Comments on: Support: Changes

By: Jason Brasskey

Jason Brasskey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:45:38 +0000

Sounds like a very structured plan. I also think it’s important to find a way to inspire the desire to learn again. Find what it is that the individual is passionate about and integrate it into the lesson. This might help…

Jason (EducationDynamics)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfew0YcDTo

By: K

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:49:39 +0000

I know, finding that stuff is hard – especially when they’re struggling as readers. No high school kid wants to read Junie B. Jones or something! The Bluford High books are big favorites with the older kids at my school, and even the struggling readers seem to be able to get a handle on them (and there’s some boy-focused books in that series too).

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:38:50 +0000

They read what they choose. We did a read around 2 weeks ago and that exposed them to several new titles within a class period (easily 50 titles, though some got to more). I have 3 bookcases in the classroom, but there’s only about 2 shelves of books that these students have been reading so far. I’ve gathered some titles from the students to inform a big book purchase I’m planning. And I’m getting a similar range of buy in that you’ve experienced, Jason. In my regular classes, the buy in is a lot higher.

For the most part, students are not reading on their own outside of class — even though they need to. Jean, I’m right with you in terms of varying the reading styles. I don’t keep us together on the outside reading because it’s important to me to let students go at their own rate on this style of reading. Whatever we’re reading for class, though, we read as a class and usually out loud.

K, for these students, it’s finding that reading material they are interested in. Especially the males.

By: K

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:32:41 +0000

I agree, your structure sounds like it could be really awesome! I teach 5th graders so obviously the dynamics are different, but I ask my students to read for a little over 2 hours a week – an average 15 minutes a night outside of school added to what we do in school. (I’d require more except for a HW policy that makes me reluctant to overload them on “official” requirements – when parents ask I strongly suggest more like 30 minutes a night). And in that week I’d expect that most of them would make it through a medium-sized chapter book. Some, obviously, won’t, and some read long books that take forever, and others can’t really sustain a book over a length of time and I encourage picture books, magazines, etc., and some don’t do it regularly at all – but I think that 40 pages a week of reading material they are interested in and is on a good reading level for them is not at all too much to ask.

By: Jean

Jean — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:57:43 +0000

Todd,
I know what you’re talking about when it comes to students reading. It sounds like we are working with a characteristically similar group of students. Are the students reading on their own? Are they reading the same or different material? I have been having all my students read the same book, short story, etc…. Usually, depending on the story, once the students get interested in whatever we’re reading they’re fine; however, there are always some students who just don’t like to read, regardless of the kind of material it is.I have been having us read together as a group (myself included). Usually a chapter a day, depending on the length. We just go round robin, with students reading one page each, aloud. This gives them an opportunity to see the words, hear the words, and I usually include some sort of written excercise that is based on whatever we are reading; trying to hit all the learning modalities. I would be interested in hearing what others are doing in this regard.
Jean