Chapter 12 Independent Reading

To be able to create a love for reading where the student reads on his or her own is wonderful and possible. I come across so many little ones that love books and somewhere along the way the stop. Why? As instructors we must be able to instill the love of reading and how we do it is important. We can start by setting up our classroom library with a variety of books. Our text recommends about 10 books per student. That can be pricey but be smart and save now. Also visit your local bargain book stores which always have great prices on gently used books. Have students start a reading log so you and the students can keep track of their accomplished reading. Set time for them to read silently in class depending on age. Allow them to share their book and talk about it. It may cause excitement and others may want to read them. One great reading tip I have seen in other classrooms are read and feed. They get to choose a book and bring a few snacks for a special reading day. Have fun with reading and I believe if we can get them hooked on a series of books they just may not stop.

Author Profile

Seuss is to me one of the perfect examples of chapter 11. I think it would be fun to teach the rhyming words and just have fun.

"The Cat in the Hat came to play one rainy, nothing-to-do afternoon. His hilarious antics are "recommended for all libraries."--(starred) School Library Journal. "

"A toe-tapper babies will love--the classic Seussian book about opposites: "Wet foot, dry foot. Low foot, high foot..."

"There's a Wocket in My Pocket is filled with bizarre creatures and rhymes: the nupboard in the cupboard, ghairs beneath the stairs, and the bofa on the sofa! "

"Theodor ("Ted") Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Though Ted's road to children's books had many twists and turns, The Cat in the Hat catapulted him from pioneer in children's literature to definitive children's book author illustrator, a position he has held unofficially for many decades since.

http://www.seussville.com/lb/bio.html

Chp 11 Shared and Guided Reading

This chapter is (to me) breaking down the book being read. Each part of the book is discussed and even the words that make up the story are under close observation. Things to watch for are high frequency words, rhyming words, and pronunciation to name a few. Look to make gentle corrections and be aware of reading abilities. Steps that were mentioned when reading a book would be first to introduce the book by reading and covering each part of the book. Second reread the story. Third go over in small groups and allow groups to act out or personal way for them to communicate or share their book. Allowing the child to reread the book allows the child to build fluency and to writing too is very important. Give the child a chance to write the story from another characters view can change everything. Let them use their imagination and they just may get hooked.

Kevin Henkes
www.kevinhenkes.com/



I love his book Chrysanthemum! I would read this book to my daughter when she was younger. It always opened the door for conversation on being happy with who you are. Great classroom subject.



"When she was old enough to appreciate it, Chrysanthemum loved her name. And then she started school. "I'm named after my grandmother," said Victoria. "You're named after a flower." Chrysanthemum wilted."





"I became an author-illustrator when I was nineteen years old. I flew from my home in Racine, Wisconsin, to New York City with my portfolio, hoping to find a publisher. And magically enough Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow Books made my dream come true. My first picture book, All Alone, was published in 1981.







Other Great Books by Henkes

Bringing Literature to Life Chp 10

My group was actually in charge of this chapter. We found it interesting on how big a role our imagination will be in reading. As instructors we can make or break a story. Children must be engaged in the book to keep them from distracting others around them and to learn. I noticed in Pickett's lessons she mentions how a book walk is important and timing is everything. Also allowing the child to speak because it is through their comments and involvement that literature is coming to life. If we stop them from communicating and taking part we are stopping the process of learning. Also we thought of props; if you know the story before you read it. Be prepared to show and take part in the role you reading. Reading is fun and we need to show this to our student.

Graphic Organizers and Nonfiction

At times students tend to gravitate towards fiction. They have the illustration and it tells a story. Nonfiction is a little harder to read for some. it has so many facts and if students are taking AR test they may not do as well due to the amount of info. The boys i have noticed love the science books. The books which are about frogs and bugs. These books have pictures usually taken by a camera. They can be illustrated but usually have more of a factual feel with a photograph. I recently purchased three books for my son and they are nonfiction with a fiction feel to it. The pictures are illustrated and they are about cowboys, castles and pirates. They have fun facts and cartoon pictures children love to see.

http://www.theusbornebookstore.com/

These are books boys may be interested in but there are also nonfiction books for girls. Reading them out loud is a great way to get them involved. These books are also great for early readers to use for research. They can use graphic organizers to present the facts they have learned instead of doing a book report. In class we used pictures and colored; it was a fun way to get information out of what we have read. The children will love this hands on approach to reading and writing which should be used together to make better readers.

My Favorite Fiction

Karen Kingsbury

Fiction is described as experience in narrative. That is exactly what an individual feels when they read a great book. Pickett asked for us to blog about our favorite fiction book. I must say I was never a reader growing up until the past few years. Karen Kingsbury opened the door for me to start reading. She has the Redemption series which is fabulous. There are about five in the Redemption series and is followed by the Firstborn Series and then Sunrise series. Recently she has added Above The line series. All these books are about the Baxter family and the people in their lives. They are heartwarming stories and faith based. Karen Kingsbury is a christian author which puts life in her books. She is terrific. The redemption series started me reading but I loved her 911 series. I love the love story she includes in each book and even though they are fiction you end up connecting with them. Try reading them and you will get hooked.

My Favorite and I couldn't put it down

She also has children books-

http://www.karenkingsbury.com/