READ ALOUD
More than half of children ages 0–5 (54%) are read aloud to at home 5–7 days a week. This declines to only one in three kids ages 6–8 (34%) and to one in six kids ages 9–11 (17%); four in 10 children ages 6–11 who were read books aloud at home (40%) say they wished their parents had continued reading aloud to them. (pg. 31 and 33)
I think our students love read aloud. They may have me completely snookered, but I see plenty of signs that prove my theory. When I read aloud in class, hands shoot in the air when a student figures something out in the story before we have a chance to talk, when I ask the class to turn and talk, they scramble to begin their conversations, and when I stop reading in class there are groans. Students will plead with me to read just one more chapter. Sometimes the students will not let me get back to the front of the room because they have to stop and tell me a theory they have about the book. Read aloud is the best time of our day.
I think a lot of parents might stop reading aloud to fourth graders because they believe that read aloud is not something that older children might enjoy. As you can see from the research above, this might not be the case. Read aloud is a great opportunity to share the joy of reading with your children. I cannot wait to read some of my favorite books with Emerson and Beckett when they get older from How to Steal a Dog to Because of Winn Dixie to The Invention of Hugo Cabret and the list goes on and on.
So give it a try. Find the perfect new book or share your favorite book from fourth grade (mine was Where the Red Fern Grows) and start to read aloud. If you have any questions or want a list of possible titles, call me or email me or just stop and I will see what we can do.
CHOICE CHOICE CHOICE
Ninety-one percent of children ages 6–17 say “my favorite books are the ones that I have picked out myself.” (Page 56)
The majority of kids ages 6–17 (70%) say they want books that “make me laugh.” Kids also want books that “let me use my imagination” (54%), “tell a made-up story” (48%), “have characters I wish I could be like because they’re smart, strong or brave” (43%), “teach me something new” (43%) and “have a mystery or a problem to solve” (41%). (Page 57)
I believe that choice is one of the most important ways to get our students engaged. In fact if you made me list the top three things I think students need to become better writers and readers I would list time, choice, and direct teaching.
Many of you may not know this but when I was younger I was not a reader. I somehow got through high school without reading a single book. I did not really become a true reader until I was a teacher. In my first year I started to read the books the students were reading. The first year I taught one book was all the rage. I picked it up and I read it cover to cover. I went through the book so fast I could not wait until the author put out another so I started to look for others. From that moment I was hooked.
I know the fear in choice is that our students will not pick the "right book." Believe me when I go to the bookstore or library with Emerson and Beckett I cringe at some of the books they pick. I mean I literally cringe. Inside my head I scream and scream at their book choices. At these moments I have to remind myself of my story. It started with that one book. That one book led to another. Since that one book was a series six books would soon follow. The seed was planted. Eventually I started searching out other kinds of books...better books. I even started to read the classics trying to catch up on all those books I missed in high school.
The truth is we never know what book will be the one book for each individual student, but I believe they have a better chance of finding it than I do assigning it.
Now don't forget you can manipulate choice. I don't think we are all drinking Coke by pure choice. Coke used advertising to get their product into our hands. As adults we need to advertise. Read aloud is a great way to share the kinds of books that you may want them to pick. I don't imagine that many of the students would have picked Rain Reign on their own.
Now it seems the class loves this book. It might lead to another book that is just like it.
Besides read aloud surround them with books. Leave a copy of a book you love on the coffee table. Fill the kitchen table with some poetry books. Put some magazines (Time for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, or Kids Discover) in their rooms. Eventually they might pick up these texts through their own "choice."
MODEL
There are several predictors that children ages 6–17 will be frequent readers. Three dynamics among the most powerful predictors are:
• being more likely to rate themselves as “really enjoying reading”
• a strong belief that reading for fun is important and
• having parents who are frequent readers. (Page 23)
Bullet point number three is for you. Let your kids see you read. It could be the sports page or a magazine or a novel or a graphic novel or anything at all. Parents who like to read have kids who like to read. It makes sense.
I know I have gone on and on tonight but I believe this research is important. Students who enjoy reading devour books. They read and read and read. They experience different worlds, see things from different points of view, revisit historical periods, they laugh, they cry and so much more. I will step down from my soapbox and let you enjoy the rest of your night.
Hope you are having a great week and are finding more and more moments for reading and writing.
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