Category: students

books, Literacy, Reading, students

Why Picture Books – 5 Reasons Why They Belong in Every Classroom

Pernille Ripp

recite-1xt0pg (1)

I don’t remember when I fell out of love with picture books, but I do remember wondering why any teacher would invest any money in them if they were not teaching young kids.  After all, picture books are so expensive and there is not much to them.  No, I would rather invest my money in chapter books, that is where you get the most value.  So picture books?  Perhaps a few selected mentor texts in my 4th grade classroom.

I don’t remember when I fell back in love with picture books.  Perhaps it was the first time students laughed out loud with me at Chick and Pug.  Perhaps it was the first time students held their breath with me when I read out loud Pete & Pickles.  Perhaps when I cried while I read Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Perhaps it was when those kids that hated reading so much would ask if they could borrow some picture books so they could read to their little sister, and then tell me all about their night the very next day.  Whatever happened, I now know that picture books belong in every classroom, for every reader.  Here is why.

Picture books give us a common language.

I love how we can read a picture book and then refer back to it again and again as we weave our threads of community throughout the year.  The students remember it, they read it again, and the reminisce about reading it.  In a short amount of time we create a foundation for the students to bond through and a way for us to be a part of their world.  Even within my 45 minutes of instruction time, I know I can at least read a picture book out loud, most days.  And if you don’t teach English, read one once in a while, students need community in all classes, not just the literacy ones.

Picture books can teach us complex matters in a simple way.

When my students became curious about the great Malcolm X, I read them Malcolm Little.  When we spoke of the civil rights movement and the every day segregation that happened, I read them Ruth and the Green Book.  When they feel completely alone, I read them The Invisible Boy.  When we have to talk about what our actions do to others, we read aloud Each Kindness which with its less than perfect ending is a perfect mirror of what life is really like.  These books don’t offer all of the knowledge my students need, but they give us a chance to start the conversation.  There are so many curriculum picture books out there waiting for us to embrace them for the knowledge they give us, not written for the young reader but for mature kids that can take the information and do something with it.  Don’t leave your students out.

Picture books can make us feel successful when we have lost our way.

I often teach students who don’t think they will ever be a strong reader.  Who do not go home and read, who do not gravitate toward books, but instead spend them them flipping pages and waiting for the bell.  I hand these kids stacks of picture books.  I tell them to immerse themselves and come up when they are ready for more.  There is no judgment from other kids, nor jealousy.  Our picture books are waiting for anyone to read them.

Picture books relieve stress.

If a child is having a bad day, I can hand them a stack of Elephant and Piggie books and know that at some point a small smile will form.  I can hand them anything fantastical that is nothing like their real life and for a  moment they have a reprieve.  How often do our students get a chance to escape the stress of their lives and still work?  Picture books offer me that opportunity.

Picture books can make us believe that we can read well.

For the child who gave up a long time ago on reading.  For the child who does not believe that school is for them.  For the child who is angry, who is misplaced, who is lost; picture books can make the biggest difference.  I once taught a student so angry he scared the rest of the class, but if I could get a stack of picture books in his hands before it was too late, send him to a quiet place, he deescalated.  Picture books were not a threat, nor were they work.  They were an escape and something that made him feel successful.  If a child does not think they will ever read as well as the others, get them picture books, have them digest them slowly, see their progress and see them start to believe that they too can be readers, that they too can belong.  There is no shame in picture books, not when we embrace them fully as teachers.  Not when we make them a part of our classroom.  Remove the stigma so that students can find success within their pages, rather than feel there are no books for them out there.

PS:  To see some of new favorite picture books, go to the list part 1 and the list part 2.  You have been warned, they are amazing.

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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   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, Literacy, Passion, Reading, students

My New Favorite Picture Books Part 2

Pernille Ripp

As promised, I have more great new (to me) picture books to share.  This collection of funny, moving, and stunningly beautiful books are a must add to any classroom, not just the middle school one.  And yes, I purchased almost all of these myself, and yes, it cost a lot of money, but the experience it will provide my students with is worth it in the end.  I only feel bad because I am not sharing them as much with my own kids.

The Day I Lost My Super Powers by Michael Escoffier is a book that tells a familiar tale of childhood imagination.  I hope to use this to bring my students back to when they thought anything was possible and to reignite their passion for thinking they have the ability to make a difference in the world.

I love how A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell reminds me of Battle Bunny in all the best ways.  I love the message of working through adversity and the book is just downright funny.  My 3 year olds laughed at it, so I cannot wait to see what my 7th graders will do.

Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett is stunning. The story about a boy who is afrid of the dark is sure to elicit conversations about our fears and what we can do to conquer them.  I cannot wait for my students to discover all the details of this book.

To the Sea by Cale Atkinson is a book about unlikely friendships and loneliness, a theme that is so important to discuss with students.  I love the illustrations as well as they tell the story even more.

In the last 24 hours, we have read Shh!  We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton 5 times.  I think I loved it more each time.  Again the amazing illustrations tell half of the story and the simple language means that my youngest can read it by herself as well while giggling out loud.  You know a book is good when the minute you close it, the kids yell “Again!”

Language surrounds us all but by middle school certain words seem to lose their off limit-ness.  That’s why I love Little Bird’s Bad Word by Jacob Grant.  This book will give us a way to discuss what our language says about us as people and how our casual conversations can harm others.

I remember seeing a preview for The Cat, The Dog, Little Red, The Exploding Eggs, The Wolf and Grandma by Diane and Christyan Fox a year ago and then promptly forgot all about it.  Rediscovering it on my wish list I took a chance and ordered it, and I am so thankful I did.  This book is laugh out loud funny, even after you have read it once.  It speaks aloud so many of the questions my students have when it comes to the original fairy tales and will be a perfect match with our gruesome fairy tale unit (even though this book is not gruesome at all).

An amazing wordless picture book by Jon Arne Lawson and Sydney Smith that tells the tale of Sidewalk Flowers and what happens when we are too busy to notice the world around us.  As we discuss purposes for our devices, this will be a book to facilitate that conversation.

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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   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.

being a teacher, new teacher, new year, parents, students, survey

3 Beginning of the Year Surveys For Students And Parents

Pernille Ripp

I believe in the power of a  great survey and have been giving them to my students ever since I started teaching.  This year, I am breaking them up for different days and will have students do them in class so I can gather them and mine them for information.  One of these is for my entire team to use as well.  Please feel free to use and adapt to fit your needs.  The three surveys are

Beginning of the Year Survey.  To see this survey, go here.

How are you as writer?  To see this survey, go here.

How are you as a reader?  To see this survey, go here.

To adapt these, simply click the link, go under “file” and then click “Make a copy.”  That way you can edit it and tweak as needed.

To see all of the other forms I use, including technology permission forms, student-led conferences, and other survey tools, go here.

As far as parents go, I have a very simple survey.  I ask them what their hopes and dreams are for their kids and then if there is anything else I should know.

(In the past, I have used a more extensive parent survey, to see that go here).

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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   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.

being me, Passion, students

It’s Really Not About Me

Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

I never thought anyone would read this blog.  I didn’t write for others but instead to keep myself honest.  To put all of those thoughts I had about changing education onto paper so that I would have something to remind myself of the fact that I had to dream of something better than what I was doing.  That the education I was providing my students was not the best I could be and I had no one to blame but myself.  So I started to write about all of my crazy ideas, all of the plans, the dreams, and even the failures as I bumbled my way through the last 5 years of teaching and the last 5 years of writing.

Now, at the cusp of ISTE 2015 and meeting so many people who have helped me throughout the years become a better teacher, and also a better person, I am overwhelmed.  I want so very much to meet everyone, to thank all that need to be thanked.  But more importantly I want to make my students proud.  To carry their words with me as I speak about changing education.  To represent their dreams to the rest of the world so that others may be inspired to change.  To show others that I am nothing special and that if I can change then so can they.  Because this isn’t about me; its about them; the kids and their dreams.  And we can’t forget that.

So if you find yourself in a position this year where you happen to be surrounded by other educators.  If you find yourself at ISTE or somewhere else where education will be discussed, don’t forget it is about the kids.  Not about us.  Not about our egos.  Not about follower count or perceived prestige. Not about all of the great things we can do but about the great things our students can do because we changed the way we taught so their dreams had a chance of survival.  That’s what is most important.  And it is a choice we make, so make the right one.  Keep it about the kids and the dreams they have, not just about your own.  What we do is bigger than us.

being a teacher, global, Reading, students

The Future of Literacy

Pernille Ripp

I always knew that I would find my calling among books.  From my childhood bicycle trips straight across town to fill up a bag at the local library, to the constant book in my hands asking for my attention, the nights spent reading under the covers after my lights should have been out.  Books seem like they have always been a constant in my journey and now, as a literacy teacher, I feel like I have come home.

Right now is an exciting time to be doing anything with reading and writing.  With new technology bringing the world into our classrooms, amazing books being churned out daily, and the incredible amount of knowledge that exists a few clicks away, it is an exciting time to be a book lover and a literacy teacher at the same time.  It appears that now may just be the very best time to look ahead, to predict what is coming, and to cherish what we have right now.  So I think the future of literacy will center around 5 themes that all very much interconnect to provide us with an even bigger opportunity to create passionate learning environments.

Theme 1:  Global Collaboration.  I have to start with something that is so near and dear to my heart; global collaboration within our literacy programs.  Students are no longer limited to contained experiences within our classrooms but can instead read aloud with the world, create products to share with others, create awareness, or simply work on a project with a classroom across the globe.  Teachers in isolated locations can still be part of a global collaborative network using whichever tools they have access to.  Why does this matter?  Because we are teaching generations of children who need to function within a world that is truly at their fingertips at all times.  No longer is group work contained to just being able to work with kids from their own community, but instead it can focus on developing skills needed to be an international citizen.

Theme 2:  Meaningful Technology Integration.  For a long time I struggled with good integration of technology into my literacy instruction but I have found now that a few tools support the instruction in our classroom in a way that wasn’t possible before.  So tools that allow students to read in a multitude of ways like e-readers are embraced, although print books are not ignored  We use apps on our devices to not just record what we read, but suggest, review, and ask questions about our reading.  Writing can occur both traditionally or in electronic format depending on the purpose, as well as the audience, and the process desired.  Literacy researchers, experts, and other professionals can be accessed via social media allowing us to have constant professional development.  And students can connect with other readers around the world, as well as authors and content experts.  We truly live in a time where technology is enriching our literacy classrooms, not just creating more work for us.

Theme 3:  Student Voice and Choice.  This has for too long been limited to what we allowed students to tell us, but with visionary leaders like Donalyn Miller and passionate literacy teachers across the globe paving the way; our students voices are finally beginning to be heard!  This means that creating rich literacy environments start with the needs and desires of the students.  No longer are their voices dismissed when it comes to reading choice, reading style, and also product creation, but instead their ideas are embraced, enhanced, and placed into curriculum when possible.  Why does this matter?  Because our students have for too long become disenfranchised due to teachers telling them what to read, what to talk about, and dismissing their desires.  In the future of literacy, student voice and choice will take its rightful place alongside the amazing literacy research we have access to that drives our instruction.

Theme 4:  Authentic Purpose and Audience.  Students should no longer be creating just for the teacher or for the class, instead the use of technology allows us not only to have a “real” audience, but also to create products that have an impact.  Student words can change the world around them and so teachers are finding ways to use their literacy programs to create a real change, rather than create for fictitious purposes.   Simple tools such as Skype, Kidblog, or WriteAbout means that students no longer create in a vacuum but instead can get authentic responses and feedback on their work, thus allowing them to be “real” creators.  Students no longer have to wait for when they leave school to have an impact on the outside world, we can use the tools we have to do so right away.

Theme 5:  Teaching the Students You Have.  This one may seem crazy, but what I mean is that we are taking the curricula that districts are purchasing for us and adapting it to fit the needs of our students, rather than assume that the program will fit all of our children.  This is powerful because I do not teach the same students as Lucy Calkins, Kylene Beers, Kelly Gallagher or any of the other great literacy experts.  I teach my students, and those students change every year, which means that the way I use our curriculum has to change as well.  More and more districts are seeing the need for some type of personalization so that all student needs’ can be met.  It used to be just teachers doing what they felt students needed, and oftentimes hiding the fact that they were personalizing it, but now there seems to be an upswing in letting teachers adapt program and being proud of it!

The future of literacy depends on us.  We are told that the kids aren’t reading, the kids aren’t writing, and some kids don’t even want to come to school.  It is up to us to create real change.  It is to us to make the future come alive now, not wait and hope for someone else to lead the way.  The future starts today.

Hat-tip to John Spencer for this post

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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   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.

being a teacher, being me, Passion, Reading, students

But The Kids Aren’t Reading – 20 Ideas for Creating Passionate Reading Environments

Pernille Ripp

So many of us are trying to create passionate reading environments, we are doing all the things the experts tell us to do, and yet, something just isn’t clicking.  Some kids are reading sure, but they would probably be reading any way, others though, not so much.  Our passionate reading environments are just not working for all of our kids.

When I moved from 5th to 7th I knew I would be up against a challenge, after all, I had seen the slow decline of reading in my 5th graders and was pretty sure it would continue as they got older.  And I was right,  by 7th graders some of my students are not just disliking books, some really hate reading. And they are vocal about it!  So what have I done to continue to create passionate reading environments?  Here are a few ideas…

Invested in books.  Every single book that I have in my classroom, pretty much, is a book that I think might capture a reader.  When a book gets worn,  I replace it.  If a book has a bad cover, I try to see if a new version has come out with an updated cover.  While I know our libraries should have massive amounts of books for all readers, I also believe in quality over quantity.

Diversity in books.  The #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement have really gained momentum the past year, and rightfully so, and I couldn’t agree more.  Our students need to be able to find themselves and their lives within the books we have.  Not just across racial lines or economic lines but also in the narratives of their self-identity.  These three books are doing just that for many of our students.

Easy access to our books.  All of my books are in bins  and they are right at their fingertips.   No check out system, no asking for permission.  And we need it in our classrooms, not just in the book room or in the main library.  We need to have in-class libraries so that students can bookshop whenever they need to and so that they can be enticed to read.

Giving choice.  Choice in seating, choice in books, choice in way of reading.

Free abandonment.  Students think they need permission to abandon books for some reason and so I celebrate freely whenever I abandon a book.  I ask the kids if someone wants to prove me wrong when I abandon a book and they always do.  Sometimes they commiserate with me about how that book is not well-written and other times they argue that I am so wrong.  What it does though is that it signals to kids that they should be selective in their reading as well, because that is the sign of a wild reader, to quote Donalyn Miller’s amazing book!

Leaving time to talk books.  Too often we over-schedule our lessons and don’t leave time to just talk about what we are reading and why it is amazing.  So find holes in your schedule where students can just talk books without any project attached to it.

Teacher recommendations.  I start many classes with the 1 minute book recommendation sharing why I loved a book or why I bought a book.  Then I place it on a ledge and walk away.  I do different recommendation in all of my classes.

Student recommendations.  We talk about books quite a bit, both in structured and unstructured ways.  We do the 1 minute speed book dating where students face each other in two long rows and one side recommends their book in a minute, one the timer buzzes they go to the next person and recommend it to them.   I leave book piles out on tables for students to browse through as they enter.  These are not just new books but also some of my favorite older books that students may not have discovered.  They have a “Favorite reads” book tree, where they can leave their favorite books for other students to read.

The To-Be-Read List.  Students need to always have an idea of what they will be reading next so we have a paper list this year of the books we cannot wait to read.  Next year, we will move to use Goodreads as a way to keep track of what we have read, offer suggestions and also have a way for our friends to see what we are reading.

It is judgment free.  I am not the reading police and while I continually recommend books to students I will not stop them from reading a book, nor will I judge them based on what they are reading.  Sometimes your strongest readers need a break, other times your developing readers need a challenge.  Letting them figure out what they need at a particular time is incredibly empowering for students and definitely necessary.

Celebrating the re-read.  I re-read picture books all of the time and often find myself gravitating toward certain books.  The Poisonwood Bible is a book I have read several times, relishing the vague recollection of what happens but also discovering the text in new way each time.  Too often we assume that students are re-reading because they lack inspiration, but that may not be the case.  Some kids are re-reading to discover more about the text, that is true close reading.

No need for speed.  Because we are reading log free, we have no need to track minutes or pages.  Students read as much as they can in our independent reading time and I only ask them to write down the title.  We do a 25 book challenge for all students, or higher if need be, and all students keep track of how many books they have read.  Larger books count for more than one so that students are not discouraged from reading thick books, but can read whatever they want.  And yes, picture books or graphic novels count as well.

Protecting independent reading time.  Often our independent reading time is what we sacrifice when we have a lot to cover, and yet, this is the thing we need to protect the most.  I start almost every class period with 10 minutes of independent reading and it is sacred time for us (thank you for the idea Jillian Heise!).  Some times that is the only reading time students get and they need it.  If we worry about whether a kid is reading outside of school pay attention to what they are reading inside this time.  This is where I can help kids to find better books or help them develop their skills to pick books.

Creating enticing libraries.  Kids love book stores because the books are exciting, even our most reluctant readers will pick a new book of the shelves if we display it well.  So I pay very close attention to how books are displayed;  I use all ledges, have a gutter hanging on the wall for picture books, and I switch out the books often.  I want students to pick up the books and flip through them so I have to create opportunities for that to happen.

Creating reading role models.  Students need reading role models, and not just adult ones.  I love being passionate reader and it is something I showcase any chance I get in our classroom, but more importantly students need to see students who are reading role models as well.  We Skype with other classes to share book recommendations, we share our favorite books on our blog, and we give students time to take on the role of role model.  We need to create communities of readers where students have room to discover each other as individuals so they can learn from each other.

Let them order books.  If a child says they cannot find a book they love, then I pull out a Scholastic catalog or get on Amazon and I let them choose a book.  I use bonus points when I can or I buy the book myself if I need to.  Sometimes simply being able to completely choose a brand new book means that a child will at least try to read the books.

Crack your hardest nut.  You know that kid that really hates reading and almost flaunts it every chance they get.  Spend your energy on them because often they are influencing the way their peers are thinking.  So they are the ones I continually pass books to, they are the ones I am always talking books with, and they are the ones that I try to get be a reading role model if I can get them hooked.

Embrace mature books.  These are the books that some of our most reluctant readers will finally pick up.  The ones with the swear words, or the ones with the little bit more mature story lines.  Be selective, set your standards, but don’t shield all readers from mature books.  These can be “that” book for some of our kids who otherwise will never read.

Ask your students.  Too often we assume that we know why students are not reading, so we never ask, but that is the very first thing we need to do.  Ask your students to discuss why they hate reading and get those demons out in the open so that you can start to work with them rather than just assume you know what the problem is.

Stay passionate.  There are times when we get so busy that reading was pushed to the side, yet often within our busyness is when we need to embrace our passion even more.  So re-ignite your own passion, change things up, go on a mission to find the most magnificent book you have ever read so that you can hand it to students.  Don’t let the outside world influence your inside passionate classroom.

Become a reading warrior.  No more quiet compliance when initiatives are introduced that we know will hurt students’ love of reading, we have to band together and start speaking up for our students.  Their love of reading is too sacred for us to stay silent any longer.  Here is the blog post that discusses this more.

What did I miss?

I missed one of the biggest ones!  Thank you Rachel Yoder!

Partner with the librarian!  Whether your school has one (which every school should!)  or you partner with your local librarian, bringing in another knowledgable reading adult is a sure fire way to have an even bigger impact.  You are not alone in trying to create passionate reading environments, your librarian should be a trusted ally.

To see how all of my books are organized, go here.

To organize your own library, including check out, go here.

To see my book review blog, go here.

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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   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.