I agree...your classroom must have been a place where readers thrived. I too am stuck with a basal now and told to follow or else! I am able to give them the freedom with their independent reading and yes we have to give the boys what interests them. I try to choose read alouds on what most of the class will be interested in. I find that funny and suspenseful stories are enjoyed by most of my fifth graders. As for writing, I used to tell them "no blood, gore, etc." but have followed Ralph Fletcher's advice in "Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices". He suggests giving them more freedom in what they write about and how they choose to write it. So now I allow some gore and blood if it helps them to develop their story. It helps to relieve writer's block and the pieces that get turned in are far more interesting (for the teacher and other students). Those students usually get a lot of kudos from their peers, because we can now see what is happening in their stories.
> From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 14:46:10 -0500 > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] boys and literacy > > Have your classes been successful? ( I bet they have!) Close your door and > teach what you know is right--have "alternate" plans when observers are > there. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]> > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 6:34 PM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] boys and literacy > > > >I have run my class for 25 years with a hands-on meaningful curriculum. I > >am now told I have to read page to page from a textbook. So, now what? > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jennifer Palmer" <[email protected]> > > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > > <[email protected]> > > Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 4:34:34 PM > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] boys and literacy > > > > Many boys learn by doing... Handling things... > > Too many classrooms require boys to sit and be quiet. That's not how they > > learn. They associate reading with school, sitting still... > > > > In addition, we often don't value the kinds of reading they like. > > > > Finally, it is cultural ... What does our culture expect from our boys? > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > On Jul 31, 2011, at 5:59 PM, "Jessica Lee Flynn" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> My question is: Boys and literacy--what do you think the real issue is? > >> > >> Jessica > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> 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 > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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
