As a third grade teacher one of the things I constantly ask myself is: How do I get kids to love reading? Why are some people “readers,” and some not. I have always been a reader. I love books. One of my favorite escapes is when I go away for a “girls” weekend and can read uninterrupted. Reading is a treat for me and it is difficult for me to see how it couldn’t be for everyone else. Fortunately, I’ve never had a learning disability or any other disadvantage interfere with my opportunities to read. I’m passionate about reading and want to pass that joy on to my students and children.
Since an important part of my job description is to teach reading, it is a topic I research often. Last summer I read The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers by Nancie Atwell. Her goal as a reading teacher is to help her students, “...become smarter, happier, more just, and more compassionate people because of the worlds they experience within those hundreds of thousands of black lines of print.” (pg. 12)
I feel the same way about reading. The things I liked from her book were: kids need time to read and they should be reading books they choose. A large selection of books should be available to students. Teachers should give book talks to recommend good books. Teachers need to read and be knowledgeable about many books so they can make recommendations to their students. Kids should be taught strategies to find a book at their reading level. Comprehension happens when kids are reading books at their reading level.
I agree kids should be reading books they choose, but I think they still need to be assigned a few books. There needs to be a balance. I think reading a book on their level with the teacher is also very important. I have been trying to create this balance in my classroom.
While I am an avid reader, it is impossible to read everything out there. Also, I’m a little selfish, I don’t want to only read kid and young adult books. I enjoy them a lot, but every once in a while I need more adult topics. This is where I need some help. I’m interested in knowing what books you read when you were in elementary school and more specifically, third grade. What were the books you loved? Why did you love them? Was there a series that got you “hooked” on reading when you were young?
Comment on this blog post with your answers. I’ll use your ideas to narrow down what I should be reading. Or, I might use your comments to recommend books. Thanks for your help, it’s much appreciated. My goal, like Nancie Atwell is, “for every child to become a skilled, passionate, habitual, critical reader- as novelist Robertson Davies put it, to learn how to make reading “a personal art.” (pg. 12)
*Atwell, Nancie. The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2007
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ReplyDeleteMy all-time favorite book from that time in my life is The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It was out of print...and may still be. She also wrote The Egypt Game, The Gypsy Game and others that are still in print.
ReplyDeleteMy kids have very different tastes and have been at different reading levels in third grade. Madison loved all the Eva Ibbotson books (Which Witch, Secret of Platform 13, Island of the Aunts, Journey to the River Sea). Hillary liked Shannon Hale (Princess Academy and Goose Girl). Pearl (now 4th grade) is reading Encyclopedia Brown books and she just started Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Pearl has also liked the choose your own adventure kind of books. Oh, and Unfortunate Events, too.
Hope this helps. I'll keep thinking and post again if I remember any good old-school books.
Gavyn (in 3rd grade) is reading the Fablehaven series with me. I LOVE THEM! And so does he. He had gotten to a point where he didn't enjoy readin anymore and this has really lit a GREAT fire under him. I've heard Levenlumps (spelling?) is good. Gavyn's teacher also gave him the Dinosaru Cove series (which is an easier read than Fablehaven).
ReplyDeleteI loved Judy Blume & Beverly Cleary. My daughter has enjoyed those as well as several by Bill Wallace (A Dog Called Kitty, Pick of the Litter, etc.), Shiloh, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.
ReplyDeleteNext up for us: Dona Flor, Zen Shorts, & The Year of the Dog.
Good luck! I think that every kid has a preference of genres. Many kids love the fantasy - my DD prefers realistic fiction or nonfiction. I think letting them tap into what they prefer is key to loving reading!