Literacy – Page 11 – Pernille Ripp

being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity, student choice, Student dreams

When We Punish Our Readers

October 15, 2017 Pernille Ripp

Tomorrow my students will dig into their reading decisions over the past 6 weeks. What have they read? How much have they read? What are they working on as readers? Who have they shared books with? Are they growing or just being?

We do this in an effort for our kids to understand who they are as readers. What they are doing well on and where they need to adjust. They will figure out their comfortable reading rate. They will see how much they should be reading on average in a week. They will discuss the books they have read and those they have abandoned. They will think, reflect, and set new goals. I will mill around them, look at their reflection answers and support them any way I can.

Then they will share their reflections with those at home.

While many things will happen in tomorrow’s much too short lesson, there is a major thing that won’t.

Punishment.

For those kids who may not have read much, they will not lose privileges.

They will not be held back from recess.

They will not be punished into reading more in an effort to meet a goal set by me.

They will not be shamed.

They will not be separated from those where reading comes easy.

There will be no public dismissal of the kids whose reading lives are nor as established as others.

Why would there be? How could we possible see positive change in those who are not reading, if we were to punish them?

Except in some schools, there are.

In some schools I see AR points, pages read, or books read used as a way to separate those who can and do read from those who can’t or won’t. I see scores set by others determine how a child’s experience will be with reading in the future.

I see arbitrary measures shared with home as if the points from AR or another computerized test will truly tell the story of that child’s reading identity.

And I see punishment. Privileges removed from the child who fails to meet their goal. Reading rules implemented that instead of eliciting more positive reading experiences, completely undermine the entire experience. And the kids stand idly by while we destroy their love of reading.

How has that ever been ok? How have we ever agreed to this? Have we lost our common sense when it comes to something as important as helping children become readers and remaining such?

So if you see this happening in your school, in your curriculum, to your child; I hope this post gives you courage. I hope this post gives you pause.

We cannot punish children into reading. We cannot make reading a punishment in itself. We cannot let outside goals, set by us, determine what rights a child will have.

What we can do instead is support. Is help. Is create access to books and speak books with our students. Give them time to read and have them do meaningful work. Have them set goals that are meaningful to them and then help them accomplish them. Help them reflect when they don’t.

We worry about helping children become readers but then fail to see our own hand in their unraveling. Our kids deserve more than the punishment they get, why did we forget that?

If you like what you read here, consider reading my newest book, Passionate Readers – The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child, out August 2017. This book focuses on the five keys we can implement into any reading community to strengthen student reading experiences, even within the 45 minute English block. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity

A Call for Common Sense Reading Instruction

October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 Pernille Ripp

It appears that in our quest to make sure students can comprehend what they read that we have lost our common sense. That we have started listening much more to programs, politicians, and shoddy research than the very kids who the programs are happening to. That we have pushed the ideas of teachers aside, of best practices, and solid pedagogy, and gotten so lost in the process that we turn to more experts to tell us what we used to know.

So it is time for a little reminder of what we know about best reading practices; those same ideas that my students have been reminding me of for years. Those same ideas that the godfathers and godmothers of reading have been shouting loudly for years.

Choice matters.

And choice for all matters. Not just for the kids who already know how to read well. Not just for the kids that seem to be able to pick the right book almost every time. Not just for the kids who already feel like readers. Choice for the vulnerable, for the strugglers, for the resistant, for the kids who don’t think they will ever like reading, for whatever we deem to label a child that just not has blossomed as a reader just yet. And real choice, not the pretend you have choice when I ask you to select from this one stack of books.

Time matters.

And not the time to do more stuff about reading, but actually read in class. To plant the seeds of further reading as Allington discusses in his research. To actually give them time to read within our school day before we make them do more with their reading. How can we say that reading a great book is vital and then deny them the chance to do it right in our very own classrooms? How do we find time to have them read in class, we, educators, stop speaking so much in class.

Perception matters.

How we view the abilities of our students directly influence the instructional choices we make. When we perceive them as high-achieving and capable we give them freedom, more chances of creativity, and have better relationships. When we are afraid that they will not be able to handle something, we restrict them, we tighten our control, we have them read less, do less meaningful work, and also have a more strained relationship with them. Do you see all of your students as capable readers or just some of them?

Access matters.

We know children should be surrounded by books, and yet how much money is spent on other resources rather than books. When I see 1 on 1 programs rolled out or other major tech initiatives, I always wonder if the same amount has been spent on books? Not because I don’t support the technology, but because books aren’t often seen as investments. I always wonder if there is a classroom library in every room. Yes, we need fully staffed school libraries with certified librarians for all kids AND we also need classroom libraries in every single classroom. In fact, research shows that students read 50-60 % more in classrooms that have libraries than in those without.

Representation matters.

And those classroom libraries need to represent the diverse society we live in. We need to critically evaluate what we bring into our students’ reading lives, not because it always has to be classical reading but because we need great books for many readers. That means we say yes to graphic novels, audio, comic books and other amazing formats of books. That means that we search out and specifically purchase stories featuring a diversity of characters from #OwnVoices authors. That means that we not just aware of who is represented, but also how they are represented. And we constantly assess who is not represented in our classroom library. We start small with our library collections and build them every month.

Reflection matters.

When we finish a book, what do most of us do? I can tell you what most people don’t do – write about it. And yet, what is one of the most common practices we have students do in our classrooms? Those little jots, reflection pieces, reviews, and logs are making the very act of reading a chore. Not for all but for some. So why make all kids reflect after they have finished a book? Why not give them choice? Perhaps they want to do nothing, perhaps they want to book talk it, perhaps they want to share the book on social media, perhaps they want to write. Let them discover what their reading identity tells them to do rather than follow a blanket rule.

Our knowledge of children’s literature matters.

If we are teaching readers then we should be reading their books. Every time we read a children’s book we are able to speak another language with our students. The books we recommend get read more, which also means that the book gaps we have (books we do not tend to read) dictate what we don’t recommend. So read widely and proudly. Read children’s literature as much as possible so that you can become a proper reading role model, not just because you said you are, but because you are able to speak books with the very kids you teach.

Trust matters.

When a child tells me that they read at home, I trust them. Much like I trust them to work on reading outside of our class. If I hand them a reading log to have parents sign, I am telling them that I don’t trust them when they share their reading decisions with me to quote Jessica Lifshitz. For some that may take all year to achieve, for some, the habit never fully solidifies. But we try every day as we offer up reminders of why reading more than just what is accomplished in class matters.

Personalization matters.

When we purchase the programs, when we make blanket decisions, when we force the same procedures on every child, we are telling them that we are too busy to get to know them. That their unique reading identity needs to fit within this one box, no matter where they are on their journey. That we would rather trust a program than trust the very kids we teach. So use the program but keep your students in mind, detour when needed, and administrators, please tell your teachers to trust their experience rather than just follow a program to fidelity. Give them time to wrestle with new ideas, new challenges, and new curriculum. Trust those that are ready and support those that need it. So much can depend on one great administrator.

You matter.

And so you must find the courage to speak up when you see instructional decisions harm the love of reading that our students carry. You must start conversations within your own district, your own buildings, and you must reflect on your own decisions. Ask your students how you can be a better teacher for them. Ask them what makes reading amazing and what makes it awful. Question your own practices and admit when you need to grow. We are only as good as our last decision to change.

So we can purchase the programs, we can get caught up in test scores and test prep. We can continue to search for the next big thing or we can go back to the things we know work for all kids; time to read, choice in what they read, access to books, and a community to grow with. Don’t lose touch with your own common sense.

being a student, being a teacher, Literacy, student choice, Student dreams, Student Engagement, student voice, writing

Recapturing the Magic of Stories – Practical Ideas for Better Creative Writing

October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 Pernille Ripp

“Do we have to write?” He looks at me and awaits my answer. I know he wants me to say no, but instead, I nod. Every day. Just try. It’ll get better. “But I hate writing…” and the kids around him nod. So many kids not considering themselves writers. So many kids who write simply because school tells them to. And I see it every time I assign a story project. I see it when they write summaries of stories rather than an actual story. I see it when they fiddle with their papers, break their pencils or write one line. We hate writing, and there is nothing you can do about it.

And yet….writing is stories. Writing is our past and our future. Writing has the power to break us apart or put us together. So when our students tell us that they hate writing, it is usually not the writing itself they hate, it is everything attached to it. All of the tasks we add in with writing to make sure they know how to write. To make sure they can write. And I wonder, once again, in our eagerness to create students who can write are we, instead, producing students who won’t?

So what can we do within our writing instruction to reignite or protect the writer that lingers within each child? What are ways we can help them see that writing is something we need as human beings, and not just because the teacher told us to?

We hear their truths.

Much like we must uncover what protects or demolishes their love of reading, we must ask the hard questions about writing too. Why do you think you are not a writer? When is writing hard? When is writing amazing? How can I be a better teacher of writing for you? And then we take those truths with us, we unpack them and then we reflect on our teaching practices; what have we done that have done damage? How can we navigate all of our requirements without doing irreparable harm?

We make it a priority.

I know we do a lot of writing but how much of that is process writing; summarizing, essays, analysis, informational writing. Where is the creative writing? I know when I taught 5th grade it was the final unit of the year. If we got to it, that is. Why not start with them finding their writer’s voice. Tell them to write a story, either real or fictional. and reconnect them with their storytelling skills. Begin the year with free writing and maintain it throughout the year. Don’t save it until the end of the year when we can have done so much damage already.

We give them time.

We cannot create writing opportunities in our classrooms without dedicated time. And I don’t mean the writing instruction slot where they are working on their assigned project, but free writing time, where they are encouraged to write whatever they want. Free writing time every day so that they get in the habit. Free writing time so they can work through what it means to be a writer and start to see the small success that will carry them forward. Whether it is ten solid minutes like it is in my Informational Studies class or even just four minutes like it was last year for me. Time should be dedicated to free writing every single day, even if you only have 45-minute classes.

We give them freedom.

Every day we tell our kids to write something in their writer’s notebook. We offer up a prompt but we also tell them they don’t have to use it. And then we step back, encourage them to write, but nothing else. This is about them, not us.

We tell stories.

Great writing starts with stories, so we tell our own stories and model what it means to capture an audience. We have them share their own stories as they practice how to hold an audience captive. We do speeches so they can see what grabs people’s attention and what doesn’t. Through the stories we tell we encourage them to write someday, to find ideas for writing.

We withhold judgment.

Every few weeks I look through their writer’s notebooks just to get to know them. I don’t assess, I don’t correct. Instead, I write comments, genuine reactions to what they have written so they know I am reading. But I do not tell them how to be a writer, not here, not now. That writer’s journal is exactly that; a journal, not an assignment. And so some write comics, others journal, some writ lengthy stories. Poetry, scribbling, moments of their lives burst at me from their pages and I hope that within all of their ideas they start to see what writing really is; an extension of self, of who we are and an exploration of how we fit in.

We bring authors in.

Many of my students are under the impression that “real” writers knew they were writers from a young age. That story ideas just come to them. that they sit down and a whole book just flows from their fingers. But that’s often not the case at all. how do I know? Because “real” writers have been speaking to my students via Skype for the last few years. And they dispel their writing myths one at a time. It turns out there is no one right writing process. There is not a right way to write. Inspiration comes from many places. And it also turns out that writing is hard work. That getting the idea is often the smallest part but the actual revising and cutting out and making better is where the work comes in. They don’t believe me when I say these things always but when authors do, they start to.

We are real writers.

How many of us teach writing but don’t write ourselves? How many of us create our modeled texts at home because we know it will be hard to do it on the spot in front of the kids? How many of us would never consider ourselves writers but then expect our students to be? Be a writer yourself, it doesn’t have to be published, but go through the process and do it authentically. Share how hard writing is for you, share your bad habits of writing, give them a real role model of what writers are so they don’t think that it is something that just happens.

We ask them who they are as writers.

And we come back to the question throughout the year. We ask them to explore what writing means to them. We ask them what their writing process is and we share our own. We ask them to find some sort of value in writing, not because they have to love it but because they should be at peace with it.

We have them lead the conversations.

Less checklists. Less pre-determined goals only set by the teacher. Less specific feedback that teaches them that this is the only thing they need to work on because that is all the teacher told them to work on. More student reflection, more student questions, more student ownership over how they need to grow. When we confer they should do most of the talking. When we confer they should start to find out what they need our help with, not vice versa. In the beginning, it is hard but it will never get easier if we don’t start the conversations and hand over the reigns.

We don’t give up.

Every day we write. Every day we share stories. Every day we create something. Every day we become more than what we were. And we don’t give up. We hear their truths as we gently encourage them forward. We showcase many kinds of writing. We give them freedom, trust, and a safe space to share. We tell them to share when they can and not when they don’t want to. We tell them to use our space as writers would; get comfortable, listen to music, discover your writing process. Find your writing peers so you have people you trust that will give you honest feedback.

For too long creative writing has taken a backseat to task writing and while I know we need to be able to write things that fulfill purposes, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture here. We have to give our students opportunities to have a relationship with writing that goes beyond what the teacher told them to do. And that starts with the very decisions we make every day in our classrooms. That starts right now.

Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity

On Creating Reading Experiences

September 25, 2017 Pernille Ripp

They groan when I tell them about the Signposts.

“Another thing to write about, Mrs. Ripp?”

“Do we have to?”

“Why can’t we just read?”

Their post-its hang behind me, reminding me of all they have said about what kills their love of reading.

And I get it, we, meaning educators, have written reading to death. With every post-it, every jot, every stop and think, every time we ask them to do more work and forget about the virtues of aesthetic reading as discussed by Louise Rosenblatt, we make them dislike it more. In our eagerness to help kids become better readers, we have made the kids drown in their post-it notes. We have broken meaningful stories into such small tasks so that the very meaning that made the story worth our time is gone. We have forgotten about the purpose of all this instruction it seems; to create literate human beings that can grow from what they read, both intellectually, but also on a heart level.

Yes, we need to teach skills, of course, we do. But we also have to let the kids use those skills in meaningful ways. We have to let them practice too without telling them to use post-its, without telling them to write down, without telling them to look for specific things, because if we don’t, we don’t know if they will ever be able to do it without our prompts, our scaffolds, our tasks. We have to remind them, and ourselves, that when we read it is not just to complete a task attached to it. That the task is just a practice for the real deal; for when we read and we have an experience with the text.

So I tell them not to worry. The signposts, or any other skills we review or learn are just tools. Tools to use when it makes sense. Tools to use so they can complete the tasks that we do need to do at times. Practice them so they become habit when we need them but that it is also okay to just read and let the movie flow in our heads to the point where the rest of the world falls away and all we can focus on is how close we are getting to the end of the book.

So let your students experience meaningful words, not just more reading tasks. Let them experience what it means to read and then feel something. Let them experience what it means to read and sit in silence. Let them read and get to the end and then discuss what the text made them think of, not just a few skills you have just taught, not just the repertoire of tools they may have. Balance is needed in all of our classrooms for the purposes of reading, our students are telling us this loudly if we will only listen.

Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity, student choice, Student dreams, student driven, student voice

Why Reading Sucks…

September 20, 2017March 6, 2021 Pernille Ripp

A couple of years ago I asked my students to tell me why reading was amazing. When Jack whispered to Michael that “Reading sucks…” the rest, they say, is history. Inspired by Jack’s words of truth, I have asked students for years now to tell me their reading truths and not hold back. I cannot be the kind of teacher I would like to be if I don’t get to know them. The real them. Not the school-primed, sanitized version. Not the kid that knows how to play the game. Not the kid that says whatever they think we want to hear so they start off on a good foot.

So on the third day of school this year, I told the story of Jack. Of how I had been doing that lesson where I talk about the magic of reading. How he had dared to whisper those words. Some of the students laughed, they remember the lesson I was referring to, as they have also head about how amazing reading is for years. And then they got quiet as I asked them so when is reading not magical? And when is it?

I wrote in big bold letters “Reading is magical” and then asked them what to write on the other side. “Reading is trash!” they said as they chuckled, not quite sure, I am sure, of what to make of all of this.

They grabbed as many post-its as they could and then started to write their reasons. Please tell me when reading is amazing. Please tell me when reading is trash. Tape your post-its to the board so they stay up. Sign your name if you want. And then step back, read the post-its. What do you notice?

Over and over their words joined together to form the same patterns I see year after year. The same things I have done to kids through the years. The same things many of us educators are told to do every year by well-meaning administrators who are led by an expert curriculum that someone told them to purchase to raise test scores.

No choice!

Boring books!

Too much writing!

Tests!

Forced reflections!

Sitting still!

Their words glared at us.

But wait? When is reading magical? Again a pattern that we all know.

When I find the right book!

When I am given time to read!

When I find a great series or author!

When it is quiet!

When I am allowed to just read!

Their words have carried us into our beginning reading conversations, into our analysis, into our very community. They have guided us as we start to figure out where reading fits into our lives and whether we can protect or promote a strong and personal relationship with reading. They have guided us as they have mentioned the amazing experiences they have had with their previous teachers, and the ones they wish that had not had.

We fret so much over what curriculum we should use, how we should teach, and how we should grade, yet sometimes the biggest impact we can have with kids is simply when we stop and ask them for their truths. Do you know what your students would say?

PS: This lesson and the others that surround it are all discussed in my new book, Passionate Readers. Passionate Readers.

being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity, student choice, Student dreams, student driven, student voice

On Authentic Reading Goals and Conversations

September 17, 2017September 17, 2017 Pernille Ripp

The silence envelops us a few minutes into class. I look around and see one of my favorite sights in the world; kids reading. Quietly I walk up to the first kid, grab a chair, sit next to them and ask; what is your goal for the year? And for the next few minutes, I get to know this child a little more, not just as a reader, but also as a human being.

Last week, I wrote about our the changes to our 7th- grade reading challenge and how this year we had decided to move away from just quantity to make it more authentic for students. I was excited to roll it out but not sure how the students would react. Were they even up for a challenge or would it just be another thing to get done just so the teacher would stop bugging them? Only one way to find out; ask them.

This week, as I started my quick reading check-ins, asking about their goal, has been the main topic of conversation. With a simple question, we are off and I am starting to get a feel for these kids and who they are as readers.

So what have I noticed?

That no goal fits all. As an elementary teacher, I often provided my students with a specific goal for them to work on and while instructionally this makes sense, after all, I can see what they need to work on, there often was very little buy-in. When students reflect on their own needs and set a goal, they immediately see the reason for it. Those goals that I also see for them? We will work on them together in a small group.

That when we ask kids to really think about what they need to work on the answers are very varied. This also means that the years I have pushed for more of a quality goal or other single-minded goals, that many kids have not bought into it because the goal has not mattered to them. Some kids immediately had something come to mind, while others needed more support. Most kids though have created a goal that is specific to not just their reading identities, but also their reading lives.

Those individual goals encourage more honesty. I always operate under a policy of total honesty when it comes to reading and ask my students to also do so. By starting our reading conversations early in the year and asking for them to tell me the good and the bad as far as their reading experiences, that judgment-free reading discussion follows us into their goal setting. When I ask students why they chose that goal, many discuss how or when they read or when they don’t and why they need to change that. Some kids also discuss how even with this goal they don’t think they will be successful because of various obstacles. Rather than hiding these thoughts, they are willing to share them which means I can now note it and try to do something about it.

That they do most of the talking. While I start the conversation and also offer up follow-up conversations, I need to make sure that it is their response that guides the path. Too often I have overtaken a conversation out of my own helpfulness, but now I try to listen and then respond to get them to elaborate.

Those relationships are built in small pieces. One of the best benefits of these reading check-ins simply has to do with relationship building. Every time I am able to devote a few minutes to just one child that is one child I know better. While this might be a “Well duh” moment, I often think of how many conversations we don’t make time for especially in middle school and high school. How often do we feel like we don’t have time for that check-in or small group because we have so much to cover? The reading check-in is a foundation of my further instruction and I need to remember that when I feel like I am pulled in a different direction.

That quantity goals often mean that the child does not know themselves well as a reader. While quantity goals used to be our norm, I have found in my conversations that often when a child now sets the minimum quantity goal it is often because they do not know what else to work on. Our reading check-in then centers around what else they could focus on. When they are not sure then that tells me a lot about their reading identity.

That reading check-ins offer me a chance to remind. Those first few days of school are such a blur for all of us and I shudder to think of all of the information that these students have been presented within all of our classes. So while I offer reminders in the beginning of class, I am also reminding them of reading rights as we speak. It is important that kids know that they can book shop anytime they want, that they can abandon any book they need to, and that they need to plan for reading throughout their day. How many times do we say things in those first few days that kids never hear?

That I write very little down. Too often we get caught up in our conferring notes, rather than in the conversation itself. I am intentionally limiting my notes just so I can focus on the child, so I can look them in the eye, react to what they are saying and then jot a few things down that can spark the next conversation. (To see the form I use, go to our Facebook group).

As I think ahead to the coming week, I am excited. Excited to have more conversations. Excited to move further in our instruction. Excited to learn more about these kids that have been entrusted to me every day. All through one little goal and a few minutes of conversation.

PS: If you would like to have more reading conversations or you have questions, come join our Passionate Readers Facebook group,