Now it’s time for me to tell you about my first roundtable session! I first began looking at this session because of its amazingly awesome alliterative title: “Relevance, Relationships, and Reading Lives: Fostering Students’ Reading Engagement.” I just love alliteration, don’t you? What sealed the deal for me was seeing who would be presenting. Some of my classroom heroes including: Donalyn Miller, Katherine Sokolowski, and Colby Sharp!
I wasn’t the only one excited to see these amazing teachers, because soon the room had standing room only. As a result, the presenters decided that we could stay where we were and they would come to us!! Without further ado, my notes on reading engagement!
- To foster reading habits students need to be surrounded by books; complete immersion.
- Students should be constantly reading, writing, and talking about reading and writing.
- Teachers need to maintain high expectations for students’ reading and writing.
- Demonstrations from a master reader and writer (the teacher!) greatly benefits students.
- Students need to feel that they can be successful in the classroom.
- We want our students to have a sense of self-efficacy, so that they can continue being avid readers and writers without the teacher’s guidance.
- The ultimate goal is to create independent learners, readers, and writers.
- Include assignments that build a sense of community in your classroom.
- Let students know who you are and your expectations.
- Have students write reading autobiographies; sharing their past experiences with reading.
- Utilize technology to connect students with authors and more books. Examples: www.shelfari.com, www.goodreads.com, and www.whatshouldireadnext.com.
- Identify what is in the student’s way of them being a reader.
- Give students permission to take a break from homework to read for a while.
- Have students plan where they want to be/what they want to achieve that year.
- Students don’t want to read books that make them feel stupid. Find really good books that are at their reading level.
- Teachers need to be readers if they want to encourage their students to be readers.
- Build your classroom library!
- Set the mood and talk about books on the very first day of school.
- Students need time to read in class, at least 20 minutes every day is best.
- Buddy Reading – 2 kids read the same book at the same time.
- “Conversations in the classroom should be like conversations at the dinner table” – Nancie Atwell.
- Strive to have a conference with each student at least once every two weeks.
- Give student a hook – a question that makes them keep reading to find the answer.
- Watch book trailers, incorporate graphic novels and audiobooks.
Colby Sharp & Author Jennifer Holm
- Skype with authors
- Create memorable moments for students with books and authors.
- Connect your students through Twitter.
- Look for authors on book tour.