Creating a Community of Readers

Love books. Know books. Share books. Nothing you do is more potent than the example you set as a reader. If you genuinely love to read, your passion for and knowledge of reading will shine through and inspire your students.

This is a quote (from somewhere.) I’m sorry to say I can’t remember where I read it.  But it’s so significant that I want to make it my email signature, or my facebook cover, or my license plate. (So it's pretty important.)

 

How do we turn nonreaders into readers? This is one of the most powerful ways. By setting a model example yourself. This goes for teachers and parents.

 

It’s not really fair to try to get kids to read or love to read if you don’t actually read or love to read yourself. They aren’t buying it.

I have to admit, even as much as I love to read I don't do it enough. I don't do it as much as I expect my students to. (I guess that's not true. I read all day long. And reading is still reading. But I read nonfiction articles online, nonfiction professional literature, blog posts, news articles, and facebook posts.)  But that is a completely different type of reading. And I can't use that type of literature to share and motivate 4th and 5th graders to read. 

(Hey I just read the most awesome facebook post the other day. You should check it out.)  No. Won't work. 

I'm talking about reading for the pleasure of reading: for getting lost in a book, in a different world, in a narrative structure, in a setting unlike one I've ever known, becoming a character I've never met yet feel like I've known my entire life. I want to read and get lost in a book and forget where I am and feel like I've just watched an amazing movie, and when I realize I am me and not the character I'll feel astonished at how much time has slipped by in the day and how many pages I've turned in the book. I want to read to feel better. I want to read to escape when I feel stuck in life. And I want to read to feel changed as a person. You can't get all that from scrolling through status updates. (Even the really good ones.)

So this upcoming year, I've got some ideas brewing to Create a Community of Readers. And it begins with the adults. 

The 25 Book Challenge

This year our school is taking part in a 25 Book Challenge. We are challenging students to read 25 award-winning or best selling books. But since we are asking them to do it, it’s only fair that we do it as well. Plus, it will make us better readers, more knowledgeable about books, more enthusiastic about books, and we will be able to share and recommend books more authentically to our students.

 

(We got this idea from the 40 Book Challenge from The Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller. But we are starting out small this year and beginning with 25.)

 

Share What You Are Reading

As part of this challenge, we, as teachers, will post pictures of the books we are reading on our classroom door. This way students and other teachers will know what we’ve read and can ask for recommendations.

Also, we are going to take part in an online community called www.biblionasium.com.

This is basically a Good Reads for Kids site. 

It’s very cool because you can write recommendations and reviews of the books. Plus you can log the books you have read.

Another similar site is called www.bookopolis.com . It looks pretty fun as well, although I haven’t spent as much time playing around with this one.

Helping Students Find Books

Sometimes just finding the right book is all it takes to realize you are a reader. And I think finding them is a strategy we don’t often teach. Becoming part of a community of readers is the first step I think. But I was trying to figure out other ways for students to learn about other books.

 

New York Times Best Seller List Bulletin Board

This may be a bit ambitious, but I thought it would be really awesome to have a changing bulletin board. Every Monday, the new updated New York Times Best Seller List would be posted for students to see what is still on the list and what other books have made it.  I’m sure I could convince some really good go-getter students to take charge of this.

 
New York Times Best Seller List Middle Grade

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2015-08-02/childrens-middle-grade/list.html

Books Made Into Movies Bulletin Board

As I wrote about in my last blog post, watching the movie first can actually be a motivation to read the book for some reluctant readers. I think having a bulletin board like this would help students know which of their favorite movies were actually books first.

 

I’ve seen others do the Read Box Display such as this one.

Or this Now Showing Display could work well too. 

Finding Award Winners

I wish there was a site that visually displayed all award winning books. And I wish it were a searchable site.  I’m disappointed that the Newbery site doesn’t have the cover of the books displayed. It just seems that it would be much more appealing for students to search award winning books by the cover that included a short blurb about it.  Anyone know of any sites about there?  For the time being, I've posted links below to different book awards sites. Having students know where to find award winning books would be really helpful.

Having a display of them would also be great for students to see.  If you can think of other awards or such a site, please comment below. I know there are some great boards on pinterest for this. Perhaps I need to create my own. (*I’m not purposefully leaving out such awards as Caldecott or Geisel Award or those specifically for Young Adult, but I am particularly interested in books for 4th and 5th graders which is why I didn’t include them on this list below.)

 
Newbery Award (Given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.)

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal

 

Scott O’Dell (Historical Fiction)

www.scottodell.com

 

National Book Award

http://www.nationalbook.org/nbawinners_category.html#cb

 

Edgar Awards (Mysteries)

http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html#juv

 

Children’s Choice Book Awards  (Only national book award where the winners are chosen by children.)

http://ccbookawards.com/

 

Coretta Scott King Book Award (Outstanding African American authors and Illustrators.)

http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards

 

Schneider Family Book Award

http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-award

 

 

Currently Reading Display

As I mentioned above, as teachers we are going to display the books we have read. And I think it would be great if we added a Currently reading… display to it as well.

 

But also, I thought it might be interesting to show what students are currently reading.  You could have a list of all of the students (or pictures of the kids like in the picture on the right) and simply use a sticky note system that shows what they just finished reading, are currently reading, and are looking forward to reading next.

 

I have seen the displays that say IRead (like IPhone) maybe a bulletin board like this could help motivate others to read as well. And instead of having all the apps on the screen, the apps could be a picture of each student and what they are currently reading underneath it.

Teacher Favorites Display in Library

I love this idea. Even though we will have books we have read on our doors, our wonderful librarian has said that we can create a display of teacher favorites in the library. I love it during the Scholastic Book Fairs when there are little cards underneath specific books that say, Mrs. Yates' favorite. I think the kids really like seeing what we enjoy reading.

The Power of Read Alouds
Lastly, one amazing way to spread the love of reading is through reading aloud even to 4th and 5th graders. Here is an amazing post about one teacher reinstating the read aloud in her classroom and why it isn't the first thing to go when pressed for time.

http://teachinginroom6.blogspot.com/2014/04/reflections-on-read-aloud.html

Current Chapter Current Thoughts
While doing a class read aloud, this is a fantastic way to show students' thinking and engagement.

http://teachinginroom6.blogspot.com/2015/02/spotlight-on-read-alouds.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TeachingInRoom6+(Teaching+in+Room+6)

Do you have any other ideas for loving books, knowing books, and sharing books?  Please comment below and let me know.