It is my hope that all children learn to love reading and believe that it is valuable and even necessary in their lives. Sometimes though, and in a climate that is highly pressured for everyone involved in education, I wonder if children know why it is worth the time and effort to read other than to be a good reader. Have they had good reading experiences to make them interested in reading? Do they have choices about what they read? Have they seen good models of reading in their lives? Are there shows on tv or other forms of media that reference back to good books or other written texts?
When I taught first grade in Florida, we had a special time every Friday when we could show an episode of Reading Rainbow? Do any of you remember that show? Did you have a favorite book or a favorite episode? Was there another show or outlet for hearing books read that was meaningful to you such as reading time at the library?
Some research suggests that reading is more meaningful when it isn't just a matter of restating information that you read or answering questions. What does it take to make reading meaningful for you?
I've always loved to read, so the thought that some kids don't kind of blows my mind. There are so many stories I've read over the years that have influenced my interests and the way I view the world. As a teacher and reading tutor, I want to open up that possibility for kids. Even if a love of reading is a goal to be attained later, it's important to build children's reading skills for everyday life. Whether it's email, a newspaper, or the assembly instructions for a bookshelf or stereo system, you're going to encounter the need for reading as an adult. That can be the first step and finding things those kids want to read will fall into place later.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous post. I have always loved to read and it makes me sad that some children do not. My favorite part of the day was when my teacher would read aloud to the class and I have very fond memories of that all the way through elementary school. As a teacher it is my goal to help children acquire the skills that they need to be good readers and also to motivate them to be life-long lovers of books. In order to do this, I need to find out the interests of my students so that I can find reading material that is interesting to them. Reading is vital to success and I hope to help every child be a successful reader.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child I loved shows like Reading Rainbow. I don't remember any specific episodes, but I know I spent hours and hours watching it. I also was fortunate enough to have special reading time at my local library that my kindergarten-2nd grade teachers took me to. I especially enjoyed the books that pertained to my interests - humor, books about families, books about baking, etc. My favorite book series was The Berenstain Bears. I had every book in the series up to a certain point and I read them and had them read to me over and over again. At the time, I didn't really realize that I was learning to read and gaining comprehension skills that would last me a lifetime, I was just all about the funny plots and the situation I could relate to. However, I now realize that I was lucky enough to be exposed to so many books that I loved, so that I could learn to love reading in general. As an educator, I can take this to heart and hopefully use my knowledge of how to obtain a love for reading to pass that love down to my students.
ReplyDeleteIt’s disappointing to think that some children may view reading as something that they are supposed to become proficient in so that they can pass tests and progress in school. Reading is so much more than that- it is a window into our past, present, and future, a tool that gives us a glimpse into other places, cultures, traditions, beliefs, and perspectives.
ReplyDeleteI was actually a big fan of “Reading Rainbow” when I was younger. I remember tuning in to the show at home and enthusiastically singing along with the theme song. That’s neat that you helped your students experience this show when you taught in Florida. I’m sure that it helped them discover that reading can be fun!
I think it is really important for us to read an article about what children want to read, because this should be a huge consideration as we select books for our classrooms. As future teachers, we need to have extensive knowledge of the various genres of literature so that we can spark our students’ interest in reading. The books that a teacher chooses or suggests can either encourage or dissuade children from becoming avid readers. I think that reading is much more meaningful when I have a choice in the matter. When I have personally chosen a book to read based on my preferences and purposes, I am much more likely to enjoy that book and derive more meaning from it. I think that the same is true of many children. Given a choice of what they can read, they may develop a love of reading, rather than simply seeing it as a boring chore or assignment. Looking back to my elementary days, I remember how exciting it was when we were allowed to choose our own books to read. This freedom enabled me to explore various authors and genres, helping me to form ideas about my favorite types of books. Students want to feel that they have a say in their own learning, and allowing them this tiny bit of freedom is a great way to show them that they do have control over their education.
I remember going into the library here in Muncie-Kennedy Branch, and enjoying everything about it. I liked the smell of the books, the warmth, the fun of finding something to read. I also got to spend time with my mom. We also had the book mobile here, so when we couldn't go there the books came to our neighborhood. That was such a good program.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I remember getting so excited when my mom would ask me if I wanted to go the public library by my house. I loved going there because there was a separate section dedicated to children. There were beanbag chairs for reading, a little stage where kids could perform, computers to do activities on, and tons of books. This made me feel like reading was important and influenced me to like reading. I think it is disappointing to think that some children hate reading or on the other hand, just simply don’t have access to books. I think children should be able to choose what books/genres they want to read when they go to their own school library. This freedom gives them the opportunity to explore different books and find out what they are interested in. I think reading is much more meaningful when you have a say in what you are reading because you are interested in that topic and will hopefully acquire a passion for reading.
ReplyDeleteLike the previous posts, I have also always loved to read. It is sad to me to think that some children do not get joy from reading but rather frustration and a belief that the pure purpose of reading is to become a good reader. I remember being read to at an early age by my parents and enjoying going to the public library to hear special speakers read books. My favorite memories of reading was participating in reading theaters. This was a fun way to read and be able to dress up and act in the process. As the article we read suggested, I believe that it is extremely important to provide children with a great reading experience early on so they do not get turned off to reading. As a teacher I can do this by first getting to know my students and the things that interest them. Children are more likely to enjoy reading if they are reading something that is of interest of them. I think it is also important to promote reading outside of the school setting. Parents should be kept involved and encouraged to read with their children at home. I even remember having parents come to our class sometimes to read which encouraged us even more to want to read. As a teacher I would also provide various reading experiences with all varieties of genre so students do not become bored but rather look forward to reading everyday and the adventures that can come along with reading.
ReplyDeleteI have so many fond memories with books as a child. Even before I could read them, I remember looking at beautiful illustrations and my mom and dad reading to me. Not soon after, I began picking up reading myself, and I was reading well in pre-school. I remember visits to the library, having a "Pajama Story Time" at the library, and being enrolled in the summer reading program (consecutively for about ten years, at least). Let's face it, I just loved books and I loved to read!
ReplyDeleteThis being said, I realize there are children who don't have the parental support, the motivation to read, the exposure to quality children's literature and so on, that I had as a child. I think that if there is any way whatsoever to tap into a child's interests, he or she could begin to love reading.
I remember I liked to read mainly because I could learn about people, places, animals, and characters outside of my small town. If we can harness the interests of a child and start with books he/she likes, then, the process skills of reading will soon follow.
I personally agree with a number of the posts above. I believe that students deserve to have meaningful reading experiences in school. Often times I think teachers choose books that they enjoy reading, rather than allowing their students to pick books according to their own interests. When I first began reading I did not find the experience enjoyable until I managed to find something that sparked my interest. My uncle bought me Harry potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and I was so deeply interested that I found it difficult to put the book down. I think it is our job as teachers to help children have that initial experience to get them fully interested. Tutoring will be excellent practice at assessing reading levels and picking books that interest our student within that level. I honestly believe that the first step in helping struggling readers is by finding books that interest them. The motivation to read stems from enjoyment, the skills will then follow with practice.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with most of the previous posts. I have so many memories of my parents reading to me either at the library or at home. I loved watching reading rainbow or Mr. Rogers and listening to the stories they read on those shows. I also loved going to the library for story hour or even to just look through books to read!
ReplyDeleteAs a future teacher and reading tutor it will be my job to get my student(s) motivated to read. Since our world is so technologically savvy now it will be as important as ever to incorporate that into my lessons for reading and to show the students that reading can take you to new worlds and places that only books can take you. Once students are excited to read the practical side of things will come into play and they will want to learn to read!
I have been in many elementary schools over the past few years, and have seen first hand, at least half of every class I have been in, students who would rather do anything else in the world than to read. I feel that because of the technology and the time crunch with ISTEP that teachers have to compete with and deal with make it harder for them to show students that you can enjoy reading. When I was younger I used to watch The Reading Rainbow on my own time out of school. This made my interest in reading grow, which then caused me to get more books from the library. I also had teachers who would read to my my class daily or every other day during my elementary years. I feel that with how times are changing there is less time and emphasis on "enjoying" reading, which is unfortunate and the cause of why many students today are struggling.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I loved to read and was very proud every time I finished a book.I have so many memories of reading when I was little. For example, I would play school and read books to my fake students. In addition, during the summer my local library have a summer reading program which gave me motivation to read in the summer. I would love to finish a book and see what kind of prize i would get or how many more books i needed to read to reach my goal for the summer. I feel as if technology is a reason that not many kids read as much as we did in the past. Kids are usually playing videos games or watching television. I believe as a teacher I need to motivate my students to read.In addition, I believe parents should make their child read a little each night.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger I loved to read. My grandma taught me to read from the Dick and Jane series. I loved to sit in her lap or my parents and listen to a good book. My favorite were ones with bright colorful illustrations and pop up books. I do remember watching Reading Rainbow all the time. We used to watch it in my kindergarten class as well. I think that show and my grandma reading with me all of the time are the reasons I like to read today.
ReplyDeleteIf you walk into a classroom today, most, if not all of the kids will say they don't like to read. That is because they don't have choice, they are a struggling reader, or no one instilled that reading can be fun in them. I think media plays a big part in that. If there was a video game that incorporated literacy and fighting, there would be a lot more kids that like reading. I do not really know of any tv shows that promote reading. To make reading meaningful to students, the teacher has to show them that it can be fun, interactive, and educational.
When I was in elementary school, I loved to read and that carried through into middle school and high school. Once I came to college, I was forced to read textbook after textbook and I think that made me lose my love of reading. I think this is because it wasn't something that I was interested in or I wasn't getting much out of it. My professors weren't getting me interested in the books and weren't showing me the greater picture of why I needed to know the information in the textbooks. I still love to read kids books, but haven't read a book just for me since high school. It is kind of sad and I hope I will find that love again.
ReplyDeleteI think that for teachers, they need to not make it seem like they are forcing reading on students. I think to make reading meaningful, they need to make reading fun and allow students to read books that interest them so they will be engaged in reading and continue to love reading throughout their life.
In elementary school, I can't seem to remember much about reading before 4th grade. Once I hit 4th grade, my teacher would choose a lengthy chapter book to read from each morning. It was her reading to us that really got me into reading, or more so the book she began with, Harry Potter. When she began reading Harry Potter to us, I was captivated, picturing everything in my mind as she read it. It was her introducing me to Harry Potter that really got me wanting to read, to see what else was out there. From that moment on I was in and out of the Library on a daily basis, picking out books to read on my own.
ReplyDeleteIt is my intention to pass this love of reading to my future students. I plan on incorporating reading into every aspect of the day, beginning with what made me love to read, a story to start off the day. I plan on providing my students with every opportunity to read at school and at home.
Throughout elementary school, I loved reading. I remember being provided with a lot of DEAR time. This was a time where students were told to be quiet and read. Some students would read but I feel a lot of students just daydreamed, talked, or pretended to read. I think it is so important that students actually use the time given to read. I hope to include reading workshops in my class so that the reading time is much more interactive and student driven. I want my students to enjoy the time they are given to read. I want them to have the opportunity to read books and recommend favorites to other classmates.
ReplyDeleteReading is such an important part of children's education that I feel a large effort must be made to create an atmosphere that the children enjoy. Reading should be done daily and students should have the opportunity to read by themselves, in groups, and read aloud to by the teacher. By creating an inviting reading environment, hopefully the students will be motivated to continue reading throughout their life!
I used to be the kid that hated reading, I always felt pressure to read and felt that books were forced on me. I wasn't a struggling reader, but I never enjoyed it. It wasn't until I read a great book that I liked that I started to enjoy reading. From my own experience I think it is important for kids to pick their own type of book or reading material because they can learn to love to read by themselves. Students need to find an outlet for making reading more interesting. As a future teacher I hope to guide my students. I want to be able to encourage them to read and give them choices on books.
ReplyDeleteMy parents read to me ever since I can remember. I've enjoyed all kinds of children books, although Dr. Seuss and Charles Schulz remain two of my favorite authors. Comic books seized my attention at a young age and I thought I would never stop reading them. Even though I haven't read any comics for quite awhile, Star Wars is one of my favorite books.
ReplyDeleteIn Kindergarten, we would sit in a small area that had descending, carpeted steps. Mrs. Loy had reading time in that comfortable corner every Friday and it was very enjoyable. She would invite us to bring in books that were of interest to us.
My wife and I have read to our daughters even before they were born and still do today. We all share the love of reading. I look forward to working with my fourth grader this semester and hope that I can increase his level and love of reading.
In elementary school I did not like to read because it was something I struggled with. I struggled enough that I was pulled out of class for a few years to work on my reading skills. I felt like reading was something I had to do for school, it wasn't fun just what I had to do. In middle school I discovered books that I actually enjoyed reading so reading became something I wanted to do outside of school. So I can relate to children who do not enjoy reading and I will work hard to show my students that reading can be fun.
ReplyDeleteShows like Reading Rainbow, Arthur, and Mr. Rodgers helped get me interested in reading. I also think that some of my teachers making time to read aloud everyday showed me that reading was not just for learning, it could be fun too.
When I was younger I dreaded reading. I had to get a tutor due to the fact that I read slow. I comprehend everything I read, but I just like to be sure I read everything. Having a tutor made me feel as if I was not a 'good' reader and seriously discouraged me from reading. It wasn't until I got to college that I searched for books I enjoy reading and have a passion for reading children's books as well as books on education as well as informational books.
ReplyDeleteDuring school I was not exposed to Reading Rainbow or any other show to encourage reading. Outside of school I watched Reading Rainbow, Zoom, Arthur, etc. This allowed me to find an appreciation for reading.
I personally feel that my experience with reading was so negative due to the fact that we were encouraged to read only for AR tests. I rarely went to the library and got a book that I was interested in. I am now enthusiastic and dedicated to ensuring that my future students do not have this same experience nor the same attitude towards reading that I used to have.
I remember that when I was little I loved having my parents read to me. I then went through a time period where I absolutely loved reading. I participated a lot in the Pizzahut BookIt reading program and loved it. For awhile I was hooked on one book series and read all of the books as they were published. As I got older I found it tougher to find books that kept my interest. In my family I am known for starting to read books, but never finishing them.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I still love reading children's books, but I find it tough to find books for myself that I enjoy. I think that it is important to expose children to as many different genres of books as possible. It is through this exposure that students will find the different kinds of books they enjoy reading.
I have always enjoyed reading, even as a young child. Reading was always fun for me, because I was given many options. There was never any difficulty in being able to read, but I also feel that this is because I was given the choice to choose what I wanted to read.
ReplyDeleteI was also exposed to many programs such as Reading Rainbow, and Mr. Rogers. Because of this, I feel that I was shown a way to make reading fun and enjoyable. Also, I feel that my parents were huge supporters for my enjoyment of reading, and always had a story to read at night, or bought books that they thought I might enjoy.
Although I enjoy reading, I have seen many children struggle with enjoying reading. During my past educational experiences I feel that there are many students who struggle with the like of reading. I feel that this is because they are provided with little options to choose from, or are given no option at all. I feel that when I have my own classroom, I will do my best to provide as many options of reading material and encourage students to have a choice in what they read.
When I was in elementary school and through middle school I had trouble with reading comprehension. It was not so much that I did not understand what I read, but more that I was thinking of other things while I was reading a passage. I would be able to think of completely different things while still, under the surface, be able to read. I still do that sometimes but it has gotten a lot better since my youth. I love reading now but back then it was a different story. Reading to me was a chore that I did not want to do.
ReplyDeleteI still remember, to this day, that my mother bought me a few little booklets that had short passages in them and then questions at the end about the story. I don't remember officially but I think this was at the suggestion of my teacher. I remember absolutely hating to do those things but I was made to do them. I am honestly surprised that I was not turned off from reading because of that. As for Reading Rainbow, I remember the name but I cannot remember if I ever saw any episodes of it. That isn't saying much, though, because I cannot remember very many things that we did at school from my elementary years.
Reading for me now is a way to let my mind travel to distant places and think of things that I never thought existed. I really wish that every child could feel how much fun reading can be if they can get past the stigma that reading is boring.
When I was younger, I did not have a strong desire to read in school. I felt as though the only time I could enjoy reading was outside of school because I was comfortable and was able to choose the book I wanted to read. Also, I had a strong example of readers at home. My mom used to read books every night before she went to sleep. Therefore, I feel as though this was a strong encouragement for me to read. I do not feel as though children today have positive reading examples outside of school. Most children view reading as a chore if they are unable to choose what they want to read. I feel as though reading should be made more entertaining for students and they should have more choice in what they are reading. If a child is interested in basketball, I do not see a problem with the child reading an article about Michael Jordan. As long as the child is reading, practicing fluency, and comprehending what they are reading, it should not matter what they are reading. I understand it is important to read great works of literature and textbooks, but during free time I do not see a problem with children reading what interests them.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my life, my parents have always had books for me and my sisters. Even though we could not read them they would still buy them for us and every night they would read us stories. The stories they read us were fun and engaging stories that either kept us laughing or kept us on the edge of our seats. We wanted our parents to read to us all the time because we enjoyed it so much. Having my parents do this is what made me the reader I am today. I love reading adventurous books and romance novels. Once I got to pre-school I was all about the books. I spent most of my free time around the "book Center" and there I looked at picture books. Even though I could not read I still looked at them because that is what I was interested in.
ReplyDeleteI have been in schools where I see children who do not like to read. They have no joy in it and they are not motivated to read anything, even if it is something they may be interested in. This makes me wonder if they had parents or teachers who read to them just for fun and enjoyment. I think teachers and parents need to start motivating students to read and this can be done by making reading fun and engaging. Allow the students to choose his or her own book, have them create projects on a book, just something that will engage the students in reading.
I loved to read when I was younger. I still have a nice collection of Little Golden Books that I always had read to me and read back when I could to my parents/sisters/grandparents/etc. However, in Elementary School I mostly read for the AR points and prizes. I was (am) very competitive, and being a top reader was my motivation to read. Once I progressed past 5th grade, though, I stopped wanting to read. After that, I never read a novel in its entirety for school until my senior year of high school, and even then we were not tested on the particular book. Being forced to read for a grade kind of took the enjoyment out of it for me. I guess the love of reading was never really instilled in me, though, considering I stopped once the extrinsic motivation was no longer there.
ReplyDeleteI have picked up a few good books since then and read straight through without stopping. The books I am drawn to tend to be non-fiction and highly sentimental. Books like "A Child Called It" or "Please Stop Laughing At Me" force me to keep reading so that I can make sure everything turns out all right in the end. Because of this, I know the importance of choosing books that are interesting or enticing.
Reading for fun has always been one of my favorite activities. I started reading when I was 3-I may not have comprehended all of the words that I read, but I could pull any book off the shelf and read it aloud to you. My parents had a hard time getting my twin brother to learn to read because he maintained that he "didn't need to learn, because Emily would reading everything to me!" I went through books like water, and we were lucky to live down the street from the library. It always stumps me just a little bit when I encounter a child who doesn't want to read, simply because that wasn't my experience.
ReplyDeleteI can clearly see where it would come from, though! I think that a lot of students struggle early on with motivation to read for fun. Unfortunately, I think teachers may be causing some of it! I've seen kids as young as first grade listen to a story read aloud to them, then go complete an activity (even just a simple coloring page) about the story. It seems harmless, but I think that is a really early encouragement for the whole "I read only so I can do the assignment, get the A, and pass the class" philosophy that so many older students have.
On top of the "I have to be a good reader so I can pass tests" ideas, teachers are also competing with the digital media age when it comes to pleasure reading. Kids don't want to read Harry Potter-they want to go see the latest movie. As one of my 5th graders put it, "Why would I waste a week reading the book when I could watch the movie and know what happened in 2 hours?" I cringed, because not only is the book better than the movie, they leave out a ton in the movies, and on top of that, this kid was a struggling reader.
Teachers are now fighting a dual-sided battle: they need to encourage children to find pleasure reading books that are right for them and their interests, but first, they need to convince them that reading itself is worthwhile! I don't think any teacher even half a century ago would have to have convinced a student that reading was a worthy pursuit. This is uncharted territory for many current and future teachers. That means we're going to have to start finding new ways to help kids engage in reading. I think technology is going to be critical in that endeavor.
The readings really emphasize reading for enjoyment no matter what the genre of reading. Reading is more than just an action, its a form of expression and understanding of new/different ideas. Children need to experience all types of literature and genres to be able to find enjoyment in reading. Everyone can find something they enjoy reading and that will encourage them to want to read more often.
ReplyDeleteIn many cases I feel as if children feel as if they are being forced to read books they are uninterested in and therefor become uninterested in reading. There is also a form of literature that most students dread to read, textbooks. I feel that textbooks are used so frequently that students associate them with reading and it detracts them from reading for pleasure.
Comics and poetry can bring new life into reading and students may enjoy reading again. My belief is that anything that motivates children to read should be used as a teaching tool. Reading for pleasure can not only help students in school but it will expand their knowledge and grow to see new perspectives. Teachers need to help create strategies that increase reading for pleasure and bring the fun back into reading.
I think “teachers must be readers before they can help children become readers”. It is like telling a child to be a respectful person and then walking around disrespecting everyone. The child is not going to take the advice seriously if he/she doesn’t see you performing or acting out the advice. Most children learn by modeling, which is why children have role models they look up to. When a teacher can model being a reader, then the student can follow the teacher’s steps and become a reader as well. We as teachers, need to be avid readers if we want to help children become “engaged readers”. I was seldom read to when I was a kid, so during my younger years I never had an interest for reading. I was the kid that hated reading and that would do anything to get out of it. When I look back at that, I hate it! I am not the most avid reader right now, but I enjoy reading for pleasure.
ReplyDeleteIn order to become a better reading model for my future students I need to help them understand why reading is so important. I don’t remember any of my teachers explaining to me the importance of reading and now I realize how crucial it is to let students know why they need to read. If teachers gave the students facts about why reading is so important and where it can take you, I am sure that would motivate some to start reading some more, it even motivated me! In order for me to become a better reading model for my students I need to get acquainted with more children’s books. I believe this class will help achieve this goal. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and I believe that makes a difference because the literature we used when I was a student in elementary school, middle school, and high school is very different because of obvious cultural reasons. I need to get familiarized with children’s literature in order to be able to become a better model for my students.
Far too often, I have seen children get frustrated with reading and check out completely. My brother was one of those. He never found reading to be enjoyable, which is a shame because since we were young our mother would read to us all the time. In fact, one of my favorite memories of my childhood is whenever there would be a big storm that would shut off of the electricity, my mother would light a whole bunch of candles, sit in her rocking chair, and read to us; or if she couldn't get enough light to read, she would make up stories for us.
ReplyDeleteI think the problems my brother had with reading are what worries me the most about teaching reading. My brother had plenty of good experiences with books, but he still struggled to read which made him dislike even just the thought of books. I'm sure thru our tutoring experiences, though, I can gain some confidence in situations like this.
I'm looking forward to meeting my student today. I spent forever looking over my children's book collection to try to think like a fourth grade boy. I'm excited to see what types of books will interest him, and I'm willing to accept the possible challenge of trying to help my student enjoy reading.
With the article we were to read, I loved the section on graphic novels. I enjoy reading graphic novels now, and I think it's an exciting way to engage some students who are turned off by a traditional book. After looking through the website it offered, I'm pumped to go to the library and see if I can find a couple of the titles listed!
I remember Reading Rainbow and I know that it was not my favorite show, but it did affect my reading. Although I was not a consistent reader throughout school I have come to love it. I feel this is an important step as a teacher because these feelings about reading can become contagious to your students. I was lucky to have teachers that cared about my reading enough to push me to work towards being the best reader I can be. During my student teaching I was shocked to find how many third graders had serious trouble reading. Two students in my class simply could not read. It was sad to see them struggle because their lack of reading skills only lead to frusteration and discipline problems in the classroom. I truly saw the importance of integrating reading throughout all of your curriculum.
ReplyDeleteReading has become a more prominent part of my life, but has always been something I have wished I had a stronger desire for. I was the student who did the minimal amount of reading possible in order to get by. I would cheat my way through reading quizzes and memorize facts in order to pass tests. It was not that I didn't want to read or didn't enjoy it, I just always felt rushed. I always felt that reading in class was a competition. I have always been a slow reader and growing up was incredibly self-conscious about my reading. I never finished when other students did and it took me a lot longer to find meaning in what I read. I believe that in order to make reading meaningful for students, they have to feel confident and interested in what they are reading. Teachers must teach the essential skills that students need for reading, but it is also the teacher’s job to provide resources and opportunities for students to engage in meaningful literature. When students are given adequate time, skills and resources, they will be able to engage in meaningful reading.
ReplyDeleteI think that I am one of the rare people who has never really liked reading that much. I obviously know its importance for students, but it was always hard for me to find interest in reading. I was always forced to read books that I didn't like about topics that I wasn't interested in. My favorite books are The Chronicles Of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, and that is because it has a large correlation with the Bible. I enjoy the Bible and faith is a big interest of mine, which is why I enjoy those books. It is because of this that I hope to be able to find the interests of my students and help them find a love for reading within the context of things they like. Just being forced to read random books isn't going to help the students learn or become better readers.
ReplyDeleteAmy Etchison
As a young child I did not like to read, I was embarrassed and afraid. I really hated to read aloud in class. As I grew up I began to enjoy reading a little more, and by graduation and college I find myself now loving to read. It is something I do to relax myself, whether on a beach or in bed late at night. I think it is critical for you to choose something that you are interested in when looking for books to read. I am a huge fan on romance novels and I love Emily Giffin. I choose to read those because I know it is something that I am interested in. Children need to do the same and we as teachers need to help and encourage that!
ReplyDeleteI always loved to read. My parents would read to me anytime I would bring them a book. They would tell me how to pronounce words when I didn't know what they are even when I woke them up early in the morning. In elementary school we had book-it and All Star Reader, a point system. The books that were more difficult were more points which mostly translated into more questions on the quizzes we took on the computer. It was a definite motivator. When your points added up you were awarded prizes. On book-it when you filled up an entire badge with stickers you earned yourself a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. I miss the '90s.
ReplyDeleteKelly Spieth
ReplyDeleteI think that having a choice of what you read is vital to reading. Many times I find myself reading and rereading and rereading again textbooks that are assigned in classes but I can read through a Nicholas Sparks novel in a day. It is all about motivation. If the child does not see any benefit in reading it, it will be much harder to make him read it. I think that if the children see an end result in reading they will be much more motivated to read. For example, I created a Lego house and provided step by step instructions written out for my child. I think that by encouraging him to read to build the house, he will see the benefit of reading and see a physical product out of it. I also think that allowing the children to read anything, even magazines or comics, is a great start. They are engaged and still learning things but they see it in a non-threatening way, and I think this is the most important thing. Many children feel threatened by books so they do not try to read. By taking the threat away they thrive.
Sarah Dunham
ReplyDeleteI find all of the websites helpful in different ways. I believe they show great theory and purpose in the practices and ways to teach. I loved the first website that had books leveled for you. That can save a teacher so much time. I believe those are great resources for us to have as pre-service teachers, because it allows us to educate ourselves in the areas we need to know about. The one thing I am finding difficult is finding printable books to give to my student. I feel that he does not have exposure to reading at home; therefore, finding leveled books that are printable seems to be nearly impossible. I do believe those websites will allow me to feel more confident in knowing where accurate information can be found. It makes me feel at ease knowing that I have a place to go to if I need more ideas or to find resources as well. Lastly, the fact that the last website had reader’s theatres already made and ready to use was amazing. So many times the most difficult part of that is having the actual script made up. Having the scripts ready to go will be most helpful when it comes to that time when my student is ready for that.
I think all the websites that were posted on blackboard are great resources for teachers and a couple of the websites are also student friendly and in which they can explore. I also really liked the first website with the leveled books. Since I do not know exactly how to differentiate between book levels yet this is a great resource to help when selecting books for my student. I also really liked the Reading Rockets and the Reading Lady Resources website. The Reading Rockets website provided many great strategies for teaching things such as phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. I also liked that the website provided a list of books based upon particular themes that your students may be interested in. What I really enjoyed about the Reading Lady website is that it provided downloads for strategy posters and readers theater scripts. Readers theater is always something that students usually enjoy and this website can make that simpler for teachers by providing a script that is already typed up.
ReplyDeleteI think all of the websites would be great resources for my student and I. The first site that caught my eye was the National Geographic for kids. I am a big fan of National Geographic and I find it very interesting to read. I liked this site because it's not just about animals. It has maps to show where those animals live, it has quizzes as well as interactive games. My student really like animals, so I will use this website to come up with activities that she will enjoy. I absolutely love the fist website too. It has a list of leveled books for every grade level. I have a first grade student that is below reading level. This site will help me choose books that are right for her. I also really enjoyed the Discovery Kids website. I found this helpful because it has questions on the side that are completely random like, why are skunks black and white? Kids love these kind of unusual questions. This would be a website I would let my students go to when finished with something else. These websites will be very helpful for me in the future!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many resources, both virtual and tactile, that are available to help students achieve in reading. All of the websites listed on blackboard are very different, but all work toward the common goal of helping students excel in reading. Parents and teachers stress the importance of having students reading books at the right level. There is nothing wrong with being challenged, or reading a lower level book for the pure enjoyment of reading. It is crucial for beginning readers to be able to be discerning when it comes to picking books to read. Students should not feel restricted to certain reading levels, but should use the levels to help them pick appropriate books.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite website of all the ones listed was Reading Rockets. This website has a large plethora of reading resources for students, teachers and parents. The site has videos, author information, and helpful strategies for struggling readers. Students struggle with reading for so many different reasons that it is hard to diagnose and analyze the problem for each student. This website helps give many different strategies so that students of all ages and reading apprehensions can benefit and hopefully excel.
I plan on using the reading level website to help pick appropriate books for the student I am tutoring. The site gives an extensive list of books with specific levels at which they correlate (1.70) which can help students sequentially move through a level of reading. I plan to utilize these sites and hopefully allow my students to benefit as well.
As a child I hated reading and did everything I could to avoid. I am a twin and my twin sister always performed better than I academically. It wasn't until about 4th grade when I started to like reading. My teacher at the time presented me with books that had topics that I would be interested in instead of the boring books that were provided during instruction time. I also remember watching reading rainbow videos, It was always my favorite time of the week.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would like to address the comment about books being more meaningful if it isn't just about recalling facts and details from the story. I believe this 100%. In elementary school, I struggled with remembering details so I would concentrate so hard on knowing the details of the story that I never got the chance to sit back and think about and comprehend the story I was reading. I was lucky enough to have teachers who often offered projects as a form of assessment instead of tests that just looked for recall of information from the story. I always loved getting to do projects. My 5th grade teacher had the best way of assessing reading comprehension that I have seen in the classroom. I emailed her a couple of days ago to ask her to share with me how she came up with the ways to assess the students on reading comprehension. Her assessments always consisted of a list for the students to choice a specific form of assessment from. For example, an assessment for one book might consist of options including: create a mobile of a scene and explain the scene's importance, conduct an interview with one of the main characters, write a part of the story from another character's point of view, write an essay over a certain topic relating to the story, write a book report ass if you were a news reporter of journalist, etc. My teacher explained that she always tried to incorporate as many multiple intelligences as she could in her assessments so each student could show their greatest work. I love this idea. I remember that at times she would even offer the option of taking a test or completing a specific project. Believe it or not, almost half the class would do the project, while the other half decided to take the test. I love this idea and so far haven't really found any flaws with it. However, my teacher did explain the complexity of creating the options and then grading all of them on a equal basis. This would be hard at first, but I think I could get used to it with time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wanted to quickly cover the links posted on blackboard. I spent hours looking on these links and I was very impressed. I have already chosen a few books from the leveled books list for my student. While student teaching, I used both the Discovery Kids site as well as the National Geographic website for science and history so I was glad to see them as links for reading as well. These sites may seem like they cover only one subject at first, but many of the activities and lessons you could do with the information on those sites can cross several core subjects. Thanks to Dr. Walker for posting those links. I will definitely incorporate them into my lessons with my student.
The websites that were provided on blackboard were, in my opinion, great resources for teachers and students. My favorites were the Discovery Kids site and the site that showed different levels of books. I thought the site with the leveled books would be a great resource for beginning teachers when trying to find books for different reading levels. My student is a first grader and he does not want to read because he thinks he is bad at it. After looking through the Discovery Kids website, I noticed so many activities that my student would like to do. Not only will he be having fun but he will also be learning and practicing reading.
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