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How will my students come to enjoy reading?

My children will love to read because their teacher loves to read. Modeling is a powerful strategy. I frequently show my students my "grown up books" that I am reading, and tell the students a little bit about them. I read during Sustained Silent Reading time. When the children walk through the door in the morning, I ask them first how they are, and second, "How was your homework book last night?" During library visits, I eagerly look through the books that the children have chosen and if I have not read one, I read it right there or have them lend it to me during lunch. They know that it bothers me to have them read a book that I am unfamiliar with. I also recommend my favorites to children who are having trouble deciding. When I start talking about the book, students become eager to get it out of my hands and into theirs.

In class we write individual, small group, and whole class books. I treat the classmade books just as I do the books that come from official publishing companies. A significant amount of our day is spent reading. If there are special assemblies or field trips, I see to it that reading is the subject that does not get missed.

I often give my children choice in what they read. Even during small group reading time when I know that I need students to read a book that is a specific level of difficulty, I march the students down to the teacher's bookroom and give them three choices that meet my qualifications. They decide on one they like and proudly march back to the room. Their interest and attention are better when they choose rather than when I choose.

I also allow my already independent readers choice. By the Spring I was putting out stacks of multiple copies of books like Curious George, Arthur, and Amelia Bedilia and allowing the children to make their own reading groups. I could not believe how much more the children read. Like me, the children could not stand the fact that their friend had read Arthur's Chicken Pox when they had not. It did not matter how difficult the book either. Children who were weaker readers got a friend who was a better reader to help with the unknown words. In addition to a writing requirement, a prerequisite for going on to the next book was reading the book to me. So even if a book was difficult, the slower reader would work hard to keep up with the more skilled friend. The friend who was the better reader was willing to spend time helping the slower reader so that the two could stay together.

Next year I have already arranged for our first graders to be book buddies with the fourth graders. The fourth graders are mostly students I taught in first grade and they are already thrilled to be able to help me and my little ones. Once a week, half my students will go to the fourth grade room and half of the fourth graders will come to the first grade room. The fourth graders will be responsible for reading a book to a first grader. As the year goes on, and as my children prove capable, the first grader will also be responsible for reading a book to the fourth grader. I have collaborated with third, fourth, and fifth grade students before and the experience has always proved meaningful for both the young students as well as the older students. I am hoping that this weekly reading time will be a favorite time for both classes.

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