" When I ask students about "just right" books , it is rare for them to talk about interest and understanding." (R94) Routman says that through a shared writing you can develop criteria for choosing "just right" books. "Once you have excellent guidelines, glue a copy to the inside of students' reading records!!! (95) This is a wonderful idea and seemed to help my students this week as well.)
The criteria Routman suggested was that the book should be something that the children like. I totally agree. That is why I give my students' a choice. The next thing she says is for the student to be able to read most of it, and last but not least, the student should be able to understand it.
Routman tells us to congratulate the student who admits that a book is too hard and suggests that the teacher should assist him/her in choosing an appropriate one!! :) We should always let the student know that just because the book isn't "just right" this month that it will be "just right" soon.
She has wonderful thoughts on the process of choosing "just right" books and I enjoyed this chapter so much. I feel as if it is going to be very helpful for me and my little children.
I love for my students to choose "just right" books. I don't have my classroom library leveled and sometimes it feels as though I've been shunned for that. I like my students to be able to explore genres and topics, not levels!
ReplyDeleteMe too Rachel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy middle school students still struggle with this. They are too embarrassed to pick a book for them that is not what the typically 6th grader reads because they are not reading on grade level. I have added many lower level books from my elementary school days to give them more choices about the books they are reading.
ReplyDeleteJenni, it breaks my heart too when I see students get "hung up" on levels. Levels are to help us as teachers target specific skills, not to label students (or for students to label themselves)! Just like your Routman quote, I was in a 5th grade classroom yesterday and when I asked the readers what they were working on, most said earning points/getting a better reading level. Only 1 or 2 said anything about their interest or understanding (one notable exception explained to me the entire Minecraft series he was hoping to read!). Teaching students how to pick just right books instead of relying on a sticker/level number is so much more sustainable and realistic--after all, I do NOT walk into Barnes & Noble to look for my reading level! :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is hard at the high school level. With some of my students, the books that interest them are way over their reading ability and the books that are at their ability level are too babyish for them. I really like the site I have found online that allows me to print articles at adjusted reading levels that will interest my students.
ReplyDeleteJenni,
ReplyDeleteI believe that if we allow students the opportunity to read books that interest them, we can get them to read more. In most classrooms, teachers often focus on levels and not books that interests students. I feel that students can have more than one book in their pouch. For example, they should have leveled books and books that interest them in the pouches. As teachers, we must think in terms of what can we do to get our students reading more.
I think the key here is that students are READING, and reading for enjoyment! Some students get discouraged when they want to read a book that they are excited about and interested in, and then they are told that it is not the right level.
ReplyDelete