We are reading The Book Whisperer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It's been an eye opener at the high school level. It reminds me of Richard Allington's work and the importance of volume of reading and access to books.
Dr. Sandra Henry Middle School Curriculum Coordinator Sioux Falls School District 49-5 201 E. 38th Street Sioux Falls, SD 57105 605-367-7871 605-367-7906 fax [email protected] P BE GREEN Please don't print this e-mail unless really necessary! CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email, including any attachments, contains information which may be privileged, confidential and/or protected from disclosure. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you think you have received this message in error, please email the sender then delete the email from your computer system and destroy any hard copies of the email. If you are not the intended recipient any dissemination, distribution or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. ________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of Frate, Yvonne [[email protected]] Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 8:21 AM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] reading logs Darlene, I too experienced the same response with reading logs as homework. I tried to change them up, use them as incentives etc. I became very frustrated and disheartened at the lack of response from my students and what seemed to be lack of support from home. After some reflection, I decided to do away with homework. I provide students with the time they need to read and respond in class. My students read every day in my class, and they respond two to three times per week. I realized that the only time I could control was my class time. I know that my students are reading, and honestly I can assess and provide feedback more authentically this way through mini conferences with my students. A book that really causes me to re-evaluate how I do "reading" in my classroom is The Book Whisperer, by Donnalyn Miller. If you haven't read this yet, please do. ________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] [[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2011 11:21 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MOSAIC] reading logs 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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
