Reading – Page 53 – Pernille Ripp

I never used to worry about boys not reading. After all, wasn’t that to be expected? My husband isn’t a big reader and he seems to manage. Yet, when I realized that I needed to bring the passion back into reading last year in my room, I started to notice my boys. Those same boys that I had recommended Lightning Thief and Harry Potter to even though they had already read them. Those boys I had bought Mike Lupica books for because they had to do with sports. Those boys with their boyish books who I didn’t really push to become passionate readers because I wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Those boys became my unintended passion.

Today I was asked how I get my boys reading, and while I am not an expert, and some of them still don’t read as much I would love them to, I do have a few ideas. (And yes, many of these apply to the girls as well).

Acknowledge the difference. And not necessarily the difference between boy and girl readers, but the difference between all readers. We all have our strengths and we all have our reading demons. Acknowledge them and figure out how to work through them or with them.
Share your own demons. I tell the kids how fickle I am with book choices, how my time has to be devoted to just the right book. I tell them what I love to read and what I am likely to pass up. I also make sure to tell them when I have been surprised by a book.
Have honest conversations. One boy told me “Reading sucks!” and it led to a very meaningful lesson that we have carried with us all year. Be prepared to be honest, be prepared to not judge, let boys speak their opinions and then work with it rather than be the know-it-all expert. Just be your human self and start the relationship early.
Read their books. While I am not quick to grab a sports book, some do catch my eye (Stupid Fast was after all one of the Global Read Aloud choices this year because of me). I am lucky though that I tend to lean toward 5th grade boy book choices naturally. Science fiction and fantasy – bring it on!
Recommend, recommend, recommend. I read a lot because I need to be able to recommend books to all of my students. But the boys, those I have to hand the book too, stick it in their book bin, tell them why and then encourage them to try it.
Loosen up. We don’t need to read chapter books all the time. I have been expanding my graphic novel, non-fiction, and comic book selection the last few years. Have all sorts of books ready for your boys and let them know it is ok to read them. Too often we push the chapter book because we think it is one of the only ways to grow as readers, this is simply not true.
Let them choose. Sure we can guide and point out but in the end, let them choose!
Let them read wherever they want. I hate reading in a chair, I am more of a lay down kind of person. My students may all read wherever they want as they don’t bug someone else. Few of my boys sit at their table and I am ok with that.
Give them different ways to share their thinking. Some of my boys can draw like madmen, some of them do best on conversation and some of them prefer to just speak to me about what they are reading. That’s ok, to each their own, I make sure they have many different outlets to talk about their reading.
Think about your read aloud. I am just finishing “Out of My Mind” by Sharon Draper as my first read aloud and so my next one will be something completely different, “The False Prince” by Jennifer Nielsen. Too often, if we are female teachers, do we grab read alouds featuring female leads. It is important we showcase all types of lead characters of both sexes.
Geek out with them. I get super nerdy whenever a new book in a favorite series is about to get released. Yesterday was awesome when the 8th Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was released and we made sure to celebrate it. We often take reading so serious that we become our own worst enemies. Have fun with it, it is after all sharing the love of books. If we can’t laugh about it all, who can?
Add a challenge if needed. The students are all participating in the 40 book challenge to see if they can read 40 books faster than I can. (One of my students already did!) but we also have a January book challenge where they set individual goals and we combine them as a class goal and then have a huge celebration at the end. The competitive nature of many of my students feeds right into this without it being about beating someone else.

A note on competition since this has sparked some debate: It is not competition in my room in the true sense of it. There is no prize, there is no punishment. It is about having students have a goal in how many books they should read, here it is explained to parents, and the hope that they will push themselves as readers when we create a sense of urgency. They are not out to beat each other, no one knows how many books someone else has read unless they share it. The class challenge is a goal set by all of us, students set individual goals and we add them up. This can be for any type of reading and we keep track as a class. It is a way to create community around reading, to give it importance, and for some boys a challenge means it is important.

What else would you add? How else do we reach our male readers?

For more explanations or further ideas of how to promote reading in your classroom, here is an older blog post.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released this fall from PLPress. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Reading, Student-centered

There’s A Sheet for That – Readers Workshop Sheets to Help You

October 10, 2013October 25, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Being in a more formal reader’s workshop format this year has meant that I have needed a better method of keeping track of all of the one-on-one and small group conferences I am having constantly. So as always, I thought why not share what I have created with the world. Mind you that I tweak these as I use them so if you really love a form you may want to keep a copy of it before I change it.

We do a modified 40 book challenge for the year. Here is the sheet explaining the rules and also keep track of their books.

How Am I as a Reader. I started out the year by asking students how they were as readers, these were the base for our first conference.

Reading Parent Survey (borrowed from Colby Sharp). A few weeks into school i ask the students to fill this out with their parents.

Calendar of one-on-one conferences: This idea is adapted from the The 2 Sisters, I also have a pensive where I keep all of this. Now I can see at a glance who I have met with. by putting the conference date in the small check boxes.

One-on-one student conference sheet. I needed somewhere to keep all of my thoughts and this is what has helped me.

Reading Log. I have been asked for students to keep a reading log so this is our modified, in room use only, reading log that the students fill out every day after they have read independently.

Small Group Conference Calendar sheet. I pull a lot of small groups to quick hit on skills with them but I needed a separate way to keep track of when I did it. This sheet is helping me keep track of them.

Small Group Conference Sheet. This is a conference sheet specifically for a child in a small group setting, I needed the distinction between one-on-one and small group so I created this.

Monthly Reading Reflection Sheet. I have students do shorter weekly reflections about their progress and goal but at the end of the month I have them do a longer reflection more centered on reading. Here is September’s.

I hope this useful to you, I know it is helping me stay sane and on top of all of my diverse readers and their passion.

Reading

Ideas to Strengthen Your Readers Workshop

October 5, 2013October 15, 2013 Pernille Ripp

October is connected educator month and while I find it amusing that we get a specific month to point out what we do all year, I thought rather than herald the importance of being a connected educator, I would rather just share why I am a connected educator and how it helps me in my readers workshop. Those who follow me know that reading is a BIG deal in my classroom, something to be discussed passionately and reflected upon, something to be protected. So I always feel so fortunate when I get to borrow ideas from others to make it even better for all of my students.

As I try to sow the seeds for deeper reading, here are some of the things I do:

Students have thoughtful log that they use while we read and after, however, lately, it has also become a read aloud notebook, thanks to this great post from Choice Literacy. I have had students doodle in the past while I read aloud, but this year with the start of the Global Read Aloud, students now sketch, envision and jot down thoughts as we travel through Melody’s life.
I always struggle with who to group and pull for a small mini-lesson, so the idea of having them turn in their best post-it from the mini-lesson we just did as a tool for evaluation was a useful one from Teachers College. Now I can quick see who got the gist of the lesson or who needs re-teaching.
I have had students reflect on their blogs for years but I needed something more concrete and honest as we push ourselves as readers. So I created this beginning of the year readers survey with the help of various internet resources and have loved the discussions that ensued. I now also have a baseline to compare to from their weekly reflection sheets, which change according to need and curiosity.
The parent reading survey was a great idea borrowed from Colby Sharp, a passionate teacher I really admire. I loved having parents reflect on what reading looks like at home and how it is helping or hindering their child progress as a reader.
I have some phenomenal readers this year and those readers were typically the ones I did not know what to do with, after all, they already seemed to have all of the tools they needed. Not so according to Mary Ehrenworth, who I was lucky enough to see at Teacher’s College. She gave us great ideas for how to support our strongest readers, ideas which when I presented to one of my students was met with , “Wow, I can’t wait to to think about that!”
Showcasing what I read on my door. My school is very focused on promoting an overall love of reading and I participate in that by always having a sign up with what I am currently reading and also what I have read this year. This idea is courtesy of Jillian Heise and I love it so much due to the great conversations that it sparks with my students and other students around the school. in fact, last night at the school dance many of my former students came back and had to look at my door to see what I had been reading.
The 40 Book Challenge. I decided that I would give my students the luxury of reading whatever they want this year, however, I also wanted to push them as readers and try to get them to read more, so create that sense of urgency when we read. The 40 book challenge is a wonderful idea from Donalyn Miller and I adapted it to fit our needs. Students are in competition with me to read the most books in a year, they choose what they read and magazines, graphic novels, and picture books also count. Students get to report their books through blog posts, Skype book recommendations, speed book dating, posters in the classroom, or any other way they can think of.
A better conferring sheet. I have tried every which way to keep notes when I confer and also had ample cheat sheets to use as I speak to students. This year I finally like what I have with ideas borrowed from The 2 Sisters and Teachers College. In my pensieve on students I use this conferring sheet to help me keep track of their goals and their progress.
One book to connect the world. One of my proudest accomplishments will always be the Global Read Aloud. This little idea has this year connected more than 130,000 students globally as they listen to a great book being read aloud and then use technology to connect and discuss the book. This idea was inspired by my husband, Brandon, who does so much to inspire me to be a better teacher and puts up with my obsession with teaching.

To all those who have shared their ideas with me, thank you, this is why we share.

Be the change, Reading

Why Reading Sucks and It’s Ok to Talk About It

September 14, 2013September 16, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I try to help my students be passionate readers. To be the type of reader that sneaks reading in whenever they can, that bring books with them wherever they go, to be the kind of reader that cannot wait to read the next book they have on their list. I try to be a role model for this but to do this I have realized that we must discuss why reading sucks.

I ask my students their thoughts on reading as part of one of our very first mini lessons. While many of them share such wonderful things about their love of reading, there is usually one brave enough that finally just says that reading is just not their thing. This year was no different when a child told me that “Reading sucks” and then waited for my reaction. I am not sure what the child expected, but instead of dismissing their notion as crazy, I created a poster asking them to list why reading sucks. As one child blurted out, “I don’t think a teacher has ever asked me that.”

And it’s true, I tend to not ask this question, but since it presented itself, I figured it had to be dealt with head on. The kids were cautious at first, perhaps they felt I was trying to trick them, and then they quickly raised their hands and we created the poster shown here.

Those are valid reasons why reading may not be the best thing for a child. Some children hate sitting still, others find it boring, time consuming, hate that they are forced to read certain books or at a certain time, perhaps they feel pressured, perhaps they feel they are a bad reader. What it all adds up to is a miserable reading experience. And that is what we have to fight.

In the end I thanked the kids for their honesty, I then asked them for their solutions, and at first they didn’t quite have one. Then one child raised their hand and said, “Can we pick our own books?” “Yes.” “Do we have to read a certain amount of minutes and log it?” “No,” “I said, I expect you to read every night and you only log it in here.” “Do we have to finish every book we start?” “No.” With each question and answer, relief seemed to spread throughout the room. Perhaps reading would not suck as much as it had in the past, perhaps they would not hate it this year. Perhaps….and that is all I need. The seed that reading may not suck after all.

So if we don’t ask the question and face this reading demon, then we can’t have the conversations that we need to have with these specific kids. Yes, most students will tell us that reading is amazing whether they believe it or not. I hail the kids that have the strength to tell me how they really feel. How else will I ever change their minds?

I am a passionate 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released this fall from PLPress. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

books, Literacy, Reading

My 10 Favorite Books From This Summer’s Reading

September 9, 2013July 31, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I read a lot of books this summer, even more than I thought I would muster, and now as school has started my students keep asking me which ones were my absolute favorites. While it is hard to choose and these are in no means in order, here are some of the ones that I cannot wait to get into the hands of anyone looking for a great read.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I gushed over this book and have already pressed it into the hands of 3 students either physically or through email. This book grabs you on the first page and then does not let you go until the very end. What a phenomenal story and so appropriate for 4th and up.

Pivot Point by Kasie West. Another page turner, but this time in a not too unrealistic science fiction version. While this one is more young adult, the story itself is gripping and you just want read on and on, no matter how many children are smiling at you hoping you will make them dinner.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. So really this is a series of 6 books, and yet, it still makes the list as a whole. While the cover is slightly too much for me, the story inside is worth every minute of your time. Part fantasy, part love story, and tons of action, this is a great read for more mature 5th graders.

Out of This Place by Emma Cameron. Though not at all appropriate for 5th graders, I would place this book into the hands of many high schoolers. Breathtaking and so genuinely written that you can feel the anguish through the pages. Emma Cameron is now someone I will be looking to for great books.

Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Olivier. Again not a single book but rather a standard trilogy. This one taking place in the future where love has been deemed a disease and all 18 year olds are cured of it. I loved the society created and also the ending, which I will not give away.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. A heart wrenching must read for students that can handle hard truths. I thought I knew a lot about World War II, but I had never heard this story. Now it is one I cannot forget due to the storytelling in this book.

Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamilo. I am probably one of the last people on earth who had not read this book. After having read it, I now understand why everyone else has read it already. A poignant and deceivingly short story that will speak to many students.

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson. I had heard many singing the praises of this book for a long time, but the cover just did not appeal to me. I know as a teacher that should not stop me from picking u a book but sometimes it does, sorry. When I finally cracked it open I could not believe how fast I read the book and Hattie Ever After. Both brilliant, both read aloud worthy, both must reads for 5th graders.

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine. There is a reason this was 1st runner up for the Global read Aloud 2013. Taking such a serious topic and bringing it to a level where students can not only understand it, but also connect to it takes mastery of both the history behind it and the written word. Kristin Levine has both, this is an incredible read that will be read aloud in my class later this year.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. I loved this book, I loved the premise, I loved the characters, and now I just hate waiting to hear what will happen next.

It is hard to pick when you are spoiled by so many great books. There are out there and we should be getting them in the hands of our students. To see more of my great reads this summer, visit my review site here.

new year, Reading, Student-centered

A Reading Survey – Why Not?

September 8, 2013September 8, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I love that my students know that I am passionate about reading already. Even though we have only been in each others’ learning lives for 4 days they can tell you how much I love books. They also know about my never-ending reading stack, my penchant for anything sci fi or fantasy, how I sneak reading in when I sit at stop lights, and how buying books is my most guilty pleasure. I am thrilled that they know me as a reader, but the problem is with 27 students I don’t know them yet. Sure, I can start to see which books they gravitate too, some have started telling me about the best book they ever read, and others have even asked to take books home. Yet, I have only conferenced with 2 and have had little time for those amazing reading conversations that I love. So why not do a reading survey? While in no means a replacement for the reading conversations I want to have, it gives me a glimpse into them as readers and will provide me with background information that I can use.

I ask for their honesty here because I want to know how they label themselves. I think it is important for me, vital even to know if a child considers themselves a poor reader, I need to know what their labels are so that I can help them break out of those or strengthen them. So as always as I created this survey with a little bit of inspiration from many other reading surveys, I knew I would share, I may even make it a Google form. Please feel free to make a copy and make it your own.

How Are You As a Reader Survey

And here it is as a Google Form courtesy of Michelle Krzmarzick