Lori, What grades are the students flatlining at Level 20-24? In my class (I teach 1st/2nd in a 2 yr. loop) I let kids have a mix of leveled, "just right" books, picture books, nonfiction and poetry in their book boxes. In the morning the kids have free choice, I just hope they might put the book back in the right bin! During DEAR time I say 1-2 just right books in 1st grade and then free choice. I let the kids go shopping from my leveled books and I try and make sure they have a 7-15 just right books and then their other picks. Our librarian supports a combination of just right and free choice too. The only time I try to direct a child to pick books closer to their level is in 2nd grade and the child wants to read a chapter book (with few illustrations) and they are still at level 12/14 or below. I love Pioneer Valley books because they have books at those levels that look like chapter books and then the kids feel excited that they are in chapter books too. I think it's important to honor their choice and provide a good mix. I must say the most popular books for my boys are Calvin & Hobbes cartoon books...I've had to replace them after every loop. My son learned to read using Calvin and 20 years later boys still love them! He refuses to let me bring his books in! mary
, Ljackson <ljack...@gwtc.net> wrote: > > It has been my task, as of late, to review children who have 'flat-lined' > as readers--children stuck in basic and below basic categories over the > course of two or more years. What I am notice that many, many of these > children achieve a reading level of 20-24, as determined by DRA2 > assessments, and then they level out, stuck in a holding pattern or one of > only minimal acceleration > I truly believe that the use of leveled readers provides teachers an > important tool but that we have emptied the classroom tool boxes in some > cases, and that when this is the only tool in the box, there will be many > children left behind. > > > Lori Jackson > District Literacy Coach and Mentor > Todd County School District > Box 87 > Mission SD 5755 > > ----- Original message ----- > From: Janice Friesen <jani...@jfriesen.net> > To: Special Chat List for \To Understand: New Horizons in > ReadingComprehension\ <understand@literacyworkshop.org> > Date: Monday, February 02, 2009 6:33 AM > Subject: Re: [Understand] Chapter six? > > > I am really curious about this question. Now that SO much reading is > > done online it is harder to "level" the reading and find just the > > right sites with the right reading level for the kids. A friend of > > mine with lots of classroom experience said that when she started > > using the Internet kids read what they were really interested in and > > that they stretched to read passages that she would have thought too > > high for them. What do you experience with your classes? > > > > Janice > > > > > On page 149 Ellin argues for a more "moderate approach to book > > > selection." > > > She says she understands how students who consistently read things > > > that are too > > > easy or too hard can lose interest in reading but also believes that > > > readability formulas are very limited in utility and do not > > > account for student > > > schema and interest. What are your views on book selection and how > > > do you handle > > > this in your classroom? What is your belief system and how do you > > > use what > > > you believe to make decisions about what reading materials you use? > > > > Janice Friesen > > jani...@jfriesen.net > > > > "An adult can't expect to teach a 6 year old how to > > swim without getting wet." > > > > We can't expect to effectively prepare students for their future > > education, > > career, civic and personal activities without fully embracing Web 2.0 in > > schools. > > > > Quote from Nancy Willard in email > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Understand mailing list > > Understand@literacyworkshop.org > > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > Understand@literacyworkshop.org > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org > _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
