"You LIKE Reading"? Is Reading for Pleasure Obsolete?

The other day I was teaching an economics lesson on Supply and Demand.
The students had to write a list of 4 things they like to do when they are home.
I modeled the ist with a list of my own, and I started with reading. (Which I really shouldn't have because the lesson was about getting paid to read, so... but that's how much I love to read.)

One of the students stated increduously, "You LIKE to read?"
I replied, "Yes, that is part of how I got here, haviing this job," or something like that.
He said, "That's not what I mean. You just LIKE to read?"
I said, "Do you mean for pleasure?" Yes, I do, and I'm mad that I don't get to do it as much as I would like because of work."
At this point, he just laughed and shook his head.

Many students don't read for pleasure. Many adults don't read for pleasure.
Why?
video games
Youtube
phones
lack of diversity in books
books are not present in the home or classroom
school has sucked the joy of out of reading

So, what should we do to get our kids reading for pleasure?

1. have diverse books in your classroom
2. stop killing books with worksheets (What's the Main idea?)
3. give kids time to just read 
4. Let students choose their own books 
5. allow students to read books, not just passages with questions
6. allow students to read above or below their "level."
7. participate in projects like the Global Read Aloud
8. connect with others in the world who are reading the same book.
9. use tech to let students "talk" about their book
10. connect with authors
11. read picture books
12. allow audiobooks
13. let them read digitally with Epic and Readworks.

My kids are tested at the end of the school year, so I am not going to tell you that I never use worksheets or teach reading "strategies." But, I have found that the ideas I have listed above have created students that actually enjoy a book, who read for pleasure.

My best moment of our day is whe my kids sprawl out all over the room in video chairs, the Yoga balls, at a desk, or the round table and read. The room is quiet and and the majority of them are actually reading! Sweet!:)

Participating in Global Read Aloud 2017! Why I've Done This 8 Times!

For those who don't know, Global Read Aloud is when students and teachers all over the world, literally, read a book together for 6 weeks. It started small and has become huge, due to the hard work and original idea of Pernille Ripp. And of course, all the other teachers involved in putting this together.

I am going to make a confession.
I am not really in it for the connections. Gasp!
I'm sorry, but it's true.
Do I make connections? Yes.
Do I enjoy the connections I make? Yes.
Am I connecting this year? Yes.
But that's not what it's about for me.

It's about the BOOK.
Whether it's  "Out of My Mind", "Tuck Everlasting", "The One and Only Ivan", "Fish in a Tree","The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane", "Pax"or this year's "The Wild Robot", it's about the BOOK.

It's about what the book does for my kids, my classroom, for reading.

The books that have been chosen always seem to resonate with my students. They REALLY enjoy the story. I LOVE reading to them, AND it has the added bonus of hitting all those skills we have to teach, without becoming laborious.

The last four years these books have created readers in my classroom. If some of them didn't read independently at any other time, they read during Global Read Aloud. The great part is my students always have their own books, with the exception of "The One and Only Ivan", due to the generosity of the donors on DonorsChoose. Nothing beats the pleasure of a brand new book that is just yours.
"Yes, it's yours. Yes, you can keep it!"
It's funny because I tell the kids they can donate the books back to the class, and I only get 4 or 5 books back every year. I don't mind, I hope it's because they will take the time to enjoy it again and again, or share it with someone else.

Global Read Aloud (#GRA14)just keeps getting better and better! The authors that are chosen have begun to participate, even those who have never used social media before. How cool! More books have been added so that various grade levels can participate.

For those of you who choose to connect, take advantage of the groups and information set up on Wiki, Edmodo , Flipgrid, Facebook, Seesaw,etc... Don't be scared, start small. Join a group, or not. Follow the pacing guide, or not. Most of all, enjoy reading aloud to, and with your class. Enjoy a good story!

As long as there is Global Read Aloud, and I am teaching, I will participate. Hopefully, you will consider joining as well, if you haven't yet. It's about that BOOK!:)

Why Do I Have to TEACH Reading?

I watched my kids today after we came in from Recess and loved what I saw.They were sprawled all over the room. Some were in the Sponge Bob duct taped "used to be my sons'"video chairs. Some sat on the fluffy pink and aqua bean bags I purchased in Five Below. (They were on sale.:)) Others grabbed the carpet strips I begged asked my local Home Depot for last year.

They were reading.

During the summer, I came across the app, Level It Books, and decided it was time to get my classroom library in order. I went to the Dollar store and purchased baskets. (I spend way too much money on this classroom). I scanned in every book I had and I was ready! Today my kids checked out books via my Smartphone, and I began reading.

I let them choose the books they wanted to read, regardless of Grade level, Lexile Score, or genre, their choice. And except for one young lady who was trying to distract her peers, they were all reading!
The point I'm trying to make is they were reading, and I wasn't talking.

I wasn't talking about cause and effect, main idea, figurative language,making inferences,etc... all the things we are forced to teach as a skill, instead of  "teaching" it as we enjoy a great story. I wasn't going to make them take a quiz. (Although AR will be enforced very soon.) I am sure if my students and I began discussing the stories they were reading, I could cover most or all of those skills over a period of time, without sucking the joy out of the story.

When we participate in Global Read Aloud, I give my students a chance to enjoy the story through discussion with students all over the world. And unbeknownst to them, it's through discussion that we touch on the skills that enhance, and lead, to a greater understanding of a story.

I love novel studies, or book clubs, or whatever it's called where you are, because it gives our students the chance to delve into a good book. A six page story in an anthology just doesn't cut it.A "making inferences" worksheet with an attached  paragraph is no match for the skills that can be taught with a novel!

Why do I have to TEACH reading? I guess the question is more, "Why do I have to teach reading skills as if it is a separate entity from actual reading?" Does that make sense?




Boldt, Katie. chooseadearbook.jpg. . Pics4Learning. 28 Aug 2013