What is it great readers like yourself do? How do you read a fiction piece versus an academic article? What kind of environment do you need to read well and deeply? How do you set the stage in your classroom for great reading to occur?
When I read, I always have a highlighter, a pencil, post-it notes, and a bookmark. If I'm reading for pleasure, then I just try to be comfortable. When I read for school or work, then I am at a desk ready to annotate and/or take notes. I set the stage for reading to occur in the library in many ways, but most important is to have good books available! Helping students find just the right book that is in their level and interesting to them is a recipe for literacy success.
I wouldn't say I am a great reader, I have always skipped the chapter and jumped to the problems. If I got stuck, then I would read. But this doesn't mean I'm a terrible person at reading, I just don't like it much. But like many other things practice, practice, practice.
I wouldn't consider myself a greater reader. I hated reading in middle and high school. When I do read though, I have to mark everything up...metacognate to really engage my mind and heart with the text. I also have a horrible vocabulary so I have to constantly look up definitions in order to understand the text. I do find myself being able to read fictions much faster and less annotating. I'm definitely the type of reader who needs it quiet; I can't handle music in the background.
The last time I read a fiction piece was many many years ago. I generally read the news or science/math/tech articles and books. Since I read those for enjoyment, I read those whenever I have free time - during SSR, on the bus. If I want great retention, I read them in quiet locations. In my class, I make sure that the room is quiet so my students can read. After they are reading, I can read - I find that when I am reading as well, they are more often quiet - likely because they see me modeling the behavior. Ferrel
Depending on the book or article to read, sometimes I find reading aloud helps me process the information. Reading in a quiet room works best for me. The students have been showing a lot of interest in Sustained Silent Reading - been really successful :)
As a child my parents, uncles, grandparents, et all read. I always saw family reading and wanted to get hook too. I was always encouraged to read. As I grew older, I read differently: For pleasure, just a bookmark handy. For academic reasons, a pen/pencil and post-its are handy.
The major step I took way back in the day to truly become a competent reader was stopping to look up the definitions of words I did not know. Being exposed to a variety of different books and subjects also helped me become the reader I am today. Nowadays time is my biggest obstacle to reading, so I have become more of a summer reader as of late.
I also wouldn't consider myself an excellent reader, because I feel there is always room to grow. I have found that I am much more able to read through articles than novels because of their efficiency (straight to the point). In my classroom when reading articles, I always prep my students to be critical as they read. There is so much media available to our students today and making sure they are critical and not believing everything they read I feel is a very important skill for the 21st century citizen.
When I read a piece of fiction I just want to be comfortable. I read it without worrying about getting all the details. The purpose is just to enjoy the reading. On the other hand, when I read an academic article, I often make sure I have a highlighter, pen or pencil. I read it more closely, and often more than twice. I like to take notes about connections I made and highlight points I would like to remember.
In terms of the environment, I can read in a variety of environments when reading fiction. I can read either in the privacy of my own room or outside in public. The only thing is I can't have it too loud. However, when reading an academic article, then I need to read in a quiet place. It is also ideal not to read in a place where I'm too comfortable because I get tempted to just relax than to work through the text. Reading at a library or another type of work space is best for this type of reading.
In my classroom, I try to make sure that everyone is silent so that everyone can focus on their reading.
I like to read when I travel because my mind is not worrying about anything else (my phone & internet use is limited). My english teachers greatly affected whether I enjoyed reading or not. Teachers that would tell me how my english was not well develop did not encourage me to become a reader. I liked the correlation my AP history teacher made between how the more we read the more we can hear whether we speak correctly. Specific strategies help motivate students to become better readers.
Growing up I never considered myself a reader. I did not read very often outside of school while I was growing up. Looking back I wish I had read more. I know people that are really into reading as adults and use it as a way to relax. I did become more of a reader after going to college but I still have not gotten to interested in fiction. When I do read I usually need a quite space without any distractions. When there is to much noise it makes it difficult for myself to retain and internalize the reading. I also like to mark and annotate the text. This helps me identify key elements in the reading and better understand the material.
This is probably not a great question for me, because I usually read before going to sleep. As a result, I often wake up at some point with a book on my forehead. The bright side is that I often need to re-read the passage that I fell asleep to, which allows me to absorb (or reabsorb) the material to a greater extent. So, I guess a good practice that I have is that I often re-read material.
Academic material is a bit different I suppose, because it all starts with a genuine interested in the subject matter which allows me to delve deeper into it. Sometimes I don't finish what I'm reading, because I also like to allow myself to freely explore new ideas - often searching for related material as I'm reading.
I try to lead by example as often as possible. So, what better way to do this than to read with or even read to my advisory students. I haven't started this year yet, but I usually read "The Alchemisl," by Paelo Coelho to them once a year. I also give my students the first 10-15 minutes of advisory to read. I try to encourage the positive items, such as enjoying he books and using your imagination.
My father was always reading the newspaper and clipping articles and carrying them in his wallet to show me later. He believed in sharing what he learned and read.
As a child his books showed me the world that reading could open up and really sparked me into becoming a lifelong reader. I still read every day and use it as a time to relax/check out.
I think that interest is equally (if not more) important than fundamentals for kids. If they see the world that books can open, the rest will follow.
One of the skills I use whether I read fiction or expository material, is to reread passages I find confusing or where feel I missed a point. Even with a college level education, I find that simple sentences can be lost in translation if I miss a simple sentence or topic mentioned earlier in the passage. That is one thing that I would encourage anybody to do when reading: reread when needed and don't feel foolish to look up words that you do not know.
When I am reading a fiction book, I really just enjoy it and almost breeze through it. When I am reading an academic article I try and highlight what I feel is important and annotate or summarize in the margins as I go along.
I personally need a really quiet environment to read well and deeply if not I get easily distracted with my surroundings. What I have done in my advisory this month to set the stage for SSR is read out loud to my girls and make sure that they are following along and reading quietly to themselves. I also pause along and ask questions to make sure that they are paying attention to what they are reading. Then they write a 2-3 sentence summary on what they have read. I hope that this sets the stage for the next three years, as I will be doing a combination of Teacher Reads Aloud, popcorn reading, and Student Silent reading, followed by a summary.
I was lucky enough to see this happening in your class. I can attest that you did all of those things that you mentioned and your students were listening attentively. I also appreciated when I saw you pausing to ask questions. I like and hope your setting the stage ideas of combining strategies around reading catches fire...or starts popping up (pun intended) all over campus.
I love History. I became a reader by reading History books and biographies of historical figures. I rarely read fiction and I have a home library full of non-fictions books.
My mom took me to the library when I was very young before I started school before I could even read. I spent many hours in the library with my mother, and when she checked out books so did I. Growing up with books created my love for books. Books take me to another world, non-fiction books teaches me new things and broaden m my knowledge. My love for books is ever lasting and I hope I can instill the same in our students.
I don't consider myself a great reader either. In my academic career I really appreciated the teachers that let me read high interest materials, use highlighters, make annotations, and use cliff notes. If I really want to concentrate on the material now I prefer reading in a quiet area or listen to music without lyrics. It also helps me to read in a natural outdoor setting like the beach or the park.
Practice, practice, practice. Reading outloud, pushing through the frustration of not wanting to read and feel ridiculed. I always tell my students I will read until I die because as I read new words are discovered. Books were my fantasy life I would use to escape my reality as a child. As for the academic reading I share with my students it is my outlet to keep my brain active.
Like Mr. Ramos, I skip around and jump to the end of the chapter. I need to be better about reading through more thoroughly. I know reading is important, and I've been encouraging my advisory girls to enjoy reading.
When I read, I really appreciate quiet time. I have a difficult time focusing if I don't have it quiet in the room. I also tend to reread sections and write all over the page. I sometimes checked books out (if I couldn't afford the book) and in those cases, I would use post-it notes to annotate, or make notes to myself. I also took my time. I know myself, so I made sure I could give myself the processing time necessary to get the most out of what I was reading.
I have always enjoyed reading ever since I was a little boy. I remember in my elementary classes the teachers creating quiet time for us to read, and since then I have always enjoyed it. Reading has always come quite natural to me, and when I am reading a fictional piece reading flows fairly easily. When I am reading an academic article I need to utilize a bit of close reading.
I appreciate a quiet environment with no distractions when I read, and that is the environment I set for the students during our advisory silent reading time.
Reading is an essential part of my work. I became a better reading by reading to myself and others whenever I could. I made sure I always had plenty of reading material on hand to read. I now in my class make sure I have plenty of books for my students to read.
When I read, I always have a highlighter, a pencil, post-it notes, and a bookmark. If I'm reading for pleasure, then I just try to be comfortable. When I read for school or work, then I am at a desk ready to annotate and/or take notes. I set the stage for reading to occur in the library in many ways, but most important is to have good books available! Helping students find just the right book that is in their level and interesting to them is a recipe for literacy success.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree anymore. I too believe the "right" book can make experience unique and truly allow students dive into and enjoy.
DeleteI wouldn't say I am a great reader, I have always skipped the chapter and jumped to the problems. If I got stuck, then I would read. But this doesn't mean I'm a terrible person at reading, I just don't like it much. But like many other things practice, practice, practice.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't consider myself a greater reader. I hated reading in middle and high school. When I do read though, I have to mark everything up...metacognate to really engage my mind and heart with the text. I also have a horrible vocabulary so I have to constantly look up definitions in order to understand the text. I do find myself being able to read fictions much faster and less annotating. I'm definitely the type of reader who needs it quiet; I can't handle music in the background.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I read a fiction piece was many many years ago. I generally read the news or science/math/tech articles and books. Since I read those for enjoyment, I read those whenever I have free time - during SSR, on the bus. If I want great retention, I read them in quiet locations. In my class, I make sure that the room is quiet so my students can read. After they are reading, I can read - I find that when I am reading as well, they are more often quiet - likely because they see me modeling the behavior.
ReplyDeleteFerrel
Mr. Ferrel aka "Unknown" I am so happy that you model reading WITH students during SSR. What a powerful message you send to them by joining in.
DeleteDepending on the book or article to read, sometimes I find reading aloud helps me process the information. Reading in a quiet room works best for me. The students have been showing a lot of interest in Sustained Silent Reading - been really successful :)
ReplyDeleteAs a child my parents, uncles, grandparents, et all read. I always saw family reading and wanted to get hook too. I was always encouraged to read. As I grew older, I read differently:
ReplyDeleteFor pleasure, just a bookmark handy.
For academic reasons, a pen/pencil and post-its are handy.
The major step I took way back in the day to truly become a competent reader was stopping to look up the definitions of words I did not know. Being exposed to a variety of different books and subjects also helped me become the reader I am today. Nowadays time is my biggest obstacle to reading, so I have become more of a summer reader as of late.
ReplyDeleteI also wouldn't consider myself an excellent reader, because I feel there is always room to grow. I have found that I am much more able to read through articles than novels because of their efficiency (straight to the point). In my classroom when reading articles, I always prep my students to be critical as they read. There is so much media available to our students today and making sure they are critical and not believing everything they read I feel is a very important skill for the 21st century citizen.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't necessarily say I'm a great reader.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read a piece of fiction I just want to be comfortable. I read it without worrying about getting all the details. The purpose is just to enjoy the reading. On the other hand, when I read an academic article, I often make sure I have a highlighter, pen or pencil. I read it more closely, and often more than twice. I like to take notes about connections I made and highlight points I would like to remember.
In terms of the environment, I can read in a variety of environments when reading fiction. I can read either in the privacy of my own room or outside in public. The only thing is I can't have it too loud. However, when reading an academic article, then I need to read in a quiet place. It is also ideal not to read in a place where I'm too comfortable because I get tempted to just relax than to work through the text. Reading at a library or another type of work space is best for this type of reading.
In my classroom, I try to make sure that everyone is silent so that everyone can focus on their reading.
I like to read when I travel because my mind is not worrying about anything else (my phone & internet use is limited).
ReplyDeleteMy english teachers greatly affected whether I enjoyed reading or not. Teachers that would tell me how my english was not well develop did not encourage me to become a reader.
I liked the correlation my AP history teacher made between how the more we read the more we can hear whether we speak correctly. Specific strategies help motivate students to become better readers.
Growing up I never considered myself a reader. I did not read very often outside of school while I was growing up. Looking back I wish I had read more. I know people that are really into reading as adults and use it as a way to relax. I did become more of a reader after going to college but I still have not gotten to interested in fiction. When I do read I usually need a quite space without any distractions. When there is to much noise it makes it difficult for myself to retain and internalize the reading. I also like to mark and annotate the text. This helps me identify key elements in the reading and better understand the material.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably not a great question for me, because I usually read before going to sleep. As a result, I often wake up at some point with a book on my forehead. The bright side is that I often need to re-read the passage that I fell asleep to, which allows me to absorb (or reabsorb) the material to a greater extent. So, I guess a good practice that I have is that I often re-read material.
ReplyDeleteAcademic material is a bit different I suppose, because it all starts with a genuine interested in the subject matter which allows me to delve deeper into it. Sometimes I don't finish what I'm reading, because I also like to allow myself to freely explore new ideas - often searching for related material as I'm reading.
I try to lead by example as often as possible. So, what better way to do this than to read with or even read to my advisory students. I haven't started this year yet, but I usually read "The Alchemisl," by Paelo Coelho to them once a year. I also give my students the first 10-15 minutes of advisory to read. I try to encourage the positive items, such as enjoying he books and using your imagination.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading to your students. Having a native speaker read out loud is great for them to hear and model from.
DeleteMy father was always reading the newspaper and clipping articles and carrying them in his wallet to show me later. He believed in sharing what he learned and read.
ReplyDeleteRoald Dahl..
ReplyDeleteAs a child his books showed me the world that reading could open up and really sparked me into becoming a lifelong reader. I still read every day and use it as a time to relax/check out.
I think that interest is equally (if not more) important than fundamentals for kids. If they see the world that books can open, the rest will follow.
One of the skills I use whether I read fiction or expository material, is to reread passages I find confusing or where feel I missed a point. Even with a college level education, I find that simple sentences can be lost in translation if I miss a simple sentence or topic mentioned earlier in the passage. That is one thing that I would encourage anybody to do when reading: reread when needed and don't feel foolish to look up words that you do not know.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am reading a fiction book, I really just enjoy it and almost breeze through it. When I am reading an academic article I try and highlight what I feel is important and annotate or summarize in the margins as I go along.
ReplyDeleteI personally need a really quiet environment to read well and deeply if not I get easily distracted with my surroundings. What I have done in my advisory this month to set the stage for SSR is read out loud to my girls and make sure that they are following along and reading quietly to themselves. I also pause along and ask questions to make sure that they are paying attention to what they are reading. Then they write a 2-3 sentence summary on what they have read. I hope that this sets the stage for the next three years, as I will be doing a combination of Teacher Reads Aloud, popcorn reading, and Student Silent reading, followed by a summary.
I was lucky enough to see this happening in your class. I can attest that you did all of those things that you mentioned and your students were listening attentively. I also appreciated when I saw you pausing to ask questions. I like and hope your setting the stage ideas of combining strategies around reading catches fire...or starts popping up (pun intended) all over campus.
DeleteI love History. I became a reader by reading History books and biographies of historical figures. I rarely read fiction and I have a home library full of non-fictions books.
ReplyDeleteMy mom took me to the library when I was very young before I started school before I could even read. I spent many hours in the library with my mother, and when she checked out books so did I. Growing up with books created my love for books. Books take me to another world, non-fiction books teaches me new things and broaden m my knowledge. My love for books is ever lasting and I hope I can instill the same in our students.
ReplyDeleteI don't consider myself a great reader either. In my academic career I really appreciated the teachers that let me read high interest materials, use highlighters, make annotations, and use cliff notes. If I really want to concentrate on the material now I prefer reading in a quiet area or listen to music without lyrics. It also helps me to read in a natural outdoor setting like the beach or the park.
ReplyDeletePractice, practice, practice. Reading outloud, pushing through the frustration of not wanting to read and feel ridiculed. I always tell my students I will read until I die because as I read new words are discovered. Books were my fantasy life I would use to escape my reality as a child. As for the academic reading I share with my students it is my outlet to keep my brain active.
ReplyDeleteLike Mr. Ramos, I skip around and jump to the end of the chapter. I need to be better about reading through more thoroughly. I know reading is important, and I've been encouraging my advisory girls to enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read, I really appreciate quiet time. I have a difficult time focusing if I don't have it quiet in the room. I also tend to reread sections and write all over the page. I sometimes checked books out (if I couldn't afford the book) and in those cases, I would use post-it notes to annotate, or make notes to myself. I also took my time. I know myself, so I made sure I could give myself the processing time necessary to get the most out of what I was reading.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed reading ever since I was a little boy. I remember in my elementary classes the teachers creating quiet time for us to read, and since then I have always enjoyed it. Reading has always come quite natural to me, and when I am reading a fictional piece reading flows fairly easily. When I am reading an academic article I need to utilize a bit of close reading.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate a quiet environment with no distractions when I read, and that is the environment I set for the students during our advisory silent reading time.
Reading is an essential part of my work. I became a better reading by reading to myself and others whenever I could. I made sure I always had plenty of reading material on hand to read. I now in my class make sure I have plenty of books for my students to read.
ReplyDelete