The focus of this chapter
was sharing your reading life with your students as well as offering practical
strategies and suggestions that can be implemented in the classroom that allow
students to have choice and make decisions about what they are reading. As I
read this chapter I couldn’t help but reflect on my own school experiences with
reading. I still remember that my fifth
grade teacher read each book from The Chronicles of Narnia series aloud to the
class. I do not think I missed a day of the fifth grade because I wanted to find
out what would happen next. I also
remember laboring through some not so fun books during high school. I love to read! I want my students to love to read. I love sharing books and reading aloud to my
students. I want my students to be
excited about learning to read and reading.
I enjoyed reading this
chapter. There were many thoughts and
ideas that stood out to me. First, I
love the idea of talking with and asking students why they think we spend so
much time reading. This is a great way
for teachers to gain insight on how their students view reading. Next, I liked Routman’s suggestion that as
teachers we should not only share what we are currently reading with our
students but we should also talk with them about what we plan on reading next
and how we decide what we are going to read next. This is a great idea for a mini lesson. I loved the idea of keeping a class chart of
favorite authors and a basket of recommended books. This would provide guidance for students that
are struggling to decide what to read and also create interest in books. Other great ideas from the chapter include
providing time for students to recommend books to one another and finding a way
for students to keep a record or list of books that they want to read as well
as establishing a system to keep track of the books that students have read. Learning to read is a huge part of
kindergarten. I want my students to be excited about what they are reading. Even though the majority of my students are emergent readers
there are many ways that I can nurture a love of reading in my students while also
helping them take ownership of their own reading and reading choices.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteI also found the class chart to be a neat idea. I think our kindergartners would be excited about choosing books from the class "favorites" bucket! If they see that their friends like certain books, they may be more encouraged to check out that book as well.
Hi Beth,
ReplyDeleteI love to read too and the Chronicles of Narnia is one of my favorite series of all time. You shared how you agreed with Routman's belief in chapter 3 that as teachers we need to work to foster a love of reading in our students and you highlighted a few of the strategies she suggested that you could use in your kindergarten class. I believe your students would love a "Now" and "Next" chart or bulletin board where they could share pictures of the books they are reading now and pictures of the books they want to read next. I agree that even our youngest readers can develop a love for reading and this can drive their motivation for learning how to read and continuing to read. Thanks, Dawn