Sarah & Nonfiction

Reading nonfiction as a student was like pulling teeth for me. Fiction let me use my imagination to create movies in mind about what I was reading, and I liked working through rhythmic language.  Nonfiction reading just seemed really boring to me. Unless I was very invested or interested in the topic, it was a real struggle.  When I was in second or third grade, I wrote about Olympic runner Wilma Rudolph, and I can remember using library books and encyclopedias to do research about her. I did the same in sixth grade when I had an assignment on a deep sea creature, the cuttlefish.  In ninth I wrote my first real research paper about Army Ranger and NFL player Pat Tillman based on the nonfiction reading I did on the Internet.  I was really interested in these topics, so much so that I can still recall information about Wilma Rudolph twenty years later.  This made the reading interesting and engaging to me.  It didn't hurt that a lot of these nonfiction texts had pictures and captions I could interpret.  As I got older, nonfiction reading let me access a wide variety of topics I'm interested in, but the engagement piece was imperative.  Depending on text complexity, accessible text features like images or charts were necessary for my understanding, too. 

As an adult, I continue to struggle with nonfiction, because I still have to be deeply engaged with it.  I always look for significant images, charts, and captions within the text.  With the increase in access to this information, I'm learning not only more deeply about previous interests, but new interests, like MoMA artists.  Additionally, I'm reading a lot of news--both local and national.  This increase in access to news sources is sharpening my critical thinking skills, mulling through all the "fake news", "alternative facts", and "click bait" that are out there.  This validates how necessary that skill is for our students!  

Amelia & Nonfiction

I remember using encyclopedias when doing research in fourth and fifth grade. The school I was at during that time did not have computers.  I changed schools in sixth grade and started (very minimally) learning how to research a topic online.  I do not remember having to do much research on my own in middle school.  When we were studying a topic, books and articles on the topic would be provided.  It was not until high school where I really had to research on my own.  I was not a fan of using the internet because I was unsure of the sites authenticity.  I often checked out books on the topic and did my research that way.  I was not a fan of reading nonfiction on my own until I discovered Jesus Land: A Memoir by Julia Scheeres.  Every since then I have loved reading memoirs and search out new ones.

In college I majored in Psychology and read mostly scholarly articles.  After having to read easily hundreds of them during my time at school, I felt I could go the rest of my life with never reading another one.  Now, when I come across a topic I am interested in I have found myself looking them up to see what research has been done.

Steve & Nonfiction

It's interesting to think about how my reaction to nonfiction has changed since I was a student. I can distinctly remember what is was like to have a nonfiction text dropped in front of me during high school social studies. These would often come in the form of lengthy printouts, which were probably written at least ten years in the past, or a giant text book with colorful images scattered throughout to unsuccessfully distract me from the tedium of the reading itself. As you can tell, I was not a fan of nonfiction reading in high school.

However, this has changed so much now that I am an adult. I find myself spending hours on end reading contemporary nonfiction articles about subjects that really matter to me (such as sports, politics, etc.). Honestly, the reason for this explosive increase in interest is probably because I can now pick what I want to read, but it is also because I can use the internet to access these texts with ease. Also, if I don't like an article, I will stop reading it and move on. All of these factors have helped make me a strong reader of nonfiction.

I have tried to increase the usage of nonfiction in my classroom for years. One website that I use often is NewsELA, a site dedicated to contemporary events. Instead of assigning a specific reading for my students, I often let them find readings that they are interested in. Not only does this help them to read the article fully, it also helps them comprehend the text more consistently. Since there are reading levels included for each article, I use this reading time to talk with my students about how important it is to push themselves as readers. 

As you can see, I am now a strong advocate for nonfiction reading in the classroom. It is through these readings, as well as literature, where students learn about the world around them and develop valuable positions on issues. 

Melissa and Nonfiction

I awoke with a smack, as my cheek caught the corner of my desk.  My copy of Richard Hofstadter's The American Political Tradition clunked to the floor and I quickly wiped the drool that had collected at the corner of my mouth.  Eighth grade civics class was not my favorite class, to say the least, and sleeping through most of it was not uncommon.  

Reading nonfiction has always been a challenge for me; as it is, I am easily distracted.  I am a daydreamer, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot focus on the facts in front of me.  As a student, I spent hours reading and re-reading, only to find that I could not absorb the information necessary.  My "go-to" strategy was reading out loud and jotting notes about what stuck with me.  It was infuriating and daunting.

As an adult, I try to embrace my nonfiction challenge.  Over the years, I have found a genre that has been kind to me:  Historical Fiction.  If I can read a story, I can interact.  Historical fiction has opened doors into the world of nonfiction that I would never approach.  When my role as a teacher shifted to include history and politics, I was prepared for the challenge.  Instead of tackling Richard Hofstadter, I grab a novel like the Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, or an edgy spy adventure by Ken Follet.  These books pique my interest and pave the way for me to venture out into the more challenging nonfiction texts that follow.  

Honestly, over the years, I have worked hard at developing my nonfiction tolerance.  And I have come to realize that, as an adult, I am more interested in the world around me.  I am intrigued by the lives that my peers have led; reading about the Pilgrims and the sacrifices they endured; putting myself into the shoes of Malala Yousafzai and Saroo Brierley, two incredible individuals, to say the least...I feel that these perspectives have helped me become a more tolerant, compassionate, and overall, better person.  So, if reading nonfiction enables me to interact with the world in a more positive manner, you can bet that I will keep working on my endurance.  Bring it on, Hofstadter.

Amy D. and Non-Fiction

My first recollection of non-fiction reading was the Children's Encyclopedia set our family had, which was an extreme extravagance for a farming family, but my dad was adamant about having information available for us kids. I was the only one of five children that consumed every one of those volumes! There was a volume of fairy tales, so I guess that one doesn't count. I was also given the Reader's Digest every month and had to at least do the Word Power section. Oh, my! Hard to believe I actually remember that. In school, non-fiction was limited to encyclopedias, biographies, and autobiographies. Currently, my non-fiction experiences are mostly teaching resources. I also read a fair amount of online blogs and forums when learning new things such as computer apps/programs and charting courses for boat travel. It's much more interesting to watch a Youtube video rather than reading a boring manual, right? I love today's non-fiction books available for children and find myself drawn to them similar to the colorful Children's Encyclopedias I used to flip through as a child.

Kristina & Nonfiction

As a child I remember having a set of encyclopedias at home, but I don't ever remember using them. I think it's because they were such big books and the amount of information was actually overwhelming. I also loved anything relating to geography. I loved maps, pictures, and atlases; anything that allowed me to learn about different places and cultures around the world. Scholastic News days were my favorite days at school. I was only ever interested in specific nonfiction topics as a child- geography and animals. If I wasn't interested in the topic I wasn't going to read about it.

Now, as an adult, I still like to read about animals and geography but I have branched out slightly to include biographies. However, now I feel like a read nonfiction more out of necessity than interest. I need to keep up on the latest teaching practices, I need to be aware of what is happening in the country and world, I need to make dinner. All of these daily activities involve reading and understanding nonfiction. Of course I still like it best when my nonfiction reading comes with maps, graphs, pictures, charts, etc.

Holly- Nonfiction

Well I don't think it's a secret that nonfiction is my favorite type of literature, since History is my favorite subject and it's basically all I talk about! I remember from a young age being fascinated with different periods in time. I vividly remember fourth grade being rich with information on Early American history. We also participated in a Colonial Tea in fourth grade, where we learned all about colonial America, invited our families to an actually tea and dance where we learned a classical dance. I even wore a colonial dress and bonnet that my neighbor sewed for us. Most of my literature during my early years dealt with history. My favorite series were the Magic Tree House and American Girl Doll. I then moved on to reading several biographies and historical events (the Hindenburg Disaster), which I can vividly remember being introduced to in fifth grade. If it wasn't for my teachers, I don't think I would have become so interested in these different subject matters. I still to this day love learning about colonial america, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and my favorite president John F. Kennedy, who were all introduced to me in fourth and fifth grade.

As a reader now, I read mostly nonfiction texts, but have also been getting into historical fiction. It really wasn't until college and immersing myself in my history classes that I began to really expand my interests. Through certain assigned texts or certain new topics, they ignited a desire to learn more. It also paid off that I had wonderful teachers who presented the information so well. Today, I am much more invested in reading nonfiction, because I love gaining more and more knowledge about a topic or event. It's really fun to fit all those new pieces of information into what I already knew and even change my perspective on what I thought I knew. Nonfiction is fun because it is an endless cycle of continual learning.

Eileen - nonfiction

One source of nonfiction text that I remember as a kid is text books (especially history ones).  I remember doing the 'popcorn' reading of those texts - it was so boring!! I didn't think nonfiction could be interesting.  It was at the end of middle school when we read The Diary of Anne Frank that realized nonfiction could be really fascinating.  Like Lindy, I also remember using encyclopedias.  I really liked looking up the information in those books. Looking back, I liked finding books on topics when I had to do projects or write reports.  Of course, it is so much easier now with the internet - but I look fondly on finding books on topic in the library. As a reader now, I enjoy nonfiction.  I especially enjoy reading about how people persevered during difficult events. When I read nonfiction, for a class or that I know I'm going to discuss, I tend to pay closer attention then when I read nonfiction.  I'm afraid I might miss important information. 

Traci -Nonfiction

     As a child I remember having two sets of encyclopedias at home. I remember that I liked to take them off the shelves and sit and look at them, I remember feeling like they were 'important' books, maybe because of the size, or because they came in a set. I would spend time  browsing them and comparing the two sets. I also remember having a couple of assignments where I had to look up specific topics in the encyclopedia and write what I found. I do not remember reading other nonfiction books as an elementary student, although I am certain I must have.  As an adult I find that I choose fiction more often than nonfiction, however when I do choose a nonfiction book it is typically about a person who has preserved during a difficult situation. For example the book Into Thin Air or A Child Called It.

Liz - Nonfiction

As a child, I remember reading nonfiction both for school and for pleasure. I had a set of Childcraft books in my room that I loved to flip through to learn interesting facts about all sorts of things. I enjoyed magazines that had true stories about kids my age, and I also enjoyed reading the obituaries and birth announcements in the newspaper.  One of my favorite books when I was young was Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. I remember reading it for a third grade assignment in school, and that sparked my interest in biographies and memoirs. Even now, the nonfiction I gravitate toward is that of stories about real people or events. I have to admit, as an adult, I don't choose nonfiction for pleasure reading - unless it is a memoir or collections of essays. For many years, I have made it my goal to read more nonfiction, and it just hasn't really happened. I love fiction so much that I find it hard to choose a nonfiction book that I may or may not enjoy. I do find that when forced to read some nonfiction (for example, our book club for class), I generally really enjoy the books and find them interesting! This is a goal I will continue to work on for years, I think.

Laurie--Non-Fiction
I used to love sitting and looking through our encyclopedia set at home.  I think it was a Britannica set.  Haha.  I loved reading anything non-fiction that told me about animals-especially horses.  As I grew older I enjoyed reading about life in each era in time, the roaring 20's, the hippie 60's, the Vietnam war and the disco era in the 70's.  I still love reading non-fiction.  I was so excited to pick the book about Mt. Everest and I learning so much.  I continue to enjoy reading non-fiction but I prefer history reads about people and major events.  I am not one for lots of dates and technical reads . 
I try to surround my students with both fiction and non-fiction books.  Most of the boys are driven to non-fiction and the girls are most often wanting to read fiction books about animals, however, every now and then they will pick up non-fiction about animals.    

Becky- non fiction

I too did my research as a child using encyclopedias and the dewey decimal system at the library. I remember enjoying non fiction as a child. I am, and always have been an animal lover. I loved reading about the different kinds of animals around the world. Sea turtles were a favorite of mine. I was also always intrigued with biographies. I have always had a fascination for JFK and Abe Lincoln.
As a adult, I do not read as much non fiction as I use to. I read a lot to my students. I like the fact that their books now have colorful pictures that accompany the text. This is very helpful. It helps some students get hooked. It is also helpful to our lower level students.

Conferring-Jess

Sorry this is so late!  I think I'm in the same position as many.  I do confer with students for writing and when I was self contained, for reading as well.  However, like others mentioned, the meeting goes undocumented.   I am spending my time focusing on talking with the students and engaging with them that I don't seem to write it down like I should.  I have created binders, notecards, etc. to try, but it doesn't seem to work out.   I think if it did, I would certainly know my readers and writers better than I do now.  I am focusing on the skills I want them to have and that they need to work on, but I have no record of what I have talked about with them.

Lindy & Nonfiction

This week the post is a direct reaction to some comments last night as the book groups were meeting: One person chose a book based on what her friends were choosing and then regretted it! Another had a book chosen for her by a colleague and was not very pleased but then found she loved the book (made her think about students and choice!).

For this week reflect on yourself as a reader of nonfiction text. Think back to you as a young person (during school years) being faced with nonfiction as assignments, learning on your own, or reading for pleasure. In addition, think about you as a reader of nonfiction now. Write about how it felt as a student and now as an adult when faced with nonfiction reading (think about the options for accessing information).

Title your post (Name) & Nonfiction. Please fill this out in the little box above your post so you have a title!

Lindy's example:
I'm old enough that I remember using encyclopedias and having them at home for homework. If you asked a question you were directed to the encyclopedia! Teachers used Scholastic News/Weekly Reader type materials for our "Current Events." I remember liking this time and wanting to pursue science as a career. The other nonfiction I remember in elementary school was biographies! I loved biographies and learning about people. Our house was rich with magazines so I would look through those as well.

As an adult I am constantly searching out information on the internet and reading a lot of articles online. I also love paper magazines and subscribe to too many! Some are fluff and some newsy. What I don't like being faced with is very technical reading with a lot of jargon so I avoid it. If I have to read an article that is too academic in nature I peruse the headings, charts, introduction, and conclusion but don't always read the whole thing.

One of my favorite nonfiction authors for young readers is Sy Montgomery. Her recent book (adult) on Octopuses (yes, that's right, I learned that in the book) The Soul of an Octopus is amazing.

Conferring - Shelby

I can not say enough about how the Confer App has changed my life!  When I first began using the workshop model, I spent countless hours creating gigantic binders with copies and sections for each student.  I would lug the binder around with me all day at school and then to and from home most days of the week.  Even though I spent a great deal of time focusing on conferencing with readers, I often shared far too many teaching points and spent too much time on each one.

Then I found Confer. Confer allows me to spend more time focusing on what really matters...discussing reading with students. It affords me the chance to take the time I would normally spend sifting through papers, and truly get to know my students as readers, while efficiently tracking their goals and progress. With Confer, I am able to quickly access months worth of data in order to make informed decisions regarding where to go next with my students. I am also easily able to filter my data to form reading groups based on reading level, or targeted skills and strategies.

Confer has also changed the overall "feel" of my literacy block. I am easily able to move around the room with my iPad and meet with students in their chosen spots- spots where they do their best work (usually). This makes our conference feel a bit less formal, and more like they're just talking about a great book with a friend. I've noticed less anxiety related to conferences, and the general flow of my workshop has improved. I would never have guessed that an inexpensive app. could make such a HUGE difference in my teaching. Now though, I can't imagine how I ever got by without it!

Conferring - Karie

Last year was my first year teaching and my first year using the reading workshop model. Conferring is not something that I had actively planned and focused on in a consistent way. I was fortunate to have support with reading groups, so there were kiddos that I was able to meet with daily on a one-on-one basis due to their high level of need. I did my best to make time to check in with students individually, but I did not have a consistent or routine system, and it was hard to keep track of as it was usually an in-the-moment occurrence rather than a planned and purposeful event.

As I just started, this week, in a K/1 classroom, I am trying to find ways that I could more systematically make conferring a daily ritual in my classroom. As ten of my students are Kindergarten students and pre-readers, I'm feeling that a nice place to start with conferring would be with my four 1st graders, at least to begin with.

I just started the 1st Kindergarten Lucy Calkins unit with the class and they all really seem to be enjoying it so far. Since the unit of study is directed toward the younger students, I am feeling that for the 1st graders that it will be important to focus instruction for them within their reading groups, and with one-on-one conferring. I am noticing posts and ideas about how to keep track of conferences and am very open to ideas on how to go about doing this!

Conferring- Libby

This is my first year teaching so I haven’t really had many opportunities in the past to work with students one on one as readers and writers. I do remember during my student teaching I was able to work one on one with students during writing time, and it helped me understand the different areas that my students needed to focus on and the areas they excelled in. For example, I was in a class when they were writing personal narratives. I was able to see what the students knew about punctuation, paragraphs, character traits, and the message of the story. I have been continuing to do what I learned in my student teaching this year with my ELA classes. One thing I really need to change and work on is  having more conferences. I feel like we have been working more on writing lately, but reading should be just as important. I really enjoyed this conference guide sheet because I was able to follow a structure that I would like to continue using to help set goals for my students. I think overall, I am confident when it comes to writing conferences. I feel comfortable suggesting editing comments and pushing students to try new ideas while writing. In reading, I need to get into the flow of the conferences and really take the time to sit down and listen to them read and provide helpful suggestions to make them the best readers they can be.

Conferring- Kristina

In the past, I have learned most of what I know about my students as readers from giving them the Fountas and Pinnell assessment. I actually really enjoyed sitting with each of my students 1 on 1, hearing them read, and then discussing the reading. Most of those discussions turned into real life conversations about them. Occasionally I would "conference" with each of my students but it wasn't in an intentional way. It was more as a check-in rather than an opportunity to teach. This is the biggest thing I want/need to change about my current conferring practices. I am still a little worried about the time piece; worried I will spend too much or too little time conferring with my students. Now that I have learned to have a focus and teaching point when I confer with students I look forward to sitting with each of them. I even hope that I might learn something from them!

Conferring - Amelia

For me, conferring with students as they read their silent reading books is the easy part.  I am trying to find a good way for myself to keep track of what I have discussed with those students and what I want them to work on.  I usually discuss with them what we just worked on in the mini lesson and see how they are applying it to their just right book.  I have not yet found a way to keep track of past and current discussions with each student that works for me.  I had a notebook to write in but I did not like that my notes for one student were not all together.  It was by date and I didn’t like flipping back and forth pages trying to find a certain student.  This is one of my goals for the year, to find an organized way that works for me to keep track of conferencing with students.  

Conferring- Becky

I use a template that was similar to the one that was given to us at class last week. I will bring in to class and show people what I use. My problem with one on one conferring is finding the time in reader' workshop to squeeze everything in. Often times I do not get to confer with the students that need it on a daily basis. I have 2nd graders on F&P reading levels C-Q.

Conferring- Holly Palmer

With this being my first year teaching the workshop model, I am still learning how to confer. I have really only been getting around to 2 a day, because I tend to confer with my students for a while! Time seems to slip away when we're working, so that is one of my goals. I need to make my conferences effective, but also concise. In terms of keeping track of what I confer about with my students, I am using pencil and paper with a class list, as of right now. I am planning to try out the different forms we received, but also give one of my co-worker's digital conferring programs a try. It will be nice to have our notes of conferences in a easy access, portable system.

As of right now, I am proud of the content of my conferences and how I have been using the guidelines we have learned about in the Guide book. Asking students, "What have you been working on?", listening to them read, providing a compliment, and then a goal, has been really beneficial and gives me a better sense of how my students are developing as readers.

For now, my goals are to cut down my conferring time to 5-10 minutes, see about 4 students a day, and find a more effective way to store and manage my conferring notes. 

Conferring (Sarah)

In the past, I have tried a couple of different practices for conferring with students with writing. It’s always been a struggle for me to teach skills that help them with their editing. Like many, I tried making the corrections for students on a rough draft, pass it back, they fix it, and resubmit. And like many, I learned that doesn’t teach them anything about editing at all. I have most recently tried meeting with each kid independently, asking them to read parts to me I’ve already identified need attention. We try to make the corrections together, but I look back and feel like I’m really leading them through it, and the goal is to help them gain that skill themselves. 
Currently, I had the chance to do some “conferring” around the banned book reading with   groups in the 9th grade class, albeit informally. I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian with two students from one section of our class, and because there were only two, we could talk about individual thoughts and strategies, and discuss what we needed to consider and practice. It wasn’t one-on-one, but it felt effective as they were engaged with the book, and have since structured argumentative writing pieces about the validity of the book being banned or challenged. Based on this, I am striving to implement a strong, consistent conferring process in order to help the kids gain necessary skills. 

Conferring - Liz

Bottom Line - I need to do more conferring! I genuinely feel that my practices with this change every year. I used to focus much more on conferring during my first couple of years of teaching. It really was the best way for me to listen to my students read, talk about their books, and connect with them one-on-one.  Even though I was meeting with my students regularly on an individual basis, and trying to track our conversations with a template I created, there wasn't as much substance to the conferences as I wanted there to be, but I wasn't sure how to get there.

As the years went on, and we had some PD/PLCs around small group work, I shifted my focus. I hadn't been doing any small group meetings during reading or writing workshop time, so I really put a lot of effort into trying to make that work. I observed other teachers, read a lot on the topic, and tried a number of different organizational strategies to get small groups to work. I feel as if I've been successful with skill-based small groups. For example, if I've noticed that a group of students need work with identifying author's craft in their reading, I'll pull them and do some focused work on those skills. Same with writing.

After the work we've done with the Units of Study, I am excited about working toward more focused conferences this year. I appreciate the outline given for the different steps of a conference, as well as the various formats for recording notes from conferring. While I've only just started to re-vamp my plans around conferences, I have been able to get 3 conferences done in a workshop period, and I'm working toward conferring with 4-5 students each class period eventually.

Conferring-Melissa

I remember when reading and writing workshops first became popular.  I used to "conference" with students, which meant that they would come to my desk and read their entire piece of writing.  Then we would go through the writing, paragraph by paragraph, and spend a great deal of time editing.  I would work hard at throwing in a couple of short grammar mini-lessons, and maybe a couple of pointers on voice.  By the time I finished the conference, class would be over.  One down, 20 more to go. 

Needless to day, conferences did not occur often.  Five minute meetings did not occur and the list of students that needed attention was endless.  It was self defeating and ineffective. 

Over the years, I have learned how to focus my conferences; I am far from perfect, but I must say that I have definitely improved my practices.  Last week's reading really hit home when it pointed out that the best way to assess students is through conferring.  Students do not look at the corrections or comments that we painstaking scrawl across their work; most of them toss it into the recycling, ready to move on to the next project.  The true learning comes through the conversations that we have with kids; not the 30 minute tutoring sessions, but the 5 minute, focused exchanges that are focused, meaningful, and skill based. 

I still struggle with time management.  I still get distracted by the students that are whispering about what they brought in for lunch, or what they wanted to do after school.  However, I am definitely noticing results as I travel around my classroom and touch base with each student.  Not only does it reflected in their writing, but it also shines through in their workshop perseverance.  It's only taken me a couple of decades...that's not too bad, is it?

Conferring-Traci

This is my second year teaching first grade, previously I taught preschool and was an early childhood special educator, and therefore did not confer with my students about their reading. Last year I did small group guided reading and instruction. I did some conferring with students during these small groups about the strategies for solving hard words, or ways to scoop up more words and increase their fluency. This year I have found that my students are reading longer.  I am able to sit and listen to individual children read.  The handout on conferring is great for guiding me in these conferences.  One thing I have not been good at in the past is having/creating individual student goals. Although in the past I would be prepared for my small groups, knowing what they needed to work on as a group, and providing experiences that supported the group to read and move forward. This year, I will have conferences with all of my students to understand their individual successes and their challenges.I will also work with the students to create individual goals. I hope this will set up clear expectations about what I want them to work on during their independent and partner reading time. One other thing I hope to change is my method of record keeping and documentation.  I found a couple forms online this weekend and I hope to try one out this week. It if works (and even if it does not) I can bring it in to share. 

Conferring Amy D.

I've noticed, in the past and presently, great results come from regular conferring with my students. I've used a few different methods to keep track of individual student notes, but most times I find the forms either cumbersome and lengthy or too small to contain enough information. The other problem I've found is picking up where I left off and having the notes handy for my next conference. My goal now is to use one of the forms this week from our class and find a good way to follow through for weekly conferring. Time and numbers have also been an issue that I'm attempting to improve. My schedule for conferring is Monday - Thursday with a goal of conferring with 4-6 students a day. That can sometimes be a challenge depending on interruptions and needs from other students during Readers/Writers workshop as questions need answering and providing help/encouragement for students less engaged. I hope to have some time to take a look at Shelby's "Confer" app which she uses on her iPad. Students respond very positively when we spend time conferring, so I will continue to tweak my methods to improve timing and note taking!

Conferring -- Steve

Conferring is an essential component of my classroom, as seen in my Argument Writing II seminar with 9th grade students. The students have worked on argumentative structure throughout this seminar, and I am getting to the point where conferring with each student feels like second nature. The students know that this is a time when I will be discussing certain aspects of their writing, so they are usually willing to work on suggestions in order to show growth. For example, I worked with a small group of writers on outlining today during class. Although this was a struggle for some of the students, they worked diligently, took suggestions, and finished the outline in its entirety. I was impressed with what I saw!  It is my goal that these students will have the same success when we confer about reading more next trimester.

One area where I am still struggling a bit is keeping all of the students on task when I am conferring with an individual student. Although I am bouncing around the classroom, it seems like many have questions while I am conferring with other individuals. I may work on establishing even more expectations around writing workshop next week in order to keep the momentum moving forward. Overall, I am impressed with the conferring process this school year.

Conferring - Eileen

Most of my conferring occurs in small reading groups. I know exactly what those students need to work on before starting the group.  This information is collected during previous small group lessons, F&P testing, or observations during O.G. For example my low group needs to work on blending sounds and identifying trick words. Other groups need to work on reading strategies and strategies to solve hard words.  While others are working identifying key information, retelling and thinking beyond the text.  It is during this time that I collect more information to determine how to move my readers forward.  What I need to work on is a tracking system so the information about the students is out of my head and onto a form that I can share with others. At one point I was trying to do this with individual students like I do during writing but I just couldn't keep up. This week I plan to do conferring notes with my small groups and see how that works out.

Conferring -- Laurie

I have been conferring with students in regards to their reading and their writing, but I have not and am still not very good with documenting my every meeting with them.  I know that this needs to change and I fully understand everything about conferring but I get so wrapped up in the teaching part and always say to myself "I'll write it down after" and after never comes.  I can tell you what each small group or individual child is working on but my documentation of it stinks.  I am excited to use the sheet with my groups that are actually reading.  I know I need to improve so I am making it my goal this year during reading groups to be better about documenting my conferring.  I am also excited to use some new language when it comes to asking questions and seeking more information from my readers.

Conferring -- New/Old

Please create a post entitled: Conferring (your name)

As we teach using the Units of Study think about your teaching over the years and how in the past you have learned about your students as readers and writers. (Perhaps this is what you are currently doing as conferring is new to you.) Please post a practice related to this that upon reflection you feel needs to change, has changed, or will change and why. In addition if there is something that you are doing that you have not seen addressed that you firmly believe in or want input concerning post that and explain. This is all about conferring to learn more and move students in their learning.

S&L Response - Karie

This morning we focused on Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.5.  Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail. Together we reread the story Ghost in the House. We then discussed, as a group, the different characters that appeared in the story as well as the spooky noises that they each made. Their job was to then think of a new, different character that they could add to the story to come to the house. Each of them drew their new character and created a noise for them to make and write in the speech bubble. Afterwards, we came back together on the rug and they took turns sharing and describing their new character to their classmates. This closing activity also hit standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1A Follow agree-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).

In Kindergarten we are spending a lot of time focusing on Speaking & Listening as we set expectations for large and small group discussions. We are working on taking turns to speak and listening while others speak so we can add onto the conversation. This last part tends to still be pretty difficult, to actually continue a conversation on the same thread.

As the students are not writing independently, it gives us time to be able to do verbal storytelling and expanding on our drawings and ideas by expressing these ideas to others vorally. I try to capture as much of their stories and write them down for them as I can.

S & L Response---Laurie

In 1st grade we do so much reading aloud that it is nearly impossible to steer away from the speaking and listening standard.  We are especially drawn to ELA-Literacy SL 1.2 which is ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.  In order for children to grow as learners, readers and "information gatherers"  it is vital to a read aloud session to have a discussion time.  During this time students and me as a teacher we can discuss all the important information that was given in the read.  For those students that struggle this is a time when they can listen, gather information and possibly find something in their own lives that can relate to what was read. 

Read alouds also lend their way towards ELA-LITERACY SL 1.1 Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion and ELA-LITERACY SL 1.3 Ask and answer questions about what the speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood. 

Currently we are headed into the non-fiction Lucy Calkins reading and writing units so this will be perfect for lots of speaking and listening and offering information and asking clarifying questions. 

S&L Response - Amelia

In the first unit of Lucy Calkins we have already been able to practice the S&L standard #4 for 4^th grade.  We review giving a chronological summary of a book and work on retelling the most recent chapter read bringing in details from previous chapters when needed for understanding.  We practiced doing this as a group together, with the mentor text we are reading.  Then, students were given time to use their silent reading books to practice this skill with a partner.

 As we continue reading the mentor text, I would like to start having students volunteer to recount the most recent chapter pulling in details from further back in the book for the whole class.  This would allow me to monitor progress in this area by students and also for others to hear examples of how it is supposed to be done if they are struggling with this task. 

S&L Response - Shelby

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

I believe that we must teach these skills with intention, and the beginning of the year is a terrific time to set the pace and tone for discussion in the classroom.  We begin by analyzing what speaking and listening should look like and sound like.  We then learn to practice being active participants and listeners during discussion times.  This is primarily done by learning accountable talking/listening  strategies and ways that we can help each other build upon our thinking.  I explicitly model skills, then we practice, provide feedback and set goals for improvement.  

Sentence starters are very helpful to the students. Here are some examples:
Speaker:
I'm thinking...
I learned...
My opinion is ... because...
I'm wondering...

Listener: Active Listener Rubric
I heard you say...
What made you think that...
How do you know...
Can you explain...

Builder:
I agree with ...  because...
I respectfully disagree with ... because...
I would like to add...
That's a good idea.  Another idea could be...

For my class project, I am also creating formative read aloud assessments to align with each standard addressed in the units of study.

McNeil's S & L Response

In light of our class today, I find this blog entry especially easy; we have just finished reading Freak the Mighty, our class read aloud.  I love this novel and have always found it to be a hit with my middle school students. Each day, we sit together on the carpet and I read to them for at least 15 minutes; I honestly think it's the best part of our day.  Kids grab pillows, lean against each other, and breathe deeply, as they settle in to listen to a great story.  


As for the speaking and listening standards, I find that  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.C, 

"Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion" is very accessible.  In fact, there have been many instances where I have had to ask kids to hold their thoughts during our read aloud time.  They want to share, they want to be heard, and they want to show that they can connect.  Gone are the days of typing up questions for students to answer after reading; I have found that discussions during read alouds are MUCH more effective and meaningful.  

More importantly, holding discussions as a class enables us to build upon each others' comments and reflections.  Our read alouds are similar to the book clubs that I have always enjoyed.  

As for the standards, I feel like my 6th graders have this one "in the bag".

S & L Response Jessica

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1.a
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
To address this standard we practice engaging in sharing.   Typically on Monday's and Fridays we do a verbal sharing and each child takes a turn telling what they are excited to do over the weekend and on Monday we share what they have done over the weekend.  Also, each day is a child's day to bring in something to share and talk about.  Questions and comments are taken from the audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.4
Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
In a roundabout way we do this in our narrative writing.  A big part of the pre-writing process is thinking of their story, and telling it orally.  Then they sketch it out on post-it notes and then telling their story again to me using as much detail as they can.  I think a step I could do in writing would be to have them practice rehearsing it a bit more so that they really have it down (especially my lower writers) who often forget their story.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.5
Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
I think this one can really connect to the last one in that for my struggling writers who often forget their story, I am looking to incorporate some sort of technology to help them.  I am thinking of using something like story creator? or a similar app (which I have used in the past) to have them take pictures of their pages and then rehearse what they want to say for that page on the i-Pad .  Then as they are writing, they can refer back to their recorded voice to remember what they wanted to say.

S & L Response- Holly

Standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.5 caught my attention as I read the Speaking and Listening standards for third grade.

• Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.

Just this week, I started the first unit on building a reading life. I have only started getting in the swing of the FULL workshop model, and same with my kids! Moving forward, I think it would be really fun for my students, and for me, to have them practice reading poems and passages for fluency work. I remember in my student teaching placement, the special educator would use a PVC pipe that was made to look like a phone (an opening by the ear and an opening by the mouth). She would use this to have students hear themselves read and get a better sense of how fluid they sound. I think this would be a great first step in them practicing engaging reading. We have just done the lesson on reading a book like a Curmudgeon (grumpy) or like the book is gold. I think this would be a big wake up for some students to recognize if they're adding intonation and making the passage interesting.

After repeated practice and guided fluency instruction, I think it would be fun for students to create engaging audio recordings of picture books, poems, or passages, which could be used for other students to listen to. This will reinforce them to read a book as if it was gold and really get their readers engaged so they can understand the story even better. 

I think this would be beneficial to work on during conferences or small groups. I am eager to see if anyone has tried any of these activities before and if it's proven to be beneficial.

S&L Response - Amy D.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

My students have been working on these skills every week during our morning meeting sharing. This is not necessarily related to reading, but the format they have been following will transfer nicely when we begin our book discussions and book groups/clubs. We have discussed as a class what makes a "share" interesting to listen to without giving too many details, but just enough information to make others wonder and ask questions. Transferring this skill to book talks and retelling parts of stories will hopefully make it easier for students to grasp the skill. I've noticed that sharing has become more interesting and some students become a little competitive when hearing a good share from a classmate. It certainly has increased confidence among students who are shy or apprehensive about talking in front of the whole class. 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.C
Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.

This skill is also transferable between our morning meeting shares when the speaker asks for comments and questions. It is a more difficult skill to cultivate, but it will be so important when students are asked to respond to classmates after hearing a retelling of a book or the explanation of a theme or main idea they've discovered. Making a response relevant and meaningful in order to contribute to the discussion takes some practice from what I've seen and heard so far, but practice makes progress!

Speaking & Listening - Liz

I have found this standard a really tricky one to assess, and find opportunities for formal practice (followed by assessment). I feel that so many of the other standards are more concrete and seem to make more sense to me, as well as to the students. I use lots of turn and talk in my classroom, as well as group work and discussion, so I've been able to get a handle on it a bit that way, but I knew I needed to step it up a bit. I'm still working on it, but one of the ways I've started to more "officially" tackle parts of the standard is through quick, but planned, presentations. I focused on this standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Recently, my students completed book clubs as part of the first reading unit of study. Before moving on to the next part of the unit, I gave each group about 15 minutes to plan a short book talk about their club book to present to the class. There were just a few guidelines: tell the title and author, a brief summary without spoiling the ending or any twists, and someone they'd recommend the book to and why. I also told them that every group member needed to be involved in some way.  The students were excited to present, and also interested in hearing their classmates' presentations. The presentations were short, but by circulating during the planning process, and then listening to the presentations, I was able to quickly assess each student's preparation and delivery of the material. I've since been looking for more opportunity for these more "formal" presentations, so that students can practice, but also become more comfortable with preparing and speaking about various topics.

S&L Response--Sarah

CCSS.SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation

This speaking and listening standard stands out to me because of the connection to a book I'm reading with one of our classes, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.  As a pre-reading activity, the students draw inferences about the author's purpose based on a cartoon that the protagonist, Junior, draws of himself.  It's a self portrait and on one side, Junior shows some of what represents him as a Native American, and the stereotypes often associated with it. The other side is a representation of his "white" self, and all the stereotypical things that are associate with that.  Additionally, the cartoon address deep socioeconomic disadvantages of life on a reservation, and the privileges of  being white.  Before we even read the book, we discussed the tone of the cartoon (both humorous and serious), and how it lends itself to Alexie's motives.  A specific example is on the Native American side of the cartoon, Junior is holding a glad trash bag as his backpack; on the white side is a designer messenger bag.  We used this example to lift our thinking and ask what is Junior's point in showing this?  He may deliver it in a humorous tone, but is it just about him?  What else could this be representing?  I think analyzing this cartoon as a small group helped them to think more critically about why authors do what they do, and what could be learned from it.

S & L Response Eileen

I haven't officially or assessed listening and speaking standards during reading time. In my classroom we tend to do a lot of turn and talks or students respond orally to questions during read alouds or small groups. My plan for my final project is to start creating and using more reading responses.  After looking at the standards, I'm going to use CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.  As a reading response I will read a book (I would love some ideas if anyone as any), have students draw a detailed 3 pictures.  One that describes the beginning, one that describes the middle and one that describes the end. I will have students draw what happened with details as well as how the characters were feeling.  After we have completed this process, I will have them discuss their pictures with a partner.  This will need to be modeled and done more then once to help them master the standard.  

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Speaking and Listening Response- Libby

After discussing the report card expectations for the "speaking and listening" aspect of Literacy, I decided to focus on the standard: SL.4.5: Presentation of knowledge and ideas: Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. There are students in my class that are on all different learning levels. After being observed by Jen, I was told I should have more visuals and audio recordings available to my students to see if this could help modify the needs of specific students with speaking and listening difficulties. 

Since this meeting, I have started to create more charts for students to access. These charts will be presented at the beginning of class and will be available at all times. I have also made each student a copy of all of the charts and ideas we have discussed that they can refer to in their reading folders. One thing Karen suggested to me was when typing (in writing) having students use the microphone to type. This could help students with difficulty speaking because they would be able to practice pronouncing words and see what the computer heard versus what they thought they were saying. In terms of reading, I have incorporated audio books into my classroom. Students at lower level reading and spelling levels use these resources to better understand a text and practice their listening skills. I have been trying to use more videos and visuals such as fun yet engaging pictures and student work as examples to also promote better speaking and listening. Doing a variety of small group work, one on one conferences, and whole group work has allowed students to explore different visuals (worksheets, peer work, etc) while working on listening skills (listening to a teacher or a peer). 

I plan to continue using visuals throughout my units. I have already noticed a big difference when students are able to have something they can refer to RIGHT in front of them! I also think having audio books available can help complete this standard. 

S&L Response- Kristina

A few years ago our district worked with the Vermont Writing Collaborative to work on Writing for Understanding. I really latched on to their process for writing. The one part of the process that I struggled with the most at first was the oral rehearsal. I didn't understand or see the importance in saying what you were about to write. After working with the collaborative for a couple of years and attending their week long course each summer I learned to use oral rehearsal effectively as a way for students to review where there thoughts came from and where they are going.
Right now in my class I am working with students on responses to literature. I and they have found it super helpful to verbalize their responses before going off to write them. Amy P. and I played a game with them last week called Team Complete. They had to respond to a basic question in a complete sentence (i.e. My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla) in order to join Team Complete. The active engagement part of my mini-lessons often include speaking and what I call "thinking out loud". Speaking and listening standards are just about standing up in front of the class and "presenting" something. Speaking and listening standards can be addressed in every content area and in many simple, subtle ways.

S&L Response Becky

After refreshing my memory on the 2nd grade standards, I would agree that they correlate well with what we are doing in Reader's Workshop using Lucy Calkins. This one in particular stuck out to me:

Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

I do this daily with my read aloud. I read, we all discuss what I have read as a class. We also do turn and talk and often partner up to do work around the read aloud. I also have mini-conferences with my students 2-3 times a week to discuss the book that they are reading.

S&L Response - Steve

My attention was initially drawn to the CCSS 8.1: "Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly". This standard has been covered throughout the read aloud that I have been completing with my students connected to Everything, Everything. For example, the students were asked to turn and talk multiple times during the last mini lesson connected to developing character traits. To get them started, the students watched a short video clip from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. They were tasked with finding shortcomings that Harry might have as a character. We then discussed how characters can be multilayered, which led us directly into a conversation about Madeline, the protagonist in Everything, Everything. This lesson pushed my students to see Madeline in a different way. It was great to observe this group of students working together, sharing information, and contributing to the overall conversation. 

S&L response -Traci

When reviewing the CCSS for speaking and listening in first grade I chose the standard ELA-Literacy SL1.2, Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. I can see how our recent response to reading provides ample opportunities for this back and forth exchange of ideas and information. I read aloud the story Bear Feels Scared to my first grade students. The students talked about the title and cover and then predicted what the story might be about. In this pre-reading conversation students shared ideas and asked questions to one another about their thoughts and predictions. After reading the story we had a longer discussion, students explained why they believed bear was scared and what they used in the book to make that decision. The reading response was both verbal and written and the students were very engaged. I am hoping /planning to do them weekly. I believe the time we give children to respond to literature both verbally and in writing not only supports the CCSS, but also fosters an important connection with the stories, and a deeper love of reading/books. 

S&L Response example Lindy

I focused on the grade 1 #4 S&L standard: "Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly". After reading One Green Apple I might expect first graders to respond with details related to being in an apple orchard, feeling different because she speaks a different language and wears something different, she feels kind of scared at the beginning and won't talk. At the end she says a word and smiles. They might turn and talk as I listen in, pass the talking stick and share one detail, work in a small group to draw/write details and then come back to the circle to share orally what the group came up with.

Responding to Reading -- Various Approaches

Recently there has been discussion concerning the Speaking & Listening standards and how these are addressed. In reviewing speaking & listening standards I recognized how strongly they go with our reading response work, perhaps in a different way. Here is S&L standard #4 for 4th and 6th grade:
GR 4:"Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace."
GR 6: "Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation."

When thinking about response to reading create a post explaining something you have done in your class or may be planning to try that addresses this area. Feel free to consult your particular grade S&L standard for your response.

Please start a new post and label it "S&L Response (your name)"

Getting Kids Engaged in Reading - Darby

One of my favorite ways of getting kids engaged in reading is by sharing with them about what I am reading and entering into casual conversations about books they are reading or might interest them.

About two weeks into the school year this year, I asked my class to help me organize my classroom library. I am new to the school and am completely unfamiliar with the library in my classroom and hadn't had time to go through and sort them into bins or even organize the shelves. At first I was feeling that the exercise was a total mistake. Students had pulled all the books and had piled them up all over the desks and the floor. It was loud and messy! But I started to hear conversations between students about genres or noticing books they had read before. There was interest and excitement in the voices. One student came up to me with a copy of Where the Red Fern Grows and asked me what genre it was. I sighed. This is one of my favorite books to read aloud and I cry every time. I started to tell the student a little about the book and how I cried. Said I would probably put it under realistic fiction, but instead of going back to the shelf, the student asked if she could put it in her desk instead so she could read later. Of course! I then proceed to circulate between the groups, picking up books, answering questions, and talking about the different books I had read. More and more kids brought me books to ask if they could hold on to them for their reading. It was a wonderful, organic experience born simply out of curiosity and exploration.

Getting Students Engaged - Shelby

 Aside from teaching students how to read, I believe it's very important to be a reading role model and to create a classroom culture where reading for pleasure is encouraged and supported.  Teachers should model that they are enthusiastic readers themselves and work hard to create a lasting interest in reading for their students. I also believe that it is important to build up your classroom library,  give students the opportunity to build up reading mileage and read aloud to them every day.

Here are some things that I do in the classroom:

• Work tirelessly to help students find books they can enjoy
• Provide access to engaging material across all genres at many different levels
• Use Scholastic Book Clubs to get free books for your library and make a huge dramatic deal of new arrivals. Place books in "New Arrival" bins
• Make time every day for students to read
• Encourage reading challenges as a class
• Recommend books and speak with enthusiasm about them
• Reading Promotions- book talks, recommendations, reading partnerships/book clubs...book discussions of all kinds
• Make sure that students are reading Just Right Books - Check with struggling readers every day
• Send home a bag of Just Right books
• Weekly (or more) reading conferences
• Reading groups - More frequently with struggling readers
• Student Reading Interest Inventories - especially for struggling readers
• Use nonfiction for lower level readers that are sensitive to how the book level "appears"

• Reflect on my own reading practices and model strategies aloud for students
• Develop stamina - Add 5-10 minutes per day depending on the class
• Constantly review workshop expectations and problem solving strategies to help students stay focused on their reading, which better allows for engagement and uninterrupted conferencing/group time
• Review online sources/promotions with students as appropriate

Shelby - Myself as a 3rd Grade Reader

I have many different  memories of myself as a third grade reader.  This is the year that I learned to make mental movies as I read independently and my reading life took off!  I was a voracious reader, thanks to my mother sharing her love of books with my siblings and I.  I read every book in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series.  I was also obsessed with Garfield graphic novels and Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

Reading was usually something I chose to do independently.  My mother also continued reading to us aloud every night.  I still especially loved picture books and became entranced by my mother's ability to read with character voices and expression.

Engaging Kids with Reading

One of my favorite things is helping kids engage in reading.  I love when they enter my classroom at the beginning of the year and proudly announce that they hate reading:  challenge accepted.

I love teaching kids what it really means to be a reader.  I start out by assuring them that we are all readers; in fact, we all have a love for reading that is hidden deep inside.  Some have a more difficult time accessing that love.

I move on to my vacation metaphors, as I explain that reading is like a free vacation, anywhere in the world.  The trick is figuring out just what that vacation is for each one of us.  Some like the tropics, others the Rocky Mountains...and some of us, just like to keep it local, within the sprawling farms of VT.

Finally, I invite them to a Book Tasting...one of the greatest activities I have run in my LA class.  The media specialist and I chose approximately 40 high interest books from a variety of genres and spread them out over 5 tables.  We explained to our students that we wanted them to take "reading risks"; we wanted them to choose to "taste" genres that they were not familiar with.  For 3 at 15 minutes each, they sat and read from books that they would not typically choose.  During each rotation, they filled out a menu that had simple yet significant questions about the books they were choosing. 

Our students were not only engaged but also very willing to spend time reading new genres.  At the end of the period, many were lined up to check out books they would never have chosen previous to the activity.  Mission accomplished. 

Engaging Student in Reading

It's always easy to engage kids that love to read, but I have used these strategies for both interested readers and non-interested readers in 1st grade over the last 5+ years.   I think choice is important.  However, there are not always the best books available at all levels especially emergent readers.  I always try to ask them a few things that they like or are interested in and then find books that match those interests for them.  When I find these, especially if found on Reading A-Z (printable) I will also send home books to practice at home and these are books they can keep.  When they browse the book bins (based on level)  they are able to choose the books that go in to their box.  Typically I give them a card/bin to pick from (level based).  They can swap their books often, or keep them for as long as they'd like.

Using i-Pads has helped a lot.  I had some struggling readers last year that I saw every day, but reading independently the remainder of the time was difficult, so they read on the i-pad.  We utilize RAZ-kids reading program.  Therefore, I can choose the level of their books that they can access.  They can choose what books to read, or have books read to them.  This provided a lot of high engagement during silent reading over the past few years.

Partner reading also worked well.  I think it's an incentive to be able to work with a partner.  We would do this for at least 15 minutes of the reading block.

I think continuous exposure to text and read aloud is important.  Showing them your favorite books and having them see you read helps them.  Also, showing that you are excited about reading and what you can take away from a book might motivate them to value reading, despite what family values may be.  If they learn that reading can help you learn, or take you places, they may eventually buy in. However, I am in the primary grades, but I imagine this must be much more difficult for a teacher of upper elementary or middle school to engage low or reluctant readers.

Getting Children Engaged with Reading- Laurie
Most young children learning to read LOVE to be read to.  When I do my read alouds I put so much spirit and love into what I am reading that my students are just waiting to find out what happens.  It is always my hope that my students will leave the read aloud just aching to read another book by the same author or books with the same type of character.  When I teach my students about unfreezing their characters in their writing I read Elephant and Piggie books and then my students flock to the bookshelf to look at and read an Elephant and Piggie book.  I love to read books that are beautifully illustrated and talk about the illustrations along with reading the book with all my heart and soul. 
Just last week I read the book We Are Growing and I laughed so hard that I had tears in my eyes!  I had my students belly laughing along with me.  It is so important to a readers growth for them to see an adult reader LOVING books.  You will soon begin to see your students picking up familiar books and laughing, admiring and sharing with their classmates the books that you have shared.    

Getting Kids Excited to Read (Sarah)

In my first year at WMHS, I had a particularly challenging 10th grade class. There was a very strange dynamic of the apathetic, rigid thinkers, and goal-driven students. I really struggled to engage them in reading. Since they were so driven by what was relevant, only wanting to learn about “life now” or “what would help them right now”, I devoted a day each week to critically discussing current events. 

I quickly noticed that local or state events were easy hooks to engage kids, but national or international events seemed too far away. During the Flint, Michigan water crisis, I felt they really needed to discuss the impact this negligence had on the people. I set up a pre-reading activity to draw them in and bridge a connection to think more globally about others. I created a scenario in which they “heard” at a school assembly that the drinking water in the school was contaminated with lead, and had been for awhile. I described in brief detail a scenario that really amped them up. They started looking into the effects of lead poisoning, etc., all before I passed out the news article about Flint. One student even shared he had suffered from lead poisoning as a kid, and shared a little about how that affects him. The students were respectful, engaged citizens that day I think because they had the opportunity to bridge their thoughts from self to world. 

Getting Children Engaged with Reading (Becky)

At my school, we are very fortunate to have a literacy library, as well as our regular school library. With that said, I make it my mission to find books of interest, at the appropriate levels, for all of my students. At the beginning of the year we discuss the different genres of books, and do a reading inventory of the kinds of book that they like /want to read. For me, this is a great way for me to see who they are as readers.
There are always a few students who don't like to read, or don't have a favorite genre. Those are the ones that I sit down with and personally talk about their reading inventory. After talking with them, sometimes in depth, we are usually able to come up a few choices. If I cannot find the book in my school library or literacy library, I wll try my local library or try to find the book online!

Getting Children Engaged with Reading- Holly

With this being my first year teaching literacy, I have taken small steps in ensuring my students are engaged in their reading. I really beefed up my library this year by taking on a TON of books from a teacher who retired last year, as well as ordering some books I knew would be engaging for my students. Even with this new beefed up library, through talking with my students and helping them pick out books, I am noticing that there is more I could/need to include in my library. I have started to ask for assistance from other teachers in finding book suggestions for students and even having them bring books over for my class. This has been helpful, so far, in creating more interest for some students, since I am tailoring this work to them.

Through read alouds and some of the history lessons I have created, I have been able to introduce and excite a handful of students into new authors and topics. I am planning on starting a recommendation list in our classroom, where students can write down a book or author that they loved reading and a little blurb about the book, which will help expand the class' repertoire of books.

I am excited to read the other blog posts to learn many other ways I can engage students in reading!

Getting Children Engaged with Reading- Traci

                    When I taught preschool I remember how many of the young preschoolers I worked with would seek out adults or peers to read with, while other students would almost never enter the library area or sit to listen to a story. Some of the things I did as a preschool teacher were to make sure that I had books all over the classroom and not just in the ‘library area’. I would place books about signs and construction in the block area and books about restaurants and foods in the kitchen area. I also placed some high preference books on shelves around the room. In preschool many children just needed an adult willing to sit with them and interact with a book to increase their interest. I also would ask every preschool to bring a book to the rug and we would talk about our books as a group, and I would guide them through some discovery. Another favorite was acting out the stories or retelling the stories with props in the sensory table.

                    This is my second year as a first grade teacher and last year I saw a high interest in Mo Williems books and Non-fiction books, so I have added more of these books to my library. I am continually looking for great read aloud books to share with my students. I also have a basket of ‘reading buddies’ (small stuffed animals) that students can read to.  I have found that allowing children time in our classroom library to look at and choose their own books (as well as including some of the just right leveled readers) increases my student’s interest and persistence during independent reading time.  I try to have conversations with students and families about their interest, and use these interests to help students choose books.    

Getting Students Engaged in Reading

My reading engagement story isn't about my students, it's about students in the community where I live. Earlier this fall I had the opportunity to watch and support my husband in a Community Read Aloud event. The local school worked with businesses in the downtown area to put on this event. Basically, the school provided books for area business and organization representatives to read to groups of families. My husband was representing the fire department. In many cases, the families were read to inside the businesses.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to witness this community event. I loved seeing all the kids so attentive to the reader and enjoying the books being read. The goal of this event was to get students and their families out into the community and enjoying reading together.

I would love to do something like this and already talked briefly about it with our school librarian. I think it would be cool to do an event like this around the Red Clover books.

Getting Children Engaged In Reading - Amy D

Getting my students engaged in reading books is key to their growth in reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. I have a few specific strategies that have worked well with 3-6 graders over the last few years to help them become life-long lovers of reading. My first focus is to have a library full of every kind of genre for every kind of reader. Not an easy task, because it's expensive and usually what I start with is someone's old and often out-dated library. I leave my library unorganized in the beginning of the year (except for my first year) and spend a week in chaos having students organize books and the library together. I have to admit that I go back and rearrange if things are too off afterwards. I love the discussions that erupt during this activity. "Oh, I want to read this book!" "Hey, Anna, this book is for you!" At the very least, it gives them ownership of the library and offers students an opportunity to become familiar with what's available. They might even find a book to start off the their year. A few other ways to gets engaged in books is to have a poster with author websites (they love to explore new websites, right?) where they can find out about authors and book series. My reluctant readers are best engaged when I spend time with them one-on-one talking about their interests and do book-walks through several books before deciding on one or two to choose from. My mini-lessons on choosing books, using a reading log, and writing about reading are so important for students. They discover how to choose books that aren't too hard. Seeing their own progress in how much they've read is encouraging and without writing about their reading, they might just be going through the motions of reading. Wow, this is not an easy task getting kids engaged in reading! But a task well worth the time and energy to see engaged, 'nose-in-the-book' readers in my classroom.