Beginning a New Book Can Be So Confusing!

I recently read that it is normal for good readers to be confused when they begin a new book.  Isn't that the truth!  I recently read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  The beginning chapters set the foundation for the rest of the novel.  Many characters, settings, events, and plots are introduced and when I began this novel I almost had to take notes to keep it all straight. I found myself rereading, asking questions, making predictions, inferring, trying to visualize, thinking about what I already knew to draw conclusions...and when that didn't help, I simply kept reading, staying confused.  In fact, I almost abandoned the book several times, but instead muddled through, and I am so glad I did!  It ended up being one of my favorite reads this fall. 

This is such an important message to share with students.  Many of our students think if they don't understand everything when they read, they are not comprehending and end up abandoning books before they reach the meat of the text and perhaps miss out on a captivating read. 

So how do we help students build stamina and perseverance when beginning an appropriate text that may at first seem confusing?

• Model, model, model...think aloud, think aloud, think aloud! (using high interest/quality text)
• Also teach students to use thinking strategies for getting through the first few chapters of a novel, or sections of a non-fiction text.
• Journal to keep track of thinking, questions, predictions, etc.
• Perhaps consider a double entry journal between you and the student
• Talk to peers, or you, about their thinking
• Set goals before abandoning a text or appealing for help

So next time you pick up a new book to hunker down with, think about how you approach the first few chapters. Use that reflection share with your students.

Happy Reading!
Kathy

December Issue of KDE's Literacy Links Newsletter

Here is the link to the December issue of Literacy Links:

http://www.education.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/DA85AD8B-3334-4B89-B9D2-CE4C755C7A48/0/KentuckyLiteracyLinkDECEMBERnewsletter.pdf

Feel free to comment :)

Writing to Demonstrate Learning Idea

Remember how we used "Wordle" at the beginning to collect our thinking about student outcomes?  Fourth grade has used wordle as a way to develop WTDL prompts.  Check this example from Mrs. Forseth's class...

Quality

The saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out"

This is so true when it comes to developing our students to be deep thinkers and quality writers.  The texts we choose to read to and with our students must be of sound quality.  They must have characters worth knowing, themes worth contemplating, messages worth hearing, and writing worth reading.  Text presented to students must be carefully selected and purposeful.  Students need to learn the difference between texts that will "grow their brains and make them smarter" and texts that are read for entertainment.  As teachers, we need to model the difference and help students select books that will build them as readers and thinkers, as well as serve as mentors for writing.  So, before pulling a book off the shelf, be sure to reflect on the purpose of your choice and the  quality.  Our kiddos deserve the best mentor texts and independent reading material we can muster.

Poetry for Children

I've been working this week in a third grade classroom with students as they explore writing poetry.  And most of you know how I am... always on the look-out for fresh and relevant resources to add to my stockpile! I search for blogs, web sites, and books that push me a bit.  I want resources to help me plan, but I also search for mentors that push me to see beyond the obvious and ordinary...things that will inspire students and me.  I stumbled on the Poetry for Children blog and simply got lost in the links to poets.  There are so many links on this blog that are well worth sharing with students.  Many are interactive, multi-media, and insightful.  If you are exploring poetry with your students, check out this blog...(I also put a link on our blog list for easier access)

http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/

Teaching that Makes Sense

I found this site that seems to align with our thinking about reading and writing.  Take a look and let me know what you think.  I'll also add it to our link list for easier access.

http://www.ttms.org/index.htm

Writing to build background knowledge

As we work to build background knowledge with our students using non-fiction text, consider writing about reading structures that will enhance student understanding as well as build schema.  Here is a video from ASCD of a fifth grade class using such a strategy.  Teachers of younger grades, think about how you could adapt this strategy in your classrooms.