Reading – Page 22 – Pernille Ripp

My Favorite Books Part 1 – 2018 #pernillerecommends

March 31, 2018 Pernille Ripp

Hard to believe that it is April 1st as I sit in South Korea writing this. The past few days I have been in Bangkok speaking but also exploring and of course, sneaking in a few reading moments here and there. As April begins, the first quarter of the year is done and with it comes some excellent reads. Why not share them here in case you need some inspiration?

Favorite Middle Grade and Younger

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang is one of my favorite new graphic novels for the year.

From Goodreads:

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend?

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed was just chosen as the Global Read Aloud choice for Middle grade despite it not being released until May, that is how much I believe in this book.

From Goodreads:

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when–as the eldest daughter–she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn’t lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens–after an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt.

Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal–especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s growing awareness of the Khans’ nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.

The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown is one of the most perfectly written sequels I have read in a long time.

From Goodreads:

Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings–but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island?

I wanted to love Rebound by Kwame Alexander so much and it turns out it was easy to do. A wonderful prequel to The Crossover that will hook many readers.

From Goodreads:

Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshipping, basketball star his sons look up to.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani was a GRA contender for 2018 and rightfully so. Set in India during the partition this book left me captured throughout its journey.

From Goodreads:
It’s 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders.

Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn’t know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it’s too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can’t imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.

While I will admit to being more of a cat person than a dog person, Sarah Albee’s newest book Dog Days of History almost convinced me to rethink my allegiance.

From Goodreads:

What is it we love about dogs so much? From ancient times to the present, dogs have guarded us, worked with us, marched off to war with us, and of course, just sat on the couch with us for a cuddle. Throughout the course of human history, this partnership deepened from dogs doing a service into friendship. Dogs have been by our side through it all, and this book tracks our common story from wild wolves in ancient civilizations to modern-day breeds, highlighting famous pooches of the past and present along the way.

Serious, yet funny at the same time Greetings From Witness Protection by Jake Burt was an easy story to like and recommend.

From Goodreads:

Nicki Demere is an orphan and a pickpocket. She also happens to be the U.S. Marshals’ best bet to keep a family alive. . . .

The marshals are looking for the perfect girl to join a mother, father, and son on the run from the nation’s most notorious criminals. After all, the bad guys are searching for a family with one kid, not two, and adding a streetwise girl who knows a little something about hiding things may be just what the marshals need.

Nicki swears she can keep the Trevor family safe, but to do so she’ll have to dodge hitmen, cyberbullies, and the specter of standardized testing, all while maintaining her marshal-mandated B-minus average. As she barely balances the responsibilities of her new identity, Nicki learns that the biggest threats to her family’s security might not lurk on the road from New York to North Carolina, but rather in her own past.

Jewell Parker Rhodes’ Ghost Boys is a must read, must contemplate, must share.

From Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.

Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father’s actions.

For earlier readers, Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes is a sure winner featuring a character that sees the world just a little bit different.

From Goodreads:

Hanging from trees by her knees, doing handstands . . . for Beatrice Zinker, upside down works every time. She was definitely upside down when she and her best friend, Lenny, agreed to wear matching ninja suits on the first day of third grade. But when Beatrice shows up at school dressed in black, Lenny arrives with a cool new outfit and a cool new friend. Even worse, she seems to have forgotten all about the top-secret operation they planned!

Favorite Young Adult

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is a must read; fantastic world building and narrative action that leaves you begging for the second book to come out soon!

From Goodreads:

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed was just chosen as the Global Read Aloud book for YA – enough said.

From Goodreads:

American-born seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home, and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and maybe (just maybe) pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school, a boy who’s finally falling into her orbit at school.

There’s also the real world, beyond Maya’s control. In the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates alike are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs.

Reminding me in all of the best ways of Piecing Me Together by Rene Watson, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a beautiful consideration of what it means to be a female growing into her own skin.

From Goodreads:

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus has shifted from the hands of one student to the next since I booktalked it more than a month ago. It is one of the most requested books in our classrooms.

From Goodreads:

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.”

While technically Dread Nation by Justina Ireland is not out yet, it will be in just a few weeks and it is so worth your pre-ordering. Zombies, history, social justice and a radical butt-kicking female lead character, yes please.

From Goodreads:

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins is a book that deserves to be read and shared with others. An intricate weaving of family and how we grow apart to only grow together.

From Goodreads:

Five girls. Three generations. One great American love story. You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture–for better or worse. Ranee, worried that her children are losing their Indian culture; Sonia, wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair; Tara, seeking the limelight to hide her true self; Shanti, desperately trying to make peace in the family; Anna, fighting to preserve her Bengali identity–award-winning author Mitali Perkins weaves together a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new.

Both heartwrenching and heartstopping Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake was thought-provoking and also, unfortunately, incredibly timely in our culture.

From Goodreads:

“I need Owen to explain this. Because yes, I do know that Owen would never do that, but I also know Hannah would never lie about something like that.”

Mara and Owen are about as close as twins can get. So when Mara’s friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn’t know what to think. Can the brother she loves really be guilty of such a violent crime? Torn between the family she loves and her own sense of right and wrong, Mara is feeling lost, and it doesn’t help that things have been strained with her ex and best friend since childhood, Charlie.

As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie navigate this new terrain, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits in her future.

Who would have thought that Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson could be even better, it turns out that the graphic novel took it to another soaring height.

From Goodreads:

From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless–an outcast–because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her.

Not sure whether to categorize Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge as YA, but it is gorgeous and also making its rounds quickly through the reading lives of our students.

From Goodreads:

Mary Shelley first began penning Frankenstein as part of a dare to write a ghost story, but the seeds of that story were planted long before that night. Mary, just nineteen years old at the time, had been living on her own for three years and had already lost a baby days after birth. She was deeply in love with famed poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, a mad man who both enthralled and terrified her, and her relationship with him was rife with scandal and ridicule. But rather than let it crush her, Mary fueled her grief, pain, and passion into a book that the world has still not forgotten 200 years later.

We live in a time where it seems the books being published just get better and better, and I cannot wait to see what the next quarter of the year will bring. Happy reading to all!

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

Growing Readers Past our Classroom Walls

March 20, 2018March 21, 2018 Pernille Ripp

I recently had the gift of being observed by teachers outside of our district. Our students are used to it and go about their regular ways, no putting on a show for strangers here. I always get nervous because while I think our community it magical, I am not sure what it looks like to outsiders. Do they see all of the growth? The work? The small routines and decisions that go into creating the learning community we have?

During our conversation, a fellow teacher asked me how I help our students read outside of our classroom, after they leave, either for the day, the week, or even the year. And while I am not sure all of our students do, I have seen the change once again this year. I have seen many students read more. I have seen more students embrace books and reading. I have heard kids who told me they hate reading also have a favorite book to share when asked. Knowing that there is a change afoot, made me realize that once again, this subtle difference of not just wanting to read inside the classroom, but outside of it, is something we accomplish through a lot of small steps and not just one thing. And that as always many of the ideas I have come from others who have graciously shared their ideas such as Penny Kittle, Nancie Atwell, and Donalyn Miller with a few tweaks thrown in just for us.

It starts with a fully stocked classroom library because I need our students surrounded by books at all time. I need them to see the importance of always having a book ready, of always picking their next read.

Then it becomes where else do you get books from? We use our school library but also talk about all of the other books are present. Where can they access books beside our room? Where will they get books from over the summer? If they can’t get to a library, I will gladly lend them some.

It starts with the creation of a to-be-read list and while some readers already have these in place, many don’t. Many also don’t see the need and fight me for a long time about it, usually dismissing it with the idea that they already have a book to read. Yet, we make one and then we use it, day in and day out as I ask them to please open to it when we have a book talk in the room.

Then it becomes a tool they adapt to use on their own. So we start with one way to keep track but then we discuss how else they can have a list. Is it on their phone? Is it their Goodreads account? Is it the never-ending wishlist on Amazon? What will they actually use so that they always have ideas for what to read next? It cannot be my system because they will never maintain it once I am gone. And so when they ask me what they should read next my first reminder is always to check their to-be-read list, to start there so they remember all of those books they thought might be worth their time.

It starts with book talks by me. Every day, every class. Students get used to the routine and write down titles they are interested in.

Then it becomes book talks by students because little beats a recommendation from a fellow student. Whether it is through unofficial moments where I ask students to share a recent favorite read, our more structured thirty -second book talks where they actually write down what they will say and I have the covers ready to project, or to their end of year “Best book of the year” speech, they get used to discussing books, sharing favorites and not so favorite, of speaking about books without me.

It starts with book shopping with them, we set up our routine together the first week of school remembering how to book shop. Discussing how it is totally fine to judge a book by its cover as long as we look at other things as well. Then we book shop as a class or I help a child who needs it with one-on-one guidance.

Then it becomes them book shopping with friends. Rather than book shopping with me, I step further in the background, not highlighting as many books and also looking around for a peer for them to book shop with rather than me.

It starts with me being a reading role model. And being an obvious one. While I always say this is “our classroom,” it is my books read covers that grace our walls, and my book talks that dominate at first. However, that is not good in the long run because we don’t set students up for continued independence but instead further their reliance on us.

Then it becomes students as reading role models. And so, giving the conversational space back to students to make sure they know each other as readers, while they learn about themselves as well is a main focus for us. Students not only reflect on their own reading habits but also share with each other. They not only recommend books but also discuss reading plans. And while I certainly share my own as well, I am only one voice of many.

It starts with a discussion of summer reading and it’s importance. Casual comments made about keeping the reading spark alive, of discovering who they are as a reader.

Then it becomes making plans. Actually discussing how they plan on continuing their reading after they leave our classroom. They share ideas, I share ideas, and we discuss why it matters. We discuss the books they want to read. We take pictures of their to-be-read list and email it home. They borrow books from me and share their favorite reads. This isn’t a one day lesson, it is a lesson that evolves, that crops up when needed, that is repeated more urgently as the year winds down. After all, it took some of our students a long time to become readers, why should staying one take less time?

when I look at the reading community I get to be a part of every day, I cannot help but notice how the power of it always lies within the small details; the books, the displays, the conversations and yes, the patience and persistence that it takes to help build a reader. None of that happens overnight. None of that happens with just one book. Or just one person. It takes a community, it takes deliberate action, and it takes an endless amount of belief that every child can have positive experiences with reading.

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

On Certain Books for Certain Kids

March 11, 2018 Pernille Ripp

We spend a lot of time in bookstores and libraries. So much so that my own children at the moment are playing library downstairs. We go for the inspiration, for the support of booksellers, to find new must-have purchases. We go as a family to recommit to reading, to get excited about what it means to be a reader.

But once in a while, something strikes me as out of place even in a bookstore. Today it was this sign at our Barnes and Noble.

I fixed it for them on my Instagram account.

And yet, all jest aside. These small signs. These sections of libraries. These displays that cater to only one identity, only one culture, only one representation. They may seem trivial at first and yet they add to the continued perpetuation that some books are for some kids. That some books will only be liked by the people it is directly marketed to. This is problematic because it once again speaks to certain books being for certain kids. It speaks to certain stories being the ones worth publishing. It speaks to how we only want diverse books if those books are diverse in the way we see fit. (Just like what the NY Times wrote about here.) It speaks to how we only display books celebrating African American history when February reminds us too.

We wonder why some of our students have stigmas when it comes to the books we read, and then don’t think to look at our own learning spaces to see where those stigmas are created.

But we have to do better than this. We have to do more, and it once again starts with the small details that we do have control over.

We have to first question how we use the word “Diverse” as Chad Everett cautions us to do in his blog post, where he reminds us all that the minute we call something diverse we are once again establishing whiteness as the norm.

We have to question the divisions we create in our classroom and school libraries. When we hand boys “Boy books” and don’t book talk a book to the whole class because it really is just meant for the “girls.” When we describe certain books as girly or fluffy and then hand it to a female.

When a child needs our help with book shopping and in our eagerness to help that child “see” themselves in books we only hand them books that feature characters that look like them. We have gotten better at handing white, hetero, cisgender kids window books, but don’t other identities deserve that too?

When we invite female authors to our schools and then only invite the girls to see them because boys might not understand or be engaged with the message.

When we create displays that honor African Americans and only pull out books that feature them marching or Civil Rights or in chains as enslaved people.

When a child tells us they loved a certain book and we assume we know why and don’t ask them what they loved it so we can help them find a better book, not based on our assumptions but actually on their desires.

When we only purchase books from the large publishers and don’t seek out the independent ones like Lee and Low who have been focused on creating a better world through books for many years.

When we herald big publishers creating special imprints to honor the voices of those who have been traditionally left out from their publishing houses, but we don’t question why they were left out in the first place. Why not publish them within their traditional branch?

When we are quick to “otherize” books and then hand them to kids as something that they can only identify with because of a shared trait, we are quickly teaching kids that they should only care about those that they share those same traits with. That unless they can find a surface commonality with someone then their time is not worth investing.

And so we must continue to do better. We must evaluate our learning spaces, our books, our displays, our book talks, and even who we hand which books to so that we can do better. We must continue to push for better representation and for an end to the notion that certain books are for certain kids, rather than just waiting to be discovered by everyone.

being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity

Some Small Ideas to Help Students Self-Select Books Better

February 4, 2018 Pernille Ripp

I was asked this morning on Twitter how we move students beyond wanting hand-picked recommendations every time they book shop. How do they move beyond needing someone, typically, the adult or trusted reading role model to help them find the next book to read?

The truth is there is no simple answer, however, there are things that we can do starting on our very first day that starts this process of independent book selection that will last beyond our classroom experience. And while it certainly starts on the first day of school, there is no “too late” for this to be implemented. These ideas make a difference no matter when, so it is not too late (nor too early) to start working toward student independence in self-selecting texts. So where do we start?

We build our libraries, both whole school and classroom libraries.

In fact, we need to become advocates for our school library and our certified librarians to make sure that everyone knows just how much they matter to our school and to our reading lives. (If you need to see research on the importance of school librarians, here is a great place to start). And then we build our own classroom libraries as well, filling them with a wide representation of topics, readability and format that fits all of our readers and not just a few.

In fact, we must bring classroom libraries into every classroom so that children can see that reading is something that can happen in any subject area and not just English. While supporting classroom libraries and school libraries may seem costly, they make a difference, in fact, Morrow and Neumann both report that children read 50-60% more in classrooms with libraries in them than those without. And we must think of the books that we surround our students with asking ourselves not just WHO is represented, but HOW are they represented and also who is NOT represented? Students must be able to find themselves but also see others in the very books we place in front of them.

We carefully craft our book displays.

I was at my public library yesterday, a beautiful building that has a dedicated library staff, and yet their teen section is bland and boring. Every time I go there, I wonder why? Why not pull books and put them on display? Why not use the power of visual representation to pull our readers in? Why not show off the hottest new reads and help kids find the books they may not know they want to read? SO in our classroom, the displays are always changing. The books facing out rotate through. Our book tree where students and I showcase our favorite books is always being reworked. Books surround us because they need to be staring at us, calling to us at all times. And I place books knowing where they will catch the eyes of students so that they want to grab them. Not in haste, but carefully so that students feel the urge to read.

We have a to-be-read list.

This simple list in our reader’s notebook is our someday list to quote Nancie Atwell. The books that perhaps we want to try reading. The books we are enticed to read but may not have time to read just yet. The book list is always growing and it is a must for all students to have it in some form, whether on paper or on their device. Whenever a child book shops, I ask them to pull out their to-be-read list so that it becomes a habit. Whenever a book talk happens, I ask them to pull out their to-be-read list so that they remember they have it. We discuss them, we share them, and we remember that they should be filled with maybe books because they know that some of those books they will abandon. This list is also sent home with students on the last day of school physically, and an image of it is emailed home or shared in some other way.

We book talk books almost every day.

I start every single day with 10 minutes of independent reading unless we are in book clubs where the time comes later in the period. After this sacred ten minutes, it is time for a book talk, first by me and then by others. I keep my book talk short and sweet, holding up the book and showcasing an image of the cover behind me so that students can write down the title. If it is a student doing a book talk I quickly find the cover to project behind them as well. I remind students to write the title down if they are enticed by it, otherwise, many will forget to do this simple step.

When students do book talks, we either do it on the fly, asking simply if someone has a book they want to recommend or I have them fill out a notecard with a 30-second book talk and then give them their notecard when it is their time to recommend. I will have the book cover images ready to project as well.

We do lessons on how to book shop.

One of the first lessons I do in the year is how to book shop, while this may seem crazy, I teach 12-year-olds after all, I have found it to be a necessary reminder. Kids will tell you they know how to bookshop but then they simply go through the motions, not actually looking at the books or even finding any they want to read. So we break it down into a whole lesson, described more in detail here so that students know what I am expecting and are also reminded of what they should do while browsing books. Before we head to our school library every other week, they are also reminded of how to book shop down there, transferring their skills to a different environment as practice, because this is what they need to do once they leave us.

We just say no.

Many of my students would rather I book shop with them at all times, and while I will gladly support this in the beginning of the year, as the year progresses I pull back that support. I tell them they have to book shop on their own, show me their pile, and then I can certainly help out after. While it depends on the child, some get the idea pretty quickly and develop that independence, while others need repeated experiences. While I feel bad telling a child “No,” I also see the necessity of it; if we never say no, they will never stop asking, because, let’s face it, it is much easier just to ask an adult than do the work themselves. We have to teach children to not be helpless in our classrooms, and that includes when they select their next book. If we never give them the opportunity to try to figure it out themselves then they will not have grown like they should have.

We dive into their reading identity.

If a child does not know how to self-select a text, independent of Lexile, levels, or other outside systems, then they do not know themselves as a reader. So this becomes our mission throughout the year; having students reflect on who they are as a reader and how they create successful reading experiences for themselves. After all, as an adult reader, this is how I keep reading; I am in tune with what I am in the mood to read. This is what I describe a lot more in detail in chapters 4 and 5 of Passionate Readers. After all, if a child does not know how to create a successful reading experience for themselves while they are with us, then how will they do so once they leave us.

Throughout the year, we set meaningful reading goals, we reflect on how we are growing, and we decide what’s next for our journey. This ownership is vital for students to develop as readers and needs to be carefully cultivated throughout the year, not left to chance or happenstance.

We read every single day in class.

You may wonder what does actually reading have to do with selecting the book they are reading, but the answer is; everything! If we do not have students read in front of us, we will not see their reaction to the book they have chosen to read. We will not be there to notice when they start to skim the pages, pretend to read or shut the book completely. So if we want students to successfully self-select their texts then we need to also give them the time to actually try the text out with our guidance if needed. This also goes for those kids that consistently pick “Ok” books. These are the kids that are having decent reading experiences, but not amazing ones, these are the kids we end up often losing as readers because they never have incredible experiences and thus never get what the magic is all about.

How do I know how students are feeling about their books? I ask them in my quick reading check-ins during their independent reading time and we discuss how book abandonment as a major component of being a reader who knows themselves. Because the ten minutes (and I only do ten because I have 45 minutes altogether, if you have a longer period do more!), allows me time to see my students reading, I can often point out things they have not noticed themselves yet. It allows me a chance to connect with them, reader to reader and to individualize their instruction.

Helping students self-select a text has many different components, and in all honesty, this blog post is only the beginning. For further reading, I highly encourage you to read Donalyn Miller’s Reading in the Wild, Teri Lesene’s Reading Ladders, Penny Kittle’s Book Love, and my own book Passionate Readers.

Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy, Reading

On Which Reading Program to Purchase

January 22, 2018January 23, 2018 Pernille Ripp

I was recently asked if I could give a 2-minute answer to which reading program would be best for a district. While I was flummoxed at first; 2 minutes, that’s not enough time to discuss the needed components?! I quickly realized that I really don’t need even two minutes to answer this question, because here’s the thing…

If a program does not leave time for independent reading every day – don’t buy it.

If a program does not leave space for students to self-select their books independent of their level or Lexile at any time – don’t buy it.

If a program does not leave room for teacher’s to adapt it to the needs of their students – don’t buy it.

If a program tells you that students should sit in front of a computer every single day to be successful – don’t buy it.

If a program is based on short segments of texts, filled with lots and lots of things to do, with no room to build stamina or to go beyond the obvious in their answers – don’t buy it.

If a program dictates that every single teacher must follow every single lesson with fidelity or their students will not be successful – don’t buy it.

So what should we look for instead?

A program that supports choice, independent reading time, small group, one on one conferring, as well as lessons for ideas.

A program that focuses on the needs of the individual as much as the needs of the group.

A program that leaves teachers and students alike thinking that reading and being a reader is something good.

A program that builds hope for all readers to be readers. That balances out between reading for skill and reading for pleasure. A program with an emphasis on developing reader identity as well as reader skill. A program that doesn’t kill the love of reading but instead bolsters it.

That is the program you should buy. And then don’t ever forget that fidelity should always remain to the students and not to the program itself to quote my Assistant Superintendent, Leslie Bergstrom.

And if you are not sure if that is the program you have; ask the very students who are forced to endure it. Ask the teachers who have to implement it. Ask the caregivers and parents who hear the stories. They will always tell you the answer if you are ready to hear it.

Ps: Wondering what research says about best practices in reading instruction? Here are a few articles; one from NAESP, one from ILA and one from NCTE

Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, students choice, students teach me

How Do You Reach Your Vulnerable Readers?

January 16, 2018January 20, 2019 Pernille Ripp

This morning I was asked what we do for our most vulnerable readers to help them be successful. As I took a moment to ponder this question, I realized a big thing; what we do for the most vulnerable is also what we do for all of our readers.

We have fidelity to our students, not to our programs.

I work in a district that believes in fidelity to the students and not to the program. Think about that for a second. Oregon School District believes in staying true to what the children need and not what an outside purchased program, no matter how research-based it is, tells us what to do. We use components from incredible programs, but they do not dictate our decisions; our students do.

We place them with amazing teachers.

We give them the best teachers we have to work on interventions. These teachers know their research and use best practices. They are given longer books, they have choice, they do meaningful work. We make sure they work on stamina in books, not chopped up passages to just check their skills.

And we do not put them in front of computer programs. We need our students to read, to think, to work through a text and then come out on the other side with a deeper understanding. We need face-to-face interactions to gauge what they really know, not what a computer may think. There is no replacement for a qualified teacher and so every child deserves one, especially those who are not where we would hope they would be.

We have them surrounded by books.

We have a beautiful school library, staffed by a fully certified librarian, and we also promote classroom libraries. As Neumann researched, having a classroom library can increase reading up to 60% and so we believe in the power of great books within their reach at all times. As one student told me Friday, “Mrs. Ripp, I love that we have great books right here, I never have to go far to find my next read.”

We are also mindful of the books we surround them with. Inspired by the work of Dr. Simms Bishop, Chad Everett, Nerdy Book Club, and so many other passionate advocates for better library experiences, we think of how our library shapes our students’ identities. Can they see themselves? Can they see others? Who is represented, how are they represented, and who is not? All of this pushes us forward as we purchase more and better books.

We are careful with our language.

I flinch a little whenever I hear the term “struggling readers.” As Donalyn Miller has taught me, there is little hope in that term. How about vulnerable? How about careful? How about developing? How about just readers? Our language promotes a growth mindset so we have to be aware of what our language does to shape their self-image. How do we speak about our readers when they are around or not around?

We cultivate patience.

It is really hard to not lose hope when you have implemented best practices (choice, time, books, and a reading community) and then see little results. And yet, sometimes we are working against years of a negative reading identity. We are working on catching up years of stalled reading experiences. We are working against unseen forces that derail us any chance they get. So we must be patient. Patient with the child who is trying. Patient as the teacher hoping for results. I have said it before and will say it again; sometimes we are just the tourniquet that stops the growth of the hatred of reading or the negative reading experiences, not the teacher that will see the actual seeds of change grow and bloom.

We balance our purchasing decisions.

While we may be going one to one with Chromebooks, my principal will also tell you that she always has money to purchase books. Our literacy coach asks us if we want more books because if we do then she will get us some. This speaks volumes because if a district is spending money on technology without spending money on books there is a serious imbalance in priorities. And if that is the case, a conversation needs to be started about what is more important?

So when I think of what we do for our vulnerable readers, I once again see the thread that runs through our entire school community; every child a reader, every single day. Every child deserves the best chance. Every child deserves the best teachers. The best experiences. The best, period.