He would help her figure out the words.  It started with One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  That was the only book she liked.

She came to sixth grade and had to start logging her reading for her Read at Home assignment.  At first she just logged what she wanted her goal to be so she had to read that night.  Then she found The Hunger Games.  She connected to the story and it made her want to read.  She finished the series and found other good books to read.

Before she knew what happened, she began to read because she liked it.  Now she reads at least an hour each night.  Her mom has to make her stop reading.  She reads books, understands them, and writes about them.  The last book she read she finished in two days.  She's an amazing story and the story is just beginning.  Great things are ahead for this girl that just became a reader.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

A Spiderwick Kind of Class


The students in 604 have been infected by Spiderwick.  Over half of the class has read at least part of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's five book Spiderwick Chronicles series. These books venture into the world of fantasy with an easy to read style.

In book one, The Field Guide, after their parents get divorced, the three children, thirteen-year-old Mallory and her nine-year-old twin brothers, Jared and Simon move with their mother into the Victorian home where their great-aunt Lucinda lived previously.


The kids discover a world of faeries, a secret library hidden in the house, and later discover Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You in a chest in the attic. Soon after moving in, odd things begin to happen, like strange sounds in the walls, and small unexpected and unfriendly other occupants are in the house.


This is a fun series with nonstop adventure  through all five books.  It is great to see a class find a series they enjoy.  And the good news is there are three new books they can read, Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Friday, October 5, 2012

The Easy Way to Get a Good Grade

Students weekly Read at Home assignment rewards extra effort. Students choose a book that they want to read from home, the library, or the book room. The only requirement is that they log the title, time read, and pages.

As a teacher, I reward the students that make the most effort. Although grades are not entirely tied to how hard a student works, poor grades are reflective of a lack of work ethic.  If a student wants a better grade, just read a little more.  I even give extra credit for students that read more than 180 minutes.



A =    180 + Minutes
B =    120 - 179 Minutes
C =    60 - 119 Minutes
F =    0-59 Minutes

Although students have no direct assignments associated with Read at Home many of the activities and projects in class are based on the book they are reading. When students write about their book, it is easy to monitor comprehension and see if students are "getting it." The fact that students can pick their book to read helps because they can find a book that interests them.

The emphasis on reading is largely based on the research from Richard Allington. Allington cites four "background factors" associated with why students have difficulty with reading. According to the author:

1. the amount of reading that students do in and out of school was related to reading achievement;
2. children who spend more time on workbook activities versus reading text are more likely to have difficulty reading;
3. children who come from homes where reading is not modeled have difficulty reading; and,
4. students who have difficulty providing details and arguments to support interpretations of what they read have difficulty with reading.


According to the author, time on task is the best predictor for reading success in students. Put simply, more reading is equal to greater academic achievement.

The bottom line--if students read more, their grade improves and they become better students.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Is That Book Exciting?

OK, so you are sitting here in Reading Workshop during SSR (Sustained Silent Reading).  I look up from my book and I see you fidgeting in your chair.  You are squirming like your seat is on fire.  You turn the page without even reading the whole page.  You look around the room, but you can't find anyone to join you in your boredom.  Uh oh, are you like the Queen of Fake Reading?

If your book isn't drawing you in, you need to get a better book.  There are 12,000 books with several thousand titles in the book room.  Find one that you can be a part of and read.  Don't read a book that isn't exciting.

The guy beside you is staring at his book so intensely you think he might stare a hole in the page.  What is going on with him?  Why is he looking at his book like that?  He won't even look your way.  He is pulling the book closer and closer to his face.  He has a death grip on it.

Guess what?  Some books are exciting and he found a great one.  He found a book with action and adventure, that he understands.  He has become a part of his book.  He is living in it and with every twist and turn in the plot, he is drawn more and more into the story.  



What book are you reading?  How does the author draw you into the book?  What makes the book you are reading exciting?