Reading

The goal is to read 40 books. Students choose any books to read, as long as the books are appropriate for their age and grade.

Graphic novels, too? Absolutely. 

Reading is reading. If a student reads a book, it counts!

I provide about 30 minutes of quiet independent reading four times a week. During this time, I conference with students individualy. I ask what they are reading, what page they are on, and we talk about what is happening in the book. This allows me to get a good handle on how much students are reading and how well they are understanding the book. We make reading goals, sometimes plan on trying a new genre, or even decide to abandon a book. I take notes throughout this entire process, allowing me to build a reading acountability history for each student. Ultimately, the student is in charge. When a student completes a book, we talk about it again and I initial the notebook where we keep track of what they are reading. 

Each book "counts" differntly for each student, depending on that student's current reading level. For example, a student reading at a second grade level could have a very short graphic novel count as one book whereas a student reading at a 6th grade level may need to read two or even three short graphic novels to count as one book. 

Similarly, a graded-level book such as Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, with about 130 pages, would count as one book, but Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, at 870 pages, would count as 3 to 4 books because of it's length and complexity. 

Students understand that their reading needs, like their interests, are individual, which is why conferencing with them is so important in this process. Comparing their progress to others is diminishing them, is intimidating, and can halt their progress. This is why students only compare their reading to their own growth. Have they read? Yes. Have they tried new books? Yes. Have they read consistently more complex books? Yes. Then we call that success.

Novel Studies provide us with opportunities to enjoy books together, as a class, while also supporting core curriculum topics such as history or science, and delving into comprehension strategies and growing our vocabulary.

How does it work?

Each student gets their own book. We read aloud by chapters. Usually, I read aloud but sometimes students want to read as well. I never pressure a student to read to the class. I want them to feel comfortable in the fact that they will get to experience the novel with us, without the anxiety of struggling through a paragraph in front of their peers. 

As we progress through the chapter, I pause and say what I am thinking, modeling that good readers do. For example, if I get to a confusing part I may say, "What a second. I didn't understand that. What is she trying to say here? What does that mean?" and, as a class, we talk about it. We use context clues or we go back and reread. When we come to unkown words, we might jot them down (if I haven't already asked them to find the definition beforehand in anticipation). 

When the chapter is over we proceed with a variety of potential exercises. Sometimes we answer comprehension questions (independently, with a partner, or as a whole group) and we always cite our answer! We may do a quick write in our journals, or we may hold a Socratic seminar if the topic of the chapter lends itself to a profound, debatable conversation. The idea is not to make reading more work; it's to learn through the reading as we enjoy it. 

What is fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read out loud with speed, accuracy, and vocal expression.

We use short passages, usually from our reading curriculum, to work on our fluency.

How does it work?

First, we count the number of words on each line and jot that number on the end of the line. 

Next, we do a "cold read". Without any knowledge of the text, we read for exactly one minute. Students mark what word they read to and record it in the margin of their page. 

Then, we go through the text as a class. We circle unknown words, we read it together, we talk about the text, we annotate, and we take it apart so we can understand what it is about.

Throughout the week, we practice reading that same text many times and we retest our fluency multiple times by reading for one minute, marking the word we got to, and recording our progress. The idea is that through practice students will be able to read more and more of a text because they have frequently encountered the same words. The goal is growth, shown by how many more words they were able to read in one minute by the end of the week compared to the words they first read during the cold read.

Students are grouped loosly by reading skill level and are provided with a variety of book choices. We come to an agreement on which book they will read. Sometimes, we meet as a group and we read parts of a chapter together. Weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the length and complexity of the book, each group is given a reading assignment of one or two chapters. At the end of the week or two, we meet again and talk about the chapters they were assigned to read. We sit in a circle and open the discussion up to whoever wants to talk. First, we recap what the chapters were about. Then, I offer a specific question to guide further conversation such as, "Would you be friends with the main character? Why or why not?" or "What three things would you pack if you had to go the setting of the story." These questions permit students to have open dialogue about the story in a relaxing, low-pressure setting.

Students each have a copy of their own text, usually an article or excerpt. They decided who will read what portions and work together to annotate the text: highlighting important information, underlining or circling things they are unsure of, writing notes in the margins, and finding the information to answer questions or build a written response. Students use their varying strengths to help each other through the process. I walk around supporting students by interjecting in their reading, asking questions to monitor their comprehension, and guiding them if they are stuck or unsure of where to find the information they need.