Quote: "For several years we have encouraged teachers in our Summer Reading Program at the University of Maryland to share their personal reading and to be more explicit in illustrating to children the value of reading in their own lives."
Comment: I think this quote is really interesting because it's not a concept I'd thought of before. We're told that our examples will speak volumes to our students about the value of reading in our lives, but I had always though of that in terms of the teacher reading their own book during SSR or DEAR. I think it's an important concept though, that we help children to see and understand that they really will use reading in their future adult lives whether it be to learn something new, to understand information, or for pleasure. I also appreciate the idea that when content is appropriate, we can share parts of the books we personally are reading with children. I believe that children really are remarkable and usually understand far more than adults give them credit for if they are given the chance. I believe that it's important to be as the article mentioned a more "explicit" example of the value of reading to our students.
Question: How can we determine if content from our personal reading is appropriate for our students--content wise and age-level/developmental wise?
I concur, children understand far more than we give them credit for. That’s why I believe as a teacher you know the limits of your own students. However, I don’t know the answer in where we draw the line on determining if our personal reading content is appropriate when sharing it with the class. I know that you wouldn’t share details on a gruesome murder but then again is it alright to share contemporary realistic fiction details, like death? We need to ask our teacher because now I’m interested in knowing where the line is drawn in sharing our personal reading content. In the end, I think that the main point of reading our personal reading to students is not only to be an example but to be enthusiastic enough to show our students that reading is fun!
ReplyDeleteI loved this idea! I would have thought that DEAR time would have been a good time to get some extra grading done, or just get some administrative work done, but I can see the value my own personal reading would hold for the children's motivation. To give a shot at answering your question, I would think that almost anything is fair game to read to the children. Excerpts from readings above their reading level will at the very least expose them to new vocabulary which will help them be more familiar with a wider vocabulary and force them to focus on learning comprehension skills.
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