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