chapter 10 Practicalities

I will echo what Jamie said about keeping the "mini-lesson" to 5 - 15 minutes. I can't seem to do that at all. I have good intentions going in to the lesson to do that but it seems like things that I am teaching as a mini-lesson, that I expect the kids to know, they don't or just don't remember. So the lesson takes longer - because it's like I am teaching a new concept.
I like the idea of setting up the expectations for reading list at the beginning of the year. I think this way the students are involved with the rules/expectations and take ownership in that and they are posted and clear from the get-go.
I also like the rules for reading workshop list. I actually did a list with the kids this year for expectations while they were in "the zone." They actually created the list of expectations themselves - I just scribed for them and then we posted them.
The final thing about the chapter that I like is categorizing the books into three types for the kids. Letting them know from the beginning about the "holiday," "just right," and "challenge" books. This can help them to be aware of what their book is considered. I am still struggling with some of my students to pick those "just right" books. Several of my students like the "holiday" books.

Practicalities

Chapter 10 provided us with a basic Workshop model for an eighty-five minute block: daily poem (5-10 min.), mini-lesson (5-15 min.), independent writing and conferencing (30 min.), book-talks and read-alouds (10 min.), independent reading and conferencing (20 min.). The most problematic element I have with this model is keeping the mini-lesson at 5-15 minutes; this is an area I have improved in throughout the year. However, hopefully I will be even better next year.

High School

I have mixed feelings towards Atwell's chapter 9 "High School." In it, she states that secondary teachers have "become enmeshed in a pedagogical paradigm that, in combination with a national standards movement, conspires to deny our secondary students easy, pleasurable access to books." Unfortunately, this "national standards movement" is simply beyond our control and can cause us to simply reduce the amount of time our students spend reading for pleasure. Atwell goes on to explain that many high school students stop reading for pleasure "due to the demands" of a rigid English curriculum. As I've stated so often before in our blogs and department discussions, I believe there needs to be a balance. Secondary teachers must follow their curriculum and novel units in order to effectively prepare students for college, while also balancing some time to give students the opportunity to choose their own texts and read for pleasure.

high school

I agree with Tammy - I found very little that was beneficial to me from this chapter. I think writers workshop is an elementary concept, we are trying to tweak it to the middle school level, but I hope the high school does not buy into and start doing this. I want my son prepared for college...prepared for what college english professors are going to want out of him quite honestly! It hit me while I was reading this chapter for some reason - I think at the middle school and high school levels our focus needs to be on getting students engaged through technology - that's what is going to peak their interest and even help them as they go in to college and beyond. I can see more benefit from that than there being such this overwhelming push of writer's workshop! Kelly - you engaged students last year to reading through the use of MP3 players...bet that was a great tool! How cool would it be for there to be a real push in the English depts for some new and innovative technology to get our kids engaged, become better readers, writers, etc... On a scale of 1 - 10... I would guess students would rank being able to use technology as a 10 in learning. Wonder where they would rank writer's workshop?

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is on high school methods. Quite honestly, it offered little in new ideas (that are practically applicable to middle school). It's quite a challenge in itself to apply concepts to the middle school setting.

Chapter 6-Booktalking

Booktalks are something that I definitely need to improve on in my classroom. I have modeled a booktalk for my kids with a book I was reading at that time. After that, the students were very excited to share the books that they were reading. Booktalks are a great tool in the classroom because they grab the attention of the other readers in the room. The genre of the book might be something that at first they thought they would never be interested in, but after hearing the booktalk they realize that it might be a book for them. I do agree with Atwell when she says the booktalks should stay positive.

chapter 8 response..."Boys"

Yes...boys will be boys - they don't like to read as much as girls do!! It's harder to find the perfect read for them than it is for the girls in our classrooms. Of course, I am sure that it is because the majority of the books out there for middle-school aged students are pretty "girly."
I struggle, myself, with helping the boys in my classes find those just right books - but I will continue to work on it!

Chapter 8 Response

I would definitely agree with Atwell's comments in regards to the extreme importance of making a strong effort in instilling a passion for reading in our male readers. When I reflect on my classroom, very rarely will I have to refocus students during reading; however, when I do, they are always boys. I definitely need to improve on by individual reading conferences with my male students, teaching them to analyze their interests...leading them to find authors, genres, and themes they enjoy. I need to make more of an effort with this at the beginning of next year.

Chapter 7 Response

Atwell's discussion of letter-essays is a beneficial method of assessing student reading and comprehension in a critical thinking manner. While at the middle school, we are currently administering the Accelerated Reading program, but many students want (and should be able) to read non-A.R. novels. I currently give oral book report conferences with students who read non-A.R. books; but these letter-essays described by Atwell would be much more worthwhile for my students. They can anlayze a passage, react to the book's theme, problem, character development, plot, or author's style. Students can also tell about their experiences reading the novel, explain what surprised them, and pose wonderings. I think these letter-essays would be great to experiment with at the end of this school year in preparation for my reading program/goals next year.

Response to Chapter 8 - Boys

I complete agree with Atwell on her assessment of "Who are these guys? I don't recognize them." Our September 8th grade boys may come in scoffing at "some" books -after all, there is still gender bias in the publishing industry, ie; "girls are the ones who buy all the books so we're going to publish more books espcially for girls vs. boys". After a few weeks in our classroom, most of the gender bias falls away and books become fairly gender-less. I've had boys pick up "Twilight" and "Nineteen Minutes" and at first they may not be as receptive to reading, but after awhile, in a safe environment that encourages reading based on interest and not gender, they loosen up and are willing to try a number of books which may or may not be deemed feminine or masculine.
Wow! I am amazed that Nancie's boys read an average of 40 books per year (and that's at the low end, she states). Think about how many books that is - at least 1 a week for the entire year. I know that I don't have averages that high - I have some higher and many more lower than that, but what we've done is to create a passionate reading environment for boys and for girls - all done in 15 minutes a day! Kudos to my collegues, that's something to brag about.
Kelly

Guys! Guys! Guys!

While I agree that a lot of boys in the eighth grade do break the stereotype and are voracious readers of anything they can get their hands on. I've got a boy at home who is not interested in anything that has neither dinosaurs nor cars, there will be no reading it. I'm curious as to when that change occurs.

Chapter 6 Response

Booktalks are definitely an activity I'm excited to implement in my classroom...what a great method to instilling a passion for reading in our students. I love the fact that Atwell gave distinct categories of booktalks: new titles I loved, new titles I haven't read yet, a worthy author, a worthy series, oldies but goodies, titles related by topic or theme, top picks for the weekend, and fast reads. As Atwell states, "By briefing kids about the great stories that are still waiting for them, booktalks help students select, reject, develop criteria, look forward to the next title, and become the kinds of readers who can determine the course of a literary lifetime" (73). Booktalks are an excellent tool to supplement S.S.R./The Reading Zone.

Like Tammy (and Atwell ) I also enjoy more of a casual, at home feel in the classroom. I would love to have tables instead of these big, burly desks!!! The kids love my bean bags and chairs - they actually rush to be the first one to get them when it's time for independent reading!! I will continue to make my room a "comfy, inviting" room! I love how Tricia's room has the Christmas lights hung around the ceiling!!! Might have to steal that idea!!!
I like Atwell's idea of the letter-essays...I think it would be another good way to allow kids to share their experiences from the book and hold them accountable - besides just using the status checks. This is an idea I will definitely keep in mind to use next year!
I was happy to see Atwell give ideas for some open-ended questions to ask to students when I "chatted" with them! I will use these as well...it will make my time with them more valuable for me and them!

Booktalking - chapter 6 response

I am just this year starting to dabble with book talks. Gina came in and modeled for my class what a book talk might look like and my students had mixed reviews...however, I can see the benefit of them! I actually plan to introduce book talks at the beginning of the year next year, so that they become a part of our classroom structure and routine. I think it might help students as well (starting them from the beginning of the year.)
I like the idea of the student's keeping a list of books - maybe in their notebooks - of titles they might wish to read, once they've heard the booktalks.
I am also hoping that next year, when I implement more book-talks, to create some sort of the "books we love" display. I think this is also a great idea.

response to chapter 5

I first want to say that I actually laughed out loud when I read the sentence in the first paragraph stating, "the first is how easy it is to be seduced by new methods, especially when they arrive wrapped in research." Isn't that irony right there?!?!?
Anyway...I brought out of this chapter a couple of things - how important it is to model and then have kids make those three very important linkages to the text...text to one-self, text-to-another-text, and text-to world. I believe this is important - one of the reasons I said about an earlier chapter that I didn't agree with not doing double sided journal entries or dialectic journals - these kinds of linkages are promoted through these strategies!
The next thing that struck me is the idea of giving kids the tasks through independent reading time actually takes them out of the zone...I agree whole-heartedly...I've stopped doing this!
I may tell them to see if they can, through their independent reading book, use some sort of skill or identify a skill we have studied - but not as an assignment on sticky notes! We are always talking about what strategies they need to use during reading - the independent reading time can be a time for that if it "fits" for the student - but is not mandatory. To go along with that ... Atwell's friend that told her once kids master and assimilate the strategies, they would become automatic...I agreed with.
I also believe that Atwell's statement about understanding the meaning of about 90% of the words in a book - proves that it's important for us to continue to do vocab in some way...kids are losing out on some important stuff that we learned as kids and were just fine learning! Helping students find their "just right" books is also important for this purpose.
It amazes me that so much seems to have needed to change for kids to learn...but we all learned just fine...didn't we??? Were our teachers so bad?!?!?

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 is interesting to me because I have had students, boys and girls, who believed that they did not like reading because they were not good readers. One of the survey questions I gave at the beginning of the school year asked how the student felt about reading. If the response was negative, we needed to figure out why. Our first conferences in reader's workshop revolved around that survey question. Common responses were "Reading is boring", "I don't like being told what to read", and "It's too hard". Atwell talks about getting to the root of the problem and putting aside myths and stereotypes. “Anyone’s achievement, male or female, is driven by interest.” (page 96) I think we do a really good job getting kids motivated by finding books that interest them. We do this by having conversations with kids about books, sharing through book talks, and constantly keeping our eyes and ears open for new books to recommend.

Also, this chapter reminded me that Ralph Fletcher has a book about boy WRITERS that is very interesting. If you are having trouble motivating your boy writers, this is an excellent resource. I have a copy that I would gladly loan!

One-to-One

I like the letter-essay idea. Nancie gives the expectations (in her invitation), and then models (planning page). Kids are provided examples (openers), and continue to see her modeling critical thinking as she responds to their letters. Requiring them every three weeks seems like a reasonable request, but I think it might be difficult to write back to every student that often. Are any of you requiring students to write letters? If so, do you write back and how often? I’m glad I’m not the only one who had to “learn how to chat”, as she says. I used to think that I had to record everything we talked about every time we talked, but the records seemed pointless until I understood the purpose in conferencing (well, that and a lot of practice). We constantly have those informal conferences (as they walk in the door or we pass them in the hallways), but there is great value in having deeper conversations that help us assess learning, track growth, and set goals.

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone Chapter 10

Like Atwell, I too team reading and writing. Of course, it began as a practical solution but has shown to aid students in no longer compartmentalizing their learning. Some days I end up breaking blocks up the way Atwell describes, the first half is writing and the second reading, but most days, I combine the two. I started doing that more when I noticed the benefit it was to my students and it just so happens to work nicely for me too. :) The new practical challenge I must tackle is assessing learning. We all know our students, but there really needs to be a form of measuring that’s not only subjective and informal, but evidentiary. So far, the only thing I find helpful that also provides some type of evidence (though still subjective in nature) is keeping anecdotal notes on conferencing and observations.

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone Chapter 8

Girls are made from sugar and spice and everything nice while boys are made from snakes and snails and puppy tails. This chapter is so funny! Atwell claims her boys do not fit the stereotypical reader. I was reading on page 95 and could think of at least one specific story about a male student for all of the generalizations given. Of course, not all boys fit the generalizations but it sure was funny to make all of those connections! I cannot believe I’m admitting this, but I actually banned one of my boys from checking out any more of the Ripley’s Believe it or Not and The Guinness Book of Records. Isn’t that horrible?!?!?!? I just saw that he was just looking at the gross pictures and reading nothing for a whole semester. That being said, we were able to find him some nice books that connected to his interest in music and (gasp) girls (they have some pictures too :)).
I have noticed that book talks seem to have engaged boys more, in their reading. Maybe this is bringing out a practical purpose for them? I’ve also noticed that since we’ve been using a “Books I Love” poster that we share on, boys seem more engaged, participants in supporting activities to the reading we do in the classroom. I’m not quite sure what the reason is, but it’s nice to see that they want to share now and borrow ideas from one another.

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone Chapter 7

Like Nancie Atwell, I enjoy more of a casual, at home feel in the classroom. It pains me every day to look at the sterile desks that take up so much unnecessary space in my classroom. I would much rather have big, comfy chairs, dark wood round tables, and of course, bean bags, blankets, and pillows. The right setting creates an environment that envelope those inside and draws them in. Poetry aside, while classroom setting can seem superficial, it is important to me. Maybe that’s because I’m a visual learner and am stimulated that way. Even if I love the food at a restaurant, I will avoid eating there if the atmosphere is not warm and inviting. In my years of teaching, I have observed students, polled them, and played around a lot with classroom settings. In doing that, I put to rest my fear that I was “decorating” the classroom to my liking, not my students’. Students seem to prefer and excel in classroom settings that provide a warm, home-like setting. Of course, we work with what we have available to make the best learning environment; money, space, and practicality sometimes interferes.
When reading about Atwell’s letter essays, it reminded me of all the great reflecting, writing, and sharing that takes place in our classroom with a novel we just finished up. While we enjoy reading our personal choice books, it has been an invaluable experience traveling through a book together. Students have encouraged, shared, held each other accountable, and felt a sense of “team” reading this book as a family. It has opened up great opportunities (some accidental) for constructive debate on characters and the conflict(s) in the book; because they all read it, they had common ground. While reading this book, we took many opportunities to incorporate writing as a literary tool. It’s really helped to bridge the gap students sometimes feel between content areas.
Lastly, reading about checking students and knowing your readers, it brought to mind the status checks I do with my students in the classroom. Status checks take many forms in the classroom, one of which resembles Atwell’s roaming method. While it has served as a nice way for me to keep up with how students are doing, one thing has concerned me. When I’m checking student status (with 28 kiddos) or conferencing while students are reading, or in the zone, I am not reading. I think it’s important that they see me reading too, practicing what I preach. Just a thought, I haven’t yet figured out how to conquer that yet.

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone Chapter 6

Oh my goodness, my students LOVE booktalks! I have students that ask to do book talks that I can’t get to participate otherwise; it really is great! I believe that doing booktalks has also given my students incentive for reading because they like sharing. We have also accomplished this through literature circles, where they give mini-booktalks as well as prompted sharing.
I have started keeping new titles for our classroom library back so that I can ask specific students (tricking students just a bit, into reading something different, more at their ability level,…) to read the book so he/she can give a booktalk on it for their class. I have yet to find a student that does not just eat that up. I have students that have been nothing but…challenging and unmotivated with everything, that cannot wait to read so they can share. It sweetens the pot even more when a student is sharing and, unprovoked, refers to their book and glances at (their post it where they made a connection) to remind them of a great part of the book. Ahhh, the "sin" of applying reading strategies helpful in booktalks. J Booktalks, the best thing since…sliced bread!

Response to Chapter 5

In this chapter, Atwell discusses the importance of minimizing reading distractions when students are in the "reading zone." One of these distractions includes directing readers to "activate comprehension strategies" during reading. As I have so often stated in my blog reflections, I do agree with Atwell to a certain extent; however, there needs to be a balance. While I do believe students should experience a novel simply for the pure pleasure of the story, at other times, teaching students to apply comprehension strategies through text is necessary as well. That is our job...the expectation from our bosses and students' parents; and we owe it to our students to adequately prepare them for high school, college, and the work force.

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone, Chapter 5.

If teaching reading strategies and implementing those expectations (practice) “distracts them from the pleasures of the reading zone” then I may have to take that risk at first then incorporate the enjoyment of reading. I don’t believe that teaching strategies does that. Of course there are students who would rather do nothing, all day, but those are the students that in “the reading zone” most likely (from many of my own observations) just stare at the pages of their book, or the clock, and have no real recollection/comprehension of what they’ve read right after they’ve read it. YES, I want students to enjoy reading and find reading enjoyable, but, as a teacher, no, as a person who loves reading and realizes how important it is to EVERYTHING, it is important (and part of my job) to implement strategies that improve student comprehension and reading skills. Atwell quotes research from 1987 (p.52/53) but the strategies approach wasn’t in heavy practice until the 1990s, so, the research quoted seems to meet the needs of the topic for the author, not true research as applied in the classrooms in the ‘90s and since. While I am not someone who only reads novels to my students then gives them a chapter quiz and moves on, I do feel that creative teaching and usage of the strategies is so important; my students are evidence of that. True, not all of them liked having to do anything at first, but once they were used to applying the strategies, I saw an amazing growth in them AND they began making those applications ON THEIR OWN as they read “in the zone”. Allowing students to make application on their terms, set their own goals, helps to keep them “in the zone” when they do read. Additionally, it uniquely allows students to own their reading AND learning experiences by steering the direction in which they go (in learning applications).

Chapter 4 Response

The most essential piece of information I gathered from chapter 4 involved Atwell's comment, "To make reading easy for students, the bottom-line requirement is an inviting classroom library, organized so it's simple for chidren to find good books and return them" (37). Atwell goes on to say that she shelves over 1,200 books alphabetically by authors' last names in bookcases labeled in inviting categories. While I'm happy to say that my classroom library has increased due to the $500 all Communication Arts teachers received to buy new books, my library is miniscule compared to Atwell's (I think I probably have 150-200 books???). How awesome would it be to have 1,000 books in one's classroom library, along with shelves?! While I think we are making great strides in developing students' passion for reading through the building of classroom libraries, it would be nice if more monetary resources from outside funds could assist us in our quest to buy new books.

Chapter 3 Response

While chapter 3 included some key points involving students' right to choose their own books, one practical idea that both classrooms and libraries could implement includes each grade level having its own "books-we-love" case or stand (Atwell 33). This simple idea would interest a great multitude of students who get a little intimidated when traveling to a library with hundreds of books to choose from. Maybe creating a "books-we-love" poster in the library might also help guide students in selecting books.

Chapter 2 Response

One of the most beneficial pieces of information from chapter 2 was the "top ten school conditions" that Atwell's students stated made them most engaged during reading. While I'm happy to see that I am implementing some of these conditions, I know that I could improve. Two particular conditions I could improve on involve "comfort during in-class reading time" and "individuals' conversations with the teacher about their reading". I try to provide a comfortable classroom during reading by dimming the lights and playing soft music in the background; however, my room is sincerely only large enough for one bean bag chair and one body pillow. I wish I could provide more comfy furniture to create more of a relaxing environment. In regards to the conversations surrounding students' books, I need to improve. I feel like so often my time during S.S.R. (reading zone, essentially) involves taking attendance, catching students up on missing assignments if they were absent, and conferencing over other classroom assignments.

Chapter 1 Response

Chapter 1 seemed to be very similar to the Atwell article that prefaced the start of the book study. One particular comment from Atwell really spoke to me: "It can take a physical effort to cross the boundary. And then they're fully themselves again. They yammer at me and one another about books, overstuff their backpacks, forget to put away the beanbags, and slam out the room to their next class" (Atwell 12). Atwell is referring to students being completely transmitted into "another world" during daily reading zone opportunities, which is something I most certainly notice when we transition from S.S.R. (same thing as reading zone) to our Writer's Notebooks during class. I often have to remember that sometimes it takes students a little time to switch gears...and this requires patience on my part.

Response to Nancie Atwell's The Reading Zone Chapter 4

I do not believe that all children learn to read (better) simply by reading. In an ideal world, students would learn the read well and to love reading just by reading a book, however, if that is the only model utilized in teaching reading, a lot of children will be left behind. I still believe that incorporating a lot of different methods for teaching reading is valuable in the process of growing as a reader. One of those is providing relaxing reading time, and plenty of it. However, I believe that direct instruction and practice of specific reading comprehension skills is vital.
I am not a fan of using novel sets in the classroom UNLESS it’s used to create “family” reading and for group discussion and teaching skills. Novels can provide ongoing rich text to reference that EVERYONE is familiar with. However, I believe novels are best when coupled with choice reading, or the workshop model. I believe it’s vital to allow each reader their choice, as well as monitor growth and differentiation; this is hard to do when everyone’s reading the same novel. However, great literature and reading enjoyment as a classroom family can be absent from students’ experiences in reading if novels are completely removed. As a student, I would not have picked up some of the rich literature I was introduced to if I had not had the opportunity in classes where we read novels. In addition, reading as a class allowed for wonderful “book club-type” discussions. I remember, even kids I wouldn’t have suspected reading the required text, engaging in debate and intelligent conversation about the novels we read as a class. So, as in every good thing, finding a balance of the best things seems to work best. Incorporating readers’ choice, discussion time, plenty of reading in “the zone”, direct instruction and practice of skills, and ample reading materials to meet various needs and interests will provide for a successful reading classroom forum.

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone, Chapter 3

I’m all for student choice and student involvement in setting classroom expectations. However, in the book’s reference to “The Reader’s Bill of Rights”, I think it would be difficult to manage this with students (sometimes too common) that are just trying to get out of doing anything. Okay, I already know what the response is, question asked, question answered: If I take that opportunity to conference, check status, and engage those “less-than-ideal” students, problem solved, right? So, with those students, what are the thoughts (within this model of thinking) about imposing “musts” on them during one-on-ones, if the particular students isn’t trying or growing? How about this: incorporate the choice model AND include direct instruction with skill sets so that both are a part of the classroom?
I love the idea of a reading survey; I think it’s a great way to get to know your students and make them feel involved in their education. Often times, throughout the school year, I’ll pole the class for suggestions on activities, titles to purchase, topics,…I’ve noticed that in the beginning there were those “less-than-ideal” students who gave answers they knew were unrealistic, like “Talk all day,” or “No work at all,”…I got frustrated at first then decided to meet them head on. I started responding with “Okay, here’s what we’ll do, activities that require sharing,” or skill review in the form of games (rather than work). It was fun, messing with them like that, but in turn, I noticed those “less-than-ideal” students started giving “real” ideas for classroom involvement. Happy accident I guess.
There are things I’ve tried within the Reader’s Workshop model thinking it wouldn’t work and wasn’t realistic but it ended up working really well. There were other things that didn’t work as well. I have realized that, at some point, I will have to figure out the most difficult part of the model, giving students the run of their learning, administering and tracking actual learning that’s taking place.

Chapter 4 response

I highlighted chapter 4 as I was reading through it. The essential idea in this chapter is choice for our young readers. I agree with Atwell in this area. I do believe this is important. I believe we are headed in the right direction in trying to create our classroom libraries...thanks Kelly!! I would like to think that by the time we are finished - we will have the recommended 20 (or more) books for each student.
I also like how Atwell used the reading inventory at the beginning of the year. I have used something similar - but maybe not as effectively. I will keep this in mind for next year.
I also highlighted the part where Atwell made the comment that she, "suffers enough English-teacher guilt about the perfect, impossible job I should be doing." I can relate 100% with this statement. There never seems to be enough time to do all that we are asked to do...so I am going to try to do what she suggests and let the kids suggest books through book talks. I think it's a great idea to allow the students to have such an impact on the classroom discussion of books. Let's face it - they are always wanting a say in how things work in the classroom - here is one way that we can allow them to help!!
One last part I want to comment on is from the last part of chapter 4. Atwell states, "students should read for the joy of reading." Wow...isn't this what we have all been saying?!?! Giving students an "assignment" each time they are reading their independent reading books is not just letting them read for the joy of reading...at least I don't think so!

I truly enjoyed reading Tammy and Renee's response and I encourage Gina to join in with us and be a part of the responses. We want to know your thoughts as well.

I agree with Renee that we are on the "front lines" of our classroom. We are held responsible for the learning and the education of our students. As teachers of our classes, we are the ones who develop relationships with our students (see Tammy's response when she refers to her literary relationship with her student) and alter our instructional strategies to fit these very diverse learners. I am not one for "one size fits all" instruction. Never have been, never will be a fan.

I encourage you to read Kelly Gallagher's "Read-A-Cide - How Schools are Killing Reading in Schools." It is profiled in Voices From the Middle (Feb. 2010) which is an NCTE publication. He does believe in many of Atwell's philosophies, as do I, and he also believes that we need to teach our students to read difficult texts and novels through whole group instruction. It's what I've been saying from the beginning - there can be and is a compromise to student-selected texts and curriculum novels. I am reading his book along with reviewing Atwell's book (I read her book long ago). We need to pull from several resources before changing curriculum or instructional strategies in our classroom. We don't have to use just ONE strategy for our students. Why would we? As one of my literary e-mail pals recently wrote to me: "We are so willing to buy into "The Next Big Thing" as the one element that will change/enhance/increase student learning in our classroom." She sits on the board of the Newberry Book Awards and I have to believe that what she says comes from years of practice and expertise in the area of adolescent reading. She is a wonderful resource for me.

Keep up the good work in your classrooms - I am impressed with the dedication, focus, and expertise of my colleagues here at PCMS and I'm honored to be a part of this fantastic group. With the changes we have incorporated into our classrooms this year, it's time to step back, reflect, and pat yourselves on the back.

Chapter 1 response

I thought the first chapter of the book pretty much went through the same stuff we read about in the first article and that I already commented on. So I am going to respond more to the things we talked about the other day in our PLC discussion.

First of all - I want to say that I think we are all huge fans of getting our kids to love reading! It's the "how to go about doing that" that seems to be our biggest source of frustration. I, like Tammy, believe that letting the kids have that extra time in class to read - JUST FOR PLEASURE...is what is going to create the life-long readers! This is where I struggle with the reader's workshop part of giving kids "assignments" to do while they are reading their independent reading, SSR, whatever you choose to call them... books. I believe we need to give them the time to read just for the enjoyment of it...and that the other turns them away from it!

We also discussed AR and how we feel like that fits in to what we do...we all agreed that it doesn't fit. I really think we need to bring this to the forefront and try to get away from having to do this for a grade! I don't think it is in our students' best interests to continue the AR program the way it is set up for us now. Atwell talks about personal selection for the kids...not being bound to something that is AR opens up even more personal selection!

As far as how to create the environment that Atwell talks about, I think we each need to find what works best for us and our own students. What works for Mikki or Kelly, might not work for me. This is why I have kept coming back to us being the professionals in the classroom, who know our students the best - those on the "frontline" and we need to be able to use our arsenal of teaching techniques as we see best fits our students. With that being said, I think it's important to note that it could be something different between students and from year to year! So...I guess what I am saying is that the models are good to have to draw from - but can't solely be relied on to work 100% of the time with 100% of the students! Best practice would be for us to look at many different options...not just one.

Okay...just got off my high horse...sorry! But the more I read Atwell - the more I realize that I agree with some of what she says, but not all - AND I THINK THAT AS THE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM...THAT SHOULD BE OKAY FOR ME TO DO! I see it like this...no one tells our math teachers the best way to teach 2 + 2 = 4, or how to teach a big concept even like geometry or algebra. They are able to try one way and if it doesn't work move on to what does!

Response to Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone, Chapter 1.

I find myself thinking back to when I was a young student, when my love for reading began. Unfortunately, all I remember about reading at all, in the school setting, is that there were Blue Birds, Red Birds, and other “creative” names for reading groups. I can even remember what group I was in, you’d think I would remember that as insignificant as it is. I do know that I can’t remember not loving a good book. It has always been a part of our home. It’s so funny that my mother, who really didn’t stress academics at all, created an environment now the envy of teachers. Mom created an environment where reading was a part of the daily routine, a part of our family relationship. She created in her daughters a love for reading. To this day, my sister who has five children still reads. It sounds weird to point out that someone reads, but I’ve found that it’s somewhat normal for people not to read once they don’t have to for school; many of my students say they don’t have any books at home. I say all of this to say, if I can be a part of creating that love of reading, that routine of reading, in my students’ lives, I would consider it a privilege.

I believe it’s important to create the environment of reading in the classroom, the environment where there’s not assignment attached to what’s being read, just reading for the joy of reading. I find myself, throughout this chapter (and many of Nancie Atwell’s teachings) struggling with the two sides of myself, the ideal and the realistic. Ideally all of my students would love to read and would naturally grow as readers just by reading but the realist in me can’t help but wonder if I can really provide that environment while teaching practical strategies for comprehension and application.

I have a suggestion box in my classroom and I make a point of drawing from it on Fridays. Dare I forget, the kids remind me, so it must be important to them. One of the suggestions I recently pulled said “Give us more time to read.”. Yes, tears came to my eyes, in part, because my kids wanted to read and how exciting is that? But, I admit, some of those tears were for the “How I am I gonna get everything done that is expected of me if I give them more reading time?” More reading time won out, but my other problem still exists.

I really like when Atwell sets up the classroom scenario for us, the relationship she seems to be building with her students through literature. I have a student, Ashleigh, with whom I have developed a wonderful, literary relationship with. We discovered early on that we both liked the same book, so I gave her a biography on the author. Since, she and I read his books at the same time and talk about them on a regular basis. I can tell that she truly understand what she’s reading and enjoys it. In my “mini-conversations” with her, I am able to assess her too (on accident). I was taken back a bit when I read Atwell’s statement “When reading is meaningful, understanding cannot be separated from decoding.” I read it over and over and wasn’t sure what I thought about that. However, my relationship with Ashleigh is helping me make practical application to the concept. I still have reservations though, is this an achievable goal and a realistic form of measurement ” with twenty-nine students?

NEXT POST

I am in the process of creating a time line for the book study, which I will share with you soon. In the meantime, please read chapter 1 only and respond by Sunday, Jan. 31. We will get more specific w/discussion questions, but for this chapter, respond as you feel appropriate. What are you already doing? What ideas come to mind? Maybe YOU have a question to pose.
Oh, and be sure to read what the others are writing. Feel free to comment as well.

Response to article

I, like the others, agree with what Atwell says. The first part that I got to that really struck me and made me question our STAR and AR tests was when she said we shouldn't ever tell kids they aren't smart or trustworthy when it comes to choosing the books that are right for them. The STAR test I guess is a tool that is supposed to be used to help kids pick books within their reading levels...but I have seen kids read beyond their reading levels and do really well on the AR tests - which leads me to believe that the student probably did that well because they truly enjoyed the book and really got in to it...leading to increased understanding of the story! The problem with AR is that it limits the kids to what books they can read, unless we as teachers create tests for those books that do not have AR tests for them. It's hard to do that with lack of time and other obligations. I don't like that it is limited...if a student really likes a book - then I want them reading it!!
I have to agree with Kelly, Mikki, and Jamie about the novels. This is something that I have struggled with this year but I keep coming back to seeing my son in high school and what I want for him as he heads off to college in a couple of years. I want him reading novels. I want him exposed to the classics that I believe professors will expect him to have read. I want him learning the strategies of reading a novel so that he is prepared! I strongly believe that we need to expose our students to some classic novels that they might not otherwise select. I have had students actually tell me after reading a novel that they were really glad we read it because they probably wouldn't have read it otherwise. I can use Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry as a great example of this. Not only is it a great novel, but one that students can really learn from. Historical fiction is not a popular choice with my students usually.
So if I want this for my son, I should want that for my students too...right!? I see the importance of mixing it up and not always doing a novel and making sure that we are teaching the concepts - not the novel.
In the part where she talks about what we shouldn't do - worksheets, book reports, etc... The only one I took exception to was the double sided journal entries - only because this helps students make connections to the text! This is always good...kind of like annotating.
I love the way Atwell suggests setting up the classroom! My kids love my beanbags and pillows. I want to continue getting some stuff to set my room up so it is comfy for them when they are reading.

Atwell Response

I agree with a number of comments Nancie Atwell makes in the article taken from The Reading Zone. It's absolutely essential that our students develop a passion for reading and a "satisfaction for books"; and many of the Reader's Workshop components can assist teachers in developing this love for reading in each one of their students. Despite Atwell's beliefs of disregarding all reading acronyms in the classroom (S.S.R. and READ), with the implementation of S.S.R. in our middle school English classrooms, students are encouraged to experiment with their reading interests and eventually efficiently select those books they are more inclined to enjoy (via exposure to various authors, genres, themes, etc.). The block schedule in our English classrooms has lent itself well towards the ability to give students "personal reading time" that will eventually lead to life-long readers. As Atwell's article states, students claim they want time to read at school; and the incorporation of S.S.R. gives students this opportunity.

As with many of the new ideas we have been presented with this year, I often find myself believing that it is essential that there is some sort of balance with new educational philosophy and traditional educational philosophy. For example, Atwell feels very strongly about giving students the autonomy of choosing their own books. To reiterate my previous claims, I agree with Atwell's claim here. However, I feel there should be a balance of student-selected books and teacher-selected books. As Kelly stated in her response, one must take into account the demographics of Platte City. Many of our students will attend two or four year institutitions. In order to fairly prepare these students for college and the work force, students must be able to take a teacher-given novel or text (many of which are classic literary novels) and completely dissect the novel, identifying and examining various literary elements. Furthermore, when students enter the work force, they must have the capability to read an employer-given text (memo, directions, book, etc.) and comprehend/apply the information given. In other words, not all reading material one is given throughout life is "fun reading"; therefore, we must provide our students with a balance of student-selected reading material to develop a passion for reading and teacher-selected reading material to prepare students for college and the "real world".

Response to Atwell article

I can respond positively to everything Atwell says in her article. I based my own classroom library of over 1500 books based on her ideas pertaining to reading for pleasure. Atwell states that good classroom libraries should consist of 10 books for each student. For most of us teaching in a block period, that would be 800 books or so. With the advent of our new classroom libraries (should be in by next week-thank you Chris Miller!) we should be more prepared than ever to offer our students a nice selection of books tailored to their interests.

One of the most important criteria for establishing a climate of reading that Atwell doesn't talk about is the importance of teachers reading the books that the kids are reading. If I don't read what my kids are reading, how can I steer them to an excellent book based on their interests and reading styles. Granted, I haven't read every book in my library, but I've read hundreds of my own books and when I can say to my students, "I've read this and it's one of my favorites," kids really respond to that connection. When the student begins to read the book, I can talk with them during our SSR time and ask, "Have you gotten to the part where...". This is the kind of student/teacher connection that I LOVE! We are so far apart in age, so far apart in experiences, but we can share that common experience of having read the same book. When I began teaching, I knew that this would be a good connection with my students, I just didn't realize how wonderful it would be and that it would quickly become the cornerstone of my teaching.

I agree with Mikki about the teaching of novels in addition to providing that all-important pleasure reading, SSR, IR, or whatever we want to call it. Students need to know how to engage in a lengthy novel and how to respond to the literature through group discussion, individual responses, etc. We must think about our demographics at all times when we are thinking about our curriculum. Over 70% of our students go on to college (either a 2-year college or a 4-year college). If we haven't begun and completed the process of teaching our students how to read a novel, how to critically respond to a novel and not just write book reports, then we haven't done our jobs to prepare our students for success after high school. Many college professors have reported that students who are not reading complete novels in whole-group are not as successful in college as students who have not studied a novel in-depth. Where else but in a novel do students learn character development over time? We do have to teach them this process. Experiencing the novel in a whole-group situation first, and then gradually releasing the students to explore and critically analyze novels on their own is good teaching (or best practice).

Atwell is preaching to the choir about establishing good reading habits and practices in the classroom. Instill in a student the passion for reading and you have done a good deed for a lifetime. Additionally, we are blessed with parents who are incredibly supportive of the time and effort we put into our books and establishing good readers. After all, their child is the beneficiary. It's a win-win for teacher, student, and parent.

Response to the Atwell article

I wholeheartedly agree with Atwell that extrinsic rewards (principals shaving heads, pizza parties--which I'm guilty of doing) do not lead to good reading. The desire to read has to come from within and I believe that the best way to get there is to be constantly sharing books, not only what the kids are reading, but for me to share with them what I'm reading.

A few years ago, during SSR, my chosen book was The Lovely Bones. I believe I cried every day that I read it, but I thought it was important for kids to see that a book can do that for you if you connect with it. And every single day they'd ask me what was happening and whether I thought I would make it through SSR tear-free. And then we'd talk about their books, and ideas for new titles would be flying left and right.

I argue that all of these things that Atwell wants us to teach can be taught while also teaching novels. If the right novel is chosen, the whole class can experience an amazing learning experience instead of just a few.

Right now, I'm drowning. Just absolutely drowning. And I'm not teaching as well as I do when I am reading books on my own for fun so that I can have book talks with kids. The excitement about reading really is dependent on the AR program right now. And, in fact, I am in process of teaching myself to speed read so that I can contribute to book talks again for the first time all year.

Whether it's called SSR, DEAR, or whatever is really splitting hairs and is a matter of semantics. Students reading for pleasure is what we really need. Honestly, add AR into that equation and out the window goes the pleasure part of the reading. Just this week I had a kid who brought a Dr. Seuss book to me to get the last point he needed for AR. To me, that just exemplifies what we've done to our reading program.

I don't think it's a matter of whether we teach classroom sets of novels, I use that as my opportunity to do mini-lessons on how to read well, I think it's a matter of not making reading feel like punishment or like that thing you have the kids do when you need to get paper-grading done.

Response to the article in Nancie Atwell's "The Reading Zone".

When the article talks about the “P” word, I can relate. I have found that many parents, who don’t understand methodology in the learning process/the classroom, feel the need to see and have something tangibleby way of grades; they need to see their students doing homework and getting the (letter) grade to feel like they’re learning. As trained professionals, it’s frustrating that our credentials don’t seem worthy of trust. I think rather than “getting over it” and blowing parents off (in hopes that they’ll realize it’s okay eventually) it’s important to create a healthy balance between parent expectations and what we know our students need; to do this, communication is key. Communication before, during (showing growth and benefits, formal and informal), and after (evidence of improvement). I think that communication can help parents feel confident that we, as their child’s teacher, have a plan; it provides opportunity for educators to share their objectives for learning in their classroom.

I think it’s important to allow reading-for-enjoyment time in the classroom. I have been a reader since I can remember; I am always reading at least one book at all times. I truly believe that one reason I love to read is because I observed that in my mother growing up. Reading was a natural part of our household, there were no degrees hanging on the walls and we were very poor but we managed to haul ourselves to the used bookstore every couple of weeks and barter book for book. I do think that modeling a love of reading and providing time for kids to develop that is a crucial part in teaching reading. With that being said, I can also feel frustrated at times that I need to do that while still creating situations that I can assess and assign a grade. I know my students, I know what they are interested in, their abilities, their struggles, but, I struggle with communicating that in the form we’re expected to for documenting and grading purposes.

Welcome to our book blog! I am excited about learning through the sharing of our thoughts and questions. Although we may not agree with all of what we read or discuss, please keep an open mind and a positive attitude. Communicating this way can be a little intimidating, but keep in mind that we are all here for the same reason...our passion for learning and teaching.

"Rules of Engagement"
Read the assigned pages
Post by the deadline given
Respect the thoughts of others
Be honest in your posts
Participate in every session (with a response or question)

As we wait for our books to arrive, please read the following article written by Atwell and post a response. Your response could be "I agree with the author that..." and why, or "I disagree with the author that..." and why. Let's have this read and a response posted by Tuesday, Jan. 19th. (Go to "New Post" at top right of this page and then "Publish Post" when finished.)


http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=8132
(copy and paste)