Living a Reading Life

 

Reading intervention materials prepped for an awesome college student

working with students at one of my schools

My wish for all students is that they get the opportunity to live a reading life.

A focus on PreK-3rd grade readers... 

• Joyful instruction in letters and words and how they work. The opportunity to play with magnetic letters, to enjoy Bananagrams and Scrabble and Boggle and Upwards, to sing rhyming songs and add their voices to chants and poems on charts, building familiarity and confidence.
• Tons of beautiful picture books read to them - fiction and nonfiction, filled with illustrations and photographs. Characters who look just like them, and characters who look different, maybe speak other languages or live in different places, have different families, eat different food. A joyful understanding and celebration of windows and mirrors.
• Opportunities to talk about their thinking in authentic ways - to ask questions, to be asked questions; to talk to peers and to adults; to change their minds, to share their "whys", to be unsure; to disagree (with respect but with passion). 
• Books in their hands - no need to read books copied slightly askew from a copy machine - because plenty of little books, decodable books, books with vibrant illustrations & photographs! Books in their hands, not high on a shelf as decoration. Books that interest them, align with their passions, and books that gently encourage them to explore new ideas, topics, places, lives. Baskets of series (Elephant & Piggie, NatGeo, Mo Jackson!) and time to lay on their belly on the rug, in a comfy chair, near a friend, and enjoy.
• Books to practice reading, to build fluency and use all of those emerging word-solving skills. Books that build confidence and energy for reading, that represent all they can do, and some stretches, too.
• Tech tools that support their skills and joy as readers. Libby and Sora for everyone! Fun word games that build vocabulary and make you think. Videos that powerful background information to deepen understanding. The chance to learn how to type.
• Pencils and paper, markers and notebooks, post-its and more post-its, all the things they need to draw and write and capture all their ideas, extensions, explorations, innovations, inspirations.
• TLC when it's hard - a well-trained tutor, a just-right app for practice, at-home books for tricky days, audio books when attentions are challenged. All readers knowing "we got this!" - when skill or will wanes, they know we've got some ideas to help.

Some of these things are squarely in my circle of control. Some of these things are made more complicated by politics; by ugly arguing and finger-pointing in the press or on podcasts; or by leaders and teachers themselves, building walls instead of bridges toward reading lives for every student.

Slicing friends, what did I miss? What's not quite right or needs more attention? I welcome your feedback and ideas... I am grateful for this community of writers, many of whom also work to create reading lives for others 💙.