The Book Whisperer

This is a perfect time to start a blog...I am about to begin my 5th year of teaching! I have enjoyed every minute of it, and I have so much to share with you.  But, before we embark on this year's first grade journey, I wanted to tell you about one of my summer reads:

I guess most teachers are introduced to the concept of "Round Robin" reading in their teacher prep. programs.  Students are asked to sit in a perfect circle, taking turns reading from the same book, then answering questions about the reading. B.O.R.I.N.G. The truth is that one book is not going to inspire every student, nor is every student on the same reading level.

This summer, I read a book called The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child, by Donalyn Miller.  It really opened my eyes to the fact that students need to be encouraged to choose their own reading material.  And that there needs to be class time devoted to independent reading.

The book introduces us to three types of readers:

Developing Readers

These children are not reading at grade level.  They don't feel like they'll ever become strong readers.  They need to be supported by their parents and teacher at their current reading level. And they need a substantial amount of reading time to apply what they have learned in Language Arts.

Dormant Readers

These are children who are unmotivated and disinterested in reading. They read because they have to, but never for fun.  They need to be in a classroom that values independent reading, and where they are shown that reading is engaging!

Underground Readers

These children love to read, read, read, and won't let anyone stop them! So, get out of the way! They are often bored in class because they have advanced reading abilities.  These students need to be engaged in books that meet their reading needs as well.

Here are some points that I took away from The Book Whisperer:

• If I do not make time for my students to read in class, why should they make time for it in their lives?
• Students need a prominent place to read with comfortable conditions.
• Students should be encouraged to discuss the book that they're reading with their parents, teacher, classmates, and friends.
• Students should be able to abandon books that are boring to them and start a new one.  They shouldn't feel like they have to finish a book just because they started it (I often have that problem!).
• Students should be exposed to a variety of genres and authors through read-alouds.
• Parents and teachers should spend time reading children's books, so they have recommendations to offer.
• Parents and teachers should set an example of reading for pleasure...while dinner is cooking or while on the treadmill.  Share your love of reading with children.

"No single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students' comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading."

~Stephen Krashen

My husband carries a book with him wherever he goes...to get a haircut, on his lunch break, and when we first got married...to family functions!  No, he's not anti-social.  He just loves to read!  He reads every chance he gets. 

I plan on dedicating time in my classroom for my Firsties to become engaged in books that interest them.  They may not be able to read all of the words just yet, but I hope that this special time will create life-long readers just like my husband!

Jessica