I think this is my favorite article yet. I am ordering this book. It seems to have so much practical information.
I have been confused as to what a 'just right' book is, and how to choose these for each individual child. This article really clarifies this, going over the individual components that are important in deciding which books 'fit' which readers. I also appreciate the specifics she gives on organizing the books within the classroom, and the beginning strategies of matching children with books, including the use of the Ohio Word Test. I also liked that she gave a sample list of books for each level.
Enlisting parents help is a good idea too. One thing that my child's kindergarten teacher did was to ask us to send in a 'birthday' present for our child to open on his birthday. This present was to be a book for them to keep in the classroom. The front inside cover was to be personalized with a picture and a note from the parents. I thought this was a neat idea, and it added 20 more books to her library.
I also likes her suggestions for what other things may be happening during independent reading, but that she stresses that independent reading on their level with just right books is the most important thing!
I like how the author stressed the idea of the "just right" book and that the better match the book is with the reader, the more likely the reader will enjoy and keep reading the book. I also thought it was interesting that the author noted that when a classroom is out of control with books that it is problematic. The books really need to support the needs and interests of the students. The author said that 1500 is about the right number of books. This really surprised me. That is alot of books and alot of organizing. There were lots of great ideas for organizing like with stickers and pots. I will definitley refer back to this article when I have a classroom to help me get organized.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a very useful article in what to look for in books for early readers that will help them transition from picture books to text. Things like consistency of word placement on each page , pictures that closely support the meaning of the text, and repetition of language are all important traits of books that help young readers be successful with text.The organization of books for different reading levels is described well and will be most helpful in creating a well-balanced library. Again, I echo that the process of how to select a "just right book" is explained very well.The running record and "frequency word" list will be very helpful in assessing a student's confidence with text, and the retelling check gives insight to the students understanding of what they've read. This will assure that students are led to books that move them to build on their skills and be competent thinkers.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well. This article was the best. It was practical and gave specifics about leveling and organizing books in the classroom. This system is explained in a way that is easy to follow. I love her "easy to read" way of writing. The article reinforced the importance of conferencing and helped me to see how this is done even more clearly. I liked her suggestions of activities that other children can do at the end of the article. It gave some great options such as responding to a book, reading with a partner, listening to a book on tape...just to name a few. This was an excellent article.
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