Category: Reading

being me, choices, Passion, Reading, student choice

Can We Discuss the Whole Class Novel For a Moment?

Pernille Ripp

I have been pondering the idea of the repeated whole class novel; a bastion of English classes everywhere.  I have been pondering why this practice seems to flourish in English classes everywhere despite what it seems to be doing to some students’ love of reading.  Frankly, I am starting to get upset about it, after all, it is hard not to when my incredible niece who seems to inhale books told me today that since she keeps being assigned books in school she hasn’t really been reading much else.  Which means her grand total of books this year is about 10.  Rather than the 50 or 60 she usually reads.  From 50 to 10.  Let that sink in.  She also told me the only reason it’s so high is because over the holidays she read a few books of her own choice, ones she had been waiting to read and finally felt she had the energy to.  But 10 books is not very high, not for her at least, so there seems to be a problem here.  Her English class seems to be killing her joy of reading.

As someone who has not used whole class books for several years, I am trying to see the need for them.  I am trying to take this post and turn it into a discussion, rather than a rant.  Yet I keep returning to the question of why we continue to force students to read certain books when that is the number one thing ALL of my students report kill their love of reading?

I see reasons for assigning the classics, in her 8th grade class a few of the titles this year have been Johnny Tremain, Animal Farm,  and The Diary of Anne Frank, but wonder why it has to be all classics all year?  I also wonder who determines the books being read, when does a book become a classic, and does that list ever get updated?  I read Animal Farm and The Dairy of Anne Frank in school as well and that was 20 years ago in another country.  Are there really no new classics that can take their place?

I see reasons for having a shared text to discuss, analyze, and work with, but wonder if it can be done through a read aloud rather than an individual read?  Or could it be just one part of the year rather than every unit and every book?

I see reasons for presenting students with great book choices but wonder if they all need to be reading the same one at the same time?  Can the teaching purpose be reached in a different way?

What is the grand purpose that is eluding me?  Why does this tradition continue?  Why is something that is inherently harming some children’s love of reading being continued in so many schools?  It is just me that worries?  Is it a rite of passage that all readers have to go though and we hope they just make it out alive, reading love still somewhat intact?  Am I overreacting?

PS:  You know what is incredible though; my niece still loves her English teacher.  She doesn’t see the curriculum as a flake in that teacher’s ability, which says a whole lot about that teacher and their ability to connect with students.  So while she longs for the days where reading was just fun, she doesn’t hold it against the teacher.  And bottom line, that matters too.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” will be published by Routledge in the fall.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

books, collaboration, education, Passion, Personalized Learning, Reading, student choice, student voice

How to Do Book Clubs in the Middle School Classroom

Pernille Ripp

I knew when I moved to 7th grade that book clubs would be one of the things that moved with me.  That shared reading experience where students would get to just read and discuss is something I have loved having in the classroom the past few years.  I knew it would be a  different experience in the middle school classroom, after all their maturity would push their thinking, what I had not accounted for was also how my whole approach to the purpose of it would need to change to cater to a more critical mindset.  So what do book clubs in the middle school classroom need to be successful?

 An honest conversation.  I would not have gotten student buy in if I had not had an honest conversation with them beforehand.  They needed a chance to vent all of their frustrations with book clubs in order to see how this time around they might be different.  They needed to know that their thoughts and yes, feelings, were validated and considered.  While most would have invested themselves in the process simply because it was expected, I didn’t want that type of buy-in, I wanted a genuine desire to use this for good, to enjoy the 4 weeks or so it would last.

Choice in books.  I know it is easier to have a small amount of pre-selected books for students to choose from so we can help facilitate the conversations, but with more than 100 students to cater to I knew I needed choice and lots of it.  With the help of my amazing library team, bonus points from Scholastic, and the phenomenal Books4school, I was able to present the students with more than 50 different choices for titles.  This way no group needed to share books and all students should be able to find something to agree on.  I also told them that if they couldn’t find anything, to let me know, we would find the right book for them.

Choice in rules.  While I may have an idea for how a book club should function, I needed student ownership over the reading, as well as how their discussions would unfold.  All groups decided their own rules and posted them on the wall.  It has been powerful to see them guide their conversations, and yes, also dole out consequences to members within their groups that have not read or are not participating.

Students self-made rules hang as a reminder on our wall
Students self-made rules hang as a reminder on our wall

Choice in speed.  All of my groups read at different paces, so they determine how many pages a night they need to read as well as when they would like to have the book finished by within our 4 week time frame.  One group, in fact, has already finished a book.

Choice in conversation.  Book clubs should not function around the teacher, in fact, I have noticed that when I do listen in to an otherwise lively conversation the students immediately get timid in most cases.  I have learned to listen from a distance and only offer up solid small ideas to push their conversation further when they really needed it.  Too often our mere presence will hijack a group and students don’t learn to trust their own opinions and analysis.  Removing yourself from the process means students have to figure it out.  For those groups that struggle we talk about in our private mini-lesson.

Choice in abandonment.  I do not want students stuck with a book they hate, so some groups chose to abandon their books within a week and made a better choice.  Rather than think of it as lost reading time, I cheered over the fact that my students know themselves as readers.  All of my students are now reading a book that they at the very least like and that is an accomplishment in my eyes.

Choice in length and meeting time.  Students are allotted time every other day to meet in their book clubs and have 28 minutes to discuss and read some more.  While I have told student to try to push their conversations, I have also urged them to keep them under 10 minutes unless they are having a great discussion.  Students vary the length of their book clubs depending on what their self-chosen topic of discussion is and figure out how their group works best in the process.

Choice in final product.  While our true purpose of having book clubs is to have a shared reading experience, I am also asking the students to do a book talk of some sort when they finish.  There are two reasons behind this; to assess the standards we are covering in the quarter but also for them to develop their critical thinking skills.  If the book they read is not suited for future book clubs then I need to know why.  I don’t want students to have a lengthy project because that is not what book clubs are about.

While my method for integrating book clubs may seem loose at best, I have found incredible buy-in from the students.  They have been excited to read their books, they have been excited to share their thoughts, and the accountability that they feel toward one another is something I would not be able to produce through force.  Middle schoolers need a framework to grow within, they need our purposes to be authentic as much as possible, and they need to have a voice in how things function within our classroom.  Book clubs offer us a way to have these moments in reading that abound with deep reading conversations that I may not be able to have as a whole group, they allow even the quietest student to have a voice.  They allow students to feel validated in their thoughts and they allow them to share their knowledge with each other.  What have you done to create successful book clubs?

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, education, Passion, Personalized Learning, Reading, student choice

The One Thing That All Readers Need the Most

Pernille Ripp

I used to think that teaching students to become great readers meant that I showed them as many reading strategies as I could and then we would practice each one until they could do it practically in their sleep.  Connections – check. Predictions – check.  Inferring, visualizing, character changes – check, check, check.  We had our strategies under control.

I used to think that providing my students with as much time as possible to discuss reading would make them stronger readers.  After all, through the talking they would be able to dig deeper into their own process and mimic others.

I used to think that my students constantly had to stop and jot so they could record and prove their thinking on little post-its.  That the more post-its they had in a book, the better of a reader they were becoming.  I used them for proof that they were growing.  I used them for proof that they understood the steps.

I used to think that reading was all about talking.  I used to think reading was all about taking it apart.  I used to think reading was all about proof.

Now I know that reading should be about reading.  That in all of that talking there was very little reading.  In all of that jotting there was no room for flow or getting in the zone.  That in trying to give the teacher proof that they were reading, they were losing valuable reading time.  We stopped all of the time.  We lost independent reading minutes because we had to make sure we had something written down.

For students to become better readers, they need time to read.  We know that, I know that.  Yes, they need strategies, yes, they need to speak about reading, yes they need to think and grow, but  what they need most of all is time to read.  Every day, any chance, and it needs to be uninterrupted.  So now as I plan my days, my sacred 45 minutes I get with every class, 10 of that is dedicated to no-talking, uninterrupted, choice based reading.  10 minutes of quiet in the zone reading where no one tells them what to do.  I wish it was more, the students wish it was more, but it is a start.  It is their chance to read, everything else comes after.  Everything else is less important.

What do you do in your room to preserve independent reading time?

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being a teacher, being me, books, MIEExpert15, Passion, Personalized Learning, Reading, student choice, student voice

Why Book Clubs Suck And We Need to Talk About It

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I had meticulously made my lists.  I had thoughts of habits, tastes, personalities, reading preferences, pace and yes, even their assessment data.  I had scoured the book room, gone book shopping spending my own money and used most of my Scholastic points.  More than 50 choices awaited my students, I couldn’t wait to start book clubs.

So when I announced that today was the day they would know their book club groups, I had not planned for the groan of disapproval that met me.  The disgusted stares and the change in body language; slumped shoulders, heads down.  Clearly, they were not as excited as I was.  And so I did what I always do; I asked why.  Or more specifically, I mimicked what a student said, which was that book clubs suck, and I asked “Tell me all of the reason why book clubs suck…”

And boy did they ever.

“We hate being forced to read certain books.  Sometimes we have read them before, sometimes they are boring, sometimes we cannot relate to them no matter how hard we try.  We want choice, we want things that we want to read, we can decide by ourselves.

We hate being told when to read, how many pages, and what we should discuss.  Sometimes we want to read only a few pages because we know we are busy, other times we want to read a lot.  We want to come up with our own questions and we don’t want a teacher to facilitate.  Let us try to navigate it ourselves.  Let us try to lead the conversations.  Help us when we need it but don’t assume we need it all of the time.

We hate having a book take weeks and weeks to finish.  Sometimes we just want to read because it is so good, and what is wrong with that.  When it drags on we lose interest.  When it drags on we forget what is happening.

We hate being stuck with a book even if we chose it.  We hate being placed in groups with students we have nothing in common with.  We hate having to keep logs, write reports, and do group work when all we want to do is read and discuss.  Don’t you see, we hate book clubs.”

So I listened, and I answered their questions whether they wanted me to or not.  Carefully explained my vision for the next few weeks and why.  Would there be writing – no, just the thoughts they felt they needed to jot down to facilitate a discussion.  Would there be choice – of course, the books were waiting patiently for them and if they found none here then we have a library to go to.  They kept asking and I kept explaining, and as we went on their faces changed and the shoulders came back up.

Every class I taught that day went through the same process.  I didn’t expect to have those conversation 5 times in a row but that is exactly what happened.  Every time I mentioned book clubs, the groan came at me like a wave.  And yet, as we discussed I once again learned more about my students and their reading habits.  I learned how they want to be independent readers and thinkers, how they want to be able to have choice in everything so that they can invest themselves fully.  How it is okay that I put them into groups as long as I explain why those groups were made and that it wasn’t just based on one thing.

I could have ignored their groans, a few years ago I would have, I would have told them to “Suck it up, deal with it and make the best of it.”  Yet, I know from experience that if we want book clubs or anything that has to do with reading to work then we have to have these hard conversations.  We have to discuss, tear apart, and work through the demons that students carry, those preconceived notions of what is going to happen in the next few weeks, before we ever get an authentic buy-in; a reading experience that matters.

The day after the conversation, I had them book shop.  Every group went from choice to choice and debated the merits of the books laid out before them.  Every group weighed their options, and only one group  out of about 30 needed my guidance in book choice.  Yesterday, as I revealed the books they were going to read, most groups cheered.  Some kids asked if they could start right away?  Please, because the book looks really good and we are so excited.

Had I not stopped and listened to my students.  Had I not stopped the plan of what I was going to do.  Had I forged ahead, gone on with our day, there would have been few cheers and instead the next few weeks would have been filled with the passive resignation that middle schoolers do so well.  Yeah book clubs suck, but they don’t have to.  We have to find a way to talk about it and change the way they are done. And the first place we start is by asking out students why they suck or any other word that may describe their feelings toward them.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

books, Literacy, Reading

10 Favorite Books from 7th Grade So Far – 2015

Pernille Ripp

The books have been flying off the shelves in our classroom library, sometimes to be read and other times to be forgotten at the back of lockers.  But one thing is for sure, I have a lot of readers in my life.  I was worried about not having the right books for my 7th graders, however, I should have known; many of my favorites are also the favorites of the students.  So what have the 7th graders been reading and passing on?  Note the varying levels of maturity!

Loot: How to Steal A Fortune by Jude Watson was on heavy rotation this year.

Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner was a favorite for many.

Gae Polisner’s The Summer of Letting Go was voraciously read by many.

The Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefwater made reluctant readers read again.

With the movie out, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green remained in heavy rotation.

Even in 7th grade, students still love The Diary of A Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, as they should.

Everybody seemed to start the year by reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

Many eagerly waited for their turn to read Sisters by Raina Telgemaier.

The Raft by S.A. Boden was a page turner for many students.

Someone is always reading Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi. 

being a teacher, being me, Reading, students teach me

The Things I Did That Stopped A Love of Reading

Pernille Ripp

We-are-not-here-to-lead

I have always had good intentions, my heart and mind has always been in the right place whenever I have done anything “to” my students.  I don’t think any teacher sets out to destroy, I don’t think any teacher wants to harm a child’s love of reading.  And yet, they say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and nowhere is that more visible than when it comes to our reading instruction.  When I look back upon the things that I have done, the things that I did because I thought they would help, but now know the results, oh boy. Well, let’s just say I am lucky that I have had amazing students that have helped me see the wrong in my rights.

So what did I do that was so wrong?  Over the last 7 years as a teacher, this is how I have changed based on feedback from my students.

Then:

I forced them to read certain books because I knew better.  Armed with levels and lessons, I have forced many a child in giving up the book they were certain to struggle through and handed them a better suited one.  Better suited based on levels, reading abilities, but typically not interest.

Now:

Students have free choice to read with few restrictions.  Throughout the year they have to read 25 books, 15 of which must be chapter books.  If a child is continuously abandoning books we discuss, adjust, and try new things.  We also spend time selecting books together and work on strategies to get through books that may be a bit out of their “level.”

Then:  

Students had to prove they had read either through worksheets or a reading log.  Worksheets never worked for me because they didn’t give me the deeper level thoughts I wanted, plus it meant that students had to read the same book, and reading logs are something I will never subject a child to again if I can help it.

Now:  

Students prove to me that they are reading in a myriad of ways without a reading log or a worksheet, the most common one being conversation.  We discuss books frequently in class and even within my 45 minute class period the students still get 10 minutes of independent reading time.  There are so many ways we can see whether a child is reading, we just have to tap into it.

Then: 

We did the whole class book throughout the year.  This was to make sure we had a common text to discuss and I also believed that my developing readers could learn a lot from the stronger readers (which I still believe), however, this format slowed down some kids while it burned out others.

Now:

We do the whole class read aloud.  Starting with the Global Read Aloud we have a whole class text read aloud every day as part of our mini-lesson.  Students can develop their discussion skills around a shared text and I have a text to use every day as a springboard.  Students are then still free to read whichever book they want and apply our strategies discussed to that one once the read aloud portion of the day is complete.

Then:

All students had to use post-its.  This was a way for me to see their thinking while they read, they would even hand them in.

Now:

Students show me their thinking however they want.  Some still use post-its which I have readily available, others their notebook, their blog, or any other way they can think of.  What matters is that they are finding a way for them to stop and think and then jot down their thoughts so that we can have some deep discussions.

Then:

I always had an independent text to use for every small group.  I always did guided reading with the same kids every week and we always had either a pre-selected book club book or a text that I had selected.  This way I could control the strategies we developed because I had pre-read everything and could thus lead the conversation.  Students answered questions but no real discussion ensued.

Now:

Sometimes I have a text but more likely I have a picture book.  Students and I read the text together and then work our way through it.  All ages love picture book sand I have been spent a lot of money getting great ones into the hands of my students.  We read the book and then apply the strategy to their own book right then and there so that I can see whether they fully understand it.  If a child needs extra time, I hold them back while I release the others.

Then:  

Students did book clubs with me as the guide.  This type of guided reading was something I worked very hard at but frankly it was exhausting.  I always had to read ahead and prepare the discussions so that I could lead the conversations.  Often I had a hard time keeping the 6 different books I was using straight, and trying to find multiple texts centered around the same theme was also hard.  Students did little discussion but at least they had a shared reading experience.

Now:

Students run the book clubs.  I check in and help them push their thinking but they set the pace, they select the books  based on group conversations, and they “manage” the club.  I have to step in once in a while to help a student who is not adhering to the group’s etiquette but mostly the students are in control.

Then:

Groups were created based on level.  I did not look at pace, interest, or specific skills needed, only what level the computer or Rigby said the child was at.  While this is a great place to start for the year I didn’t move past it until I realized this was not a great way for my students to learn from others.

Now:

Students are grouped based on needs.  Typically students go in and out of small groups that crop up throughout a week based on how they are doing on certain skills.  This means that students don’t feel labeled as beign a “bad” reader because they are not in the same group day after day.  They instead see that we are helping them with the skill they need and then released once they have it.

Then:

Students shared their reading lives with the class.  I always knew I wanted a classroom that was focused on reading, one in which reading took a central role throughout all curriculum.  One where our reading lives were visible to each other.   But I didn’t think to share it with others.

Now:

We share our reading with the world.  Students share their books on our blogs, ask for recommendations, and ask questions of other students that are reading the same book.  Our reading lives are not just something we discuss, it is up for everyone to discuss, and the world has a lot to offer.

There are so many things we choose to do within our reading instruction, or any instruction for that matter, that we think will help students, but end up robbing them of the spark that carries them forward as readers,  While some of these things may work for other teachers, they have not worked for me.  I am just grateful that my students have had the courage to tell me these things but they would not have done so if I hadn’t asked.  So please, if nothing else, ask your students what helps them become better readers and then do more of that.

I am a passionate  teacher in Wisconsin, USA,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.