My students kept a list of books read. Then we wrote informal letters, back and forth, about their reading once a week. They were more like conversations. Took awhile for some to "get it." "What do you mean write a letter?" I said make it like a chatty letter to a friend. Two of my kids started labeling their letters "chatty letter #1." Had to model examples of course. And every week, my letters back were models of how people write about their reading. Sometimes I would ask some if I could share their letters so others could see the kinds of things we were writing. At first they would tend to write summaries. But that wasn't what I wanted. Rather: Here's what I'm reading. I'm thinking. I'm wondering. I'm discovering this about myself as a reader. I'd like to read ..... next. With patience and time the letters got interesting. They were funny, serious, sometimes profound. I learned a lot about them as readers. I know Atwell wrote about these at one time, Cora Lee Five I think did too, I did too in Language Arts years ago.
It had a different "feel" than an assignment to my students. They loved these letters and got upset if I missed a week. Only strategy I used that NEVER got complaints. Think it felt like writing personal notes with your teacher! Sally On 7/17/11 9:21 PM, "da...@aol.com" <da...@aol.com> wrote: > > Hello, > > I would greatly appreciate your thoughts about the use of reading logs in my > sixth grade reading/writing workshop. My homework policy is that students read > 30 minutes 5 nights a week or 150 minutes a week. They are free to read any > book they choose. I give students a reading log, due every Monday, that asks > them to document the minutes they read nightly, I ask them to write about > their independent reading weekly, based on the strategies and or elements of > literature we were studying. I maintain a classroom library and students have > access to the school library every 2 weeks. My problem is that my homework > completion rate is TERRIBLE. Rather , I should say that fewer than 50% of my > students regularly turn in their homework. Atwell, Miller, and many, many > other language arts teachers consider reading at home an important part of > their reading program. I am tempted to drop the the reading log requiremnent, > but I don't want to "dumb down" my expectations for my students who are > predominantly blue collar and poor. I want students to have some > accountability, but at the same time I don't want to make the homework process > so cumbersome that it turns my students off to reading independently. What are > your experiences and insights that can help? Thank you. > > Darlene Kellum > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
