[LIT] Encouraging student reading...how do YOU do it?

[Lucinda Marcello]

Thank you, Patricia.

You have given me many ideas on how to improve our reading comprehension in 
class this year.

Lucinda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patricia Sankey" <sankpa at hamiltondist.k12.wi.us>
To: <lit at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: [LIT] Encouraging student reading...how do YOU do it?


>I teach 6-8th grade students who have scored non-proficient on the 
>Wisconsin exam.
>
> In my 7th and 8th grade class, we begin with SSR time.  They respond to 
> their reading either on post-it notes or in their reflective reading 
> journal.  They are responsible for dating and noting each day.  On 
> Fridays, they reflect on their reflections...what did they notice about 
> how they read this week?  The kids are often honest with themselves on 
> their reflection.  They hand in their post-its on a piece of paper with 
> their reflection written on the back or their reading journal with their 
> reflection written in a different color pen at the end of their last note. 
> I write back a small note.  I will often use their reflection for an 
> informal conference on Monday with each student as well.
> Part of their participation grade is their ability to stay S and S during 
> SSR time.  They also get points for handing in their written reflections.
>
> I  read aloud in class as well.  I have the kids respond in various ways. 
> Sometimes they draw pictures about what is being read, sometimes they 
> write a prediction, sometimes they question the author, sometimes they 
> summarize.  We share a few of these each day and keep them on a huge piece 
> of paper for us to cross check and reflect upon as we read.
>
> I involve the parents for the outside reading.  I allow the kids to read 
> virtually anything at home...magazines, hypertext, website text, some 
> video games, books, instructions, manuals, textbooks,  picture books to 
> younger siblings, or anything else the parents can come up with.  I ask 
> them to read 20 minutes 5 days a week.  The parents are required to note 
> what was read and sign off on the log.  These logs are worth some points, 
> but not a huge amount of points because I don't want to force parents to 
> lie for their kids.  What I like about this is that the parents and the 
> kids are talking about literacy at home.  I also love the phone calls 
> regarding "what I count as reading".  We've had some fantastic 
> conversations about the amount of reading some video games require and 
> excellent discussions about how much reading happens at computers.  Often, 
> the kids will ask to share something that they read outside of class.  We 
> have an active bulletin board that we use to note the forms of literacy 
> that we have read over the week.  One boy last year brought in a greeting 
> card that he didn't "get" because he didn't understand the humor.  He 
> brought in a fantastic "on the fly" lesson about humor and use of 
> language.  It was great!
>
> For the 6th grade students, I am in their House classrooms during 
> Literacy, but they come to me during lunch for book club twice a week.  We 
> choose a book to read that is at our reading levels.  Then, the media 
> specialist gets us all the book and we assign pages or chapters to read. 
> During lunch we talk about what we read.  I require the kids to make notes 
> about what they read on post-its.  They use these to help with the 
> discussions during lunch.  The kids get invited to this book club (based 
> upon a nonproficient Wisconsin test score or upon teacher recommendation) 
> and feel honored to be there, so they keep up with the reading.  It's 
> actually REALLY fun, and they tell me it's the first time they felt like 
> real readers.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
>
> Patricia Sankey
> Reading Specialist
> Templeton Middle School
>>>> "Lucinda Marcello" <rpmgrace at cox.net> 08/09/07 7:38 PM >>>
> I am curious what ways you are encouraging your students to read in and 
> outside of class.
>
> It seems more and more that reading competes with Xbox, text messaging, 
> Myspace, etc.
>
> Do you keep them accountable? Do you grade their effort? Do you use 
> reading logs? SSR?
>
> If so, how do you manage it to make reading effective? Share what works 
> for you, please.
>
> As a newer teacher, I am all ears!
>
> Thank you.
> Lucinda
> Secrist M.S.
> Tucson, Az.
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