I love reading to kids! To this day I continue to read to my own children. I alternate every night, one night reading to my 14 yr old, the next night to my 12 yr old. The books we read are ones that I pick out, books that I feel can open up conversations that need to be discussed during these tough teenage years. After a chapter has been read, we lay in the dark, side by side, and have wonderful conversations. Whether it is the book or that we are whispering in a dark we have always had these amazing conversations that I don't think we would have had otherwise. Every time it starts with talking about the character it always moves to a personal level. This is something that I will treasure forever!
I feel you can open up and have the same conversations with your students. This past week, I subbed for a class of kindys that were.. well.... very busy! When I found myself constantly talking over them and that the noise level only increased I brought out a book. Pure magic happened! It got very quiet and they all sat attentively, listening. I continued the rest of the day trying to incorporate a read-a-loud into their daily activities. When we colored the things that begin with the letter "C", I read as they colored. The book was Stone Soup and we talked briefly afterwards about sharing (something very important at this age).
The next day, I subbed for a 4th grade class. They were preparing to do a writing assignment based on their favorite things. Part of the brainstorming was for the class to make a heartmap. This meant they needed to write all of their favorite things along the outside of a heart that they drew on a piece of construction paper. They then had to choose from this list, their very favorite things and draw these in the heart. The main purpose of this assignment was so that the teacher could ask them to write about anything that meant something to them and they could look at this heart map throughout the year and get ideas.
So, as they started the assignment, the noise level increased. I went to the bookshelf and picked up a chapter book, The Hidden, and began to read aloud. Silence and Bliss! Every student got quiet, listened to me read and continued with their work. Every now and then a student would ask me a question and we would talk about what was happening in the book and that we have a lot to be thankful for. Although we did not finish the book, I told them I would let their teacher finish reading it to them. If she wasn't able to, I would be back in two weeks time and we would finish it then.
My point, of course, is that no matter what the age or the grade, a read-a-loud is extremely powerful. Choose your book wisely. I like to choose something that kids can relate to during the age they are currently at, it truly is amazing the conversations that come about when you do this.
I feel you can open up and have the same conversations with your students. This past week, I subbed for a class of kindys that were.. well.... very busy! When I found myself constantly talking over them and that the noise level only increased I brought out a book. Pure magic happened! It got very quiet and they all sat attentively, listening. I continued the rest of the day trying to incorporate a read-a-loud into their daily activities. When we colored the things that begin with the letter "C", I read as they colored. The book was Stone Soup and we talked briefly afterwards about sharing (something very important at this age).
The next day, I subbed for a 4th grade class. They were preparing to do a writing assignment based on their favorite things. Part of the brainstorming was for the class to make a heartmap. This meant they needed to write all of their favorite things along the outside of a heart that they drew on a piece of construction paper. They then had to choose from this list, their very favorite things and draw these in the heart. The main purpose of this assignment was so that the teacher could ask them to write about anything that meant something to them and they could look at this heart map throughout the year and get ideas.
So, as they started the assignment, the noise level increased. I went to the bookshelf and picked up a chapter book, The Hidden, and began to read aloud. Silence and Bliss! Every student got quiet, listened to me read and continued with their work. Every now and then a student would ask me a question and we would talk about what was happening in the book and that we have a lot to be thankful for. Although we did not finish the book, I told them I would let their teacher finish reading it to them. If she wasn't able to, I would be back in two weeks time and we would finish it then.
My point, of course, is that no matter what the age or the grade, a read-a-loud is extremely powerful. Choose your book wisely. I like to choose something that kids can relate to during the age they are currently at, it truly is amazing the conversations that come about when you do this.
No comments:
Post a Comment