Reading: Getting Started
You are a reader!
Readers pick their books carefully.
Readers write about reading.
Readers know what they need to stay focused.
Readers stay on task for at least 20 minutes.
Readers collect new words and use them.
Readers increase how much they read and how much they understand.
Readers are thinkers.
Readers talk about what they are reading.
1) Choose your books well.
2) What do we do in a Reader's Notebook?
Put a date at the top of what we write.
Fill the pages.
Write about what we read.
titles
character studies
information about the setting
summaries
key facts
questions we have
predictions
author’s purpose
evaluations
Make connections
to our lives
to other things we have read
to the world around us
Set reading goals
Reflect on our strategies
for decoding the words
for comprehending the ideas
Sketches of characters/settings
Copy quotes that have meaning to you
3) What do you need to stay focused on your reading?
What kind of light do you like?
Do you listen to acoustic music or do you need silence?
Do you read best sitting or lying down?
Do you like to be wrapped up or cuddling something?
Do you usually have something to drink?
(water, herbal tea, etc.)
Where do you read best?
(outside, near a window, in a small space, etc.)
Do you read best alone or with a partner?
Do you prefer to listen to audio books?
Do you take breaks to rest your eyes?
4) Read and respond the whole time
Read for at least 20 minutes in one sitting.
If you find yourself getting distracted, take a moment to deal with the distraction and focus yourself.
Ask a person who is talking, “Could you please lower your voice, I’m having trouble concentrating.”
Adjust the light or how you are sitting.
Turn away from things that are moving.
Re-read the part where you stopped paying attention.
Try to engage with the text (don’t just read the words.)
Think about what you are reading.
Ask questions about the text.
Relate it to your life.
Take some notes.
5) Collect new words!
Use your mini-notebooks to record new words you want to learn.
Look up the definition on a Chromebook or in a dictionary.
Write the sentence as an example of how to use it.
Give yourself the goal of using the new word either in writing or speaking that day!
6) Read A Lot and Understand More
Read the same book every day until you are finished!
You can read books again to increase your understanding!
*Remember that understanding what you read is more important than reading quickly.
Keep track of how many pages you read.
Set a goal for your daily reading.
*If you are reading a more difficult book, you may have to set a lower goal for that book than you usually do.
7) Readers Solve Problems
8) Talk about books with others
Share books you love and books you hate.
Get your friends to read the book you read after you finished so you can talk about it more.
Compare characters, authors, genres, etc.
Share quotes and facts that inspire you!
