Quote:
"Teachers become explicit reading models when they share their own reading experiences with students and emphasize how reading enhances and enriches their lives. There is usually something worth sharing in most of the books and materials we read--an exciting or informative paragraph, a description of a character, or an interesting turn of a phrase" (7-8, Gambrell).
Comment: It wasn't until I was in this major that I realized how my attitude about reading was influenced by my teachers' attitudes about reading. The years that I have had teachers who were ecstatic about reading caused me to become a motivated reader. I recall having an increased desire to read during those times. However, the teachers' who seemed to think of reading as a "drag" had an affect on me as well and I subconsciously did less reading for fun. This just goes to show the powerful effect that teachers have on their students. Students watch what their teachers do and look up to them so much...which is why it is so important to have enthusiasm when reading or discussing reading/books.
Question: When we have students read chapter books in small groups according to grade level do we need to read each book in advance personally? Or is it ok to rely on another teacher's recommendation? Also, before we read allowed to the class can we select a new book? Or do we need to have read that book before previously as well? What do we do if a handful of students have already read the book we selected?
It's so true that teachers definitely have an impact on how much we learn to love or hate reading. I think that yes, we should read the chapter books that we assign our students to read in advance. We need to check that the book is interesting, of good quality and appropriate. If we don't enjoy the book, or find it to be a good read, our students definitely won't. Also, it helps to know the book well to guide discussions and to get the students interested in reading it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's even more important to read a book through before reading it out loud to a class! It's easier to read with expression and in character when you know the book and love it already. Also you can check for words and names you don't know how to pronounce ahead of time, so they don't trip you up while you're reading and disrupt the flow.
If some of the students have already read the book, oh well. It's a bummer, but if you make it fun to listen to, they'll want to hear it again. Or you could select several books that you could read out loud and have the students vote on one.