Learning Log 7

I think that a lot of teachers have the same worries about their students who move on in their academic careers as I know that I would if I were in her situation.  It just illustrates how important it is for teachers to get to know their students' reading likes and dislikes as well as their reading habits when they walk into the classroom in the fall.  This can easily be done through reading questionnaires, and then teachers will know which students are motivated readers and which ones are not and can plan accordingly.  I think that one of the worst things that a teacher can do is put the students back at square one instead of getting familiar with their students.  If we want students to become lifelong readers, then we need to keep them motivated by offering them choices in their reading material even if we may not think that they are reading classical literature.  I know that this is not an easy feat in our education system that is focused on standardized testing, and that it may seem easier to tailor reading instruction to the tests.  I think this approach of teaching to the test sets students up to become alliterate readers when they finish their academic careers.  I would like to point out that the author, who does not teach to the test, has had her students' test scores come out very high.  I think that the high test scores that her students have is because of the fact that she puts so much emphasis on reading for the joy of reading that it has a longer lasting impact on her students becoming lifelong readers.  I think that independent reading is so important to a student's academic success that I will try to find those wasted minutes in the classroom, and I will have my students use those times to read independently with books that interest them.

Learning Log 6

One thing that I found very interesting from this reading that I can actually compare to what I have experienced is the reading logs that are used to record the amount of minutes that a student has read. When I was in school, the teachers did not require students to record the amount of time that they spent reading outside of school. I read just because I liked to read; however, I also had reading role models at home as both of my parents were avid readers. My kids, on the other hand, have had to record their reading minutes at home since they started school. They had the Book-It reading program in which they get a free personal pizza in the early grades (My youngest one still has this program, and he is the only one who it has really mattered.). When my two oldest children entered fifth grade, they had to record their minutes for a letter grade in home reading. This was not an incentive for either one of them to record their reading time. My daughter, however, was reading all the time, wherever she found an opportunity to read. I remember her teachers constantly calling me telling me that she did not turn in her reading minutes, and I would tell them that she was reading all the time. At her eighth grade graduation, the communication arts teacher handed out awards to the students for the amount of minutes that they read throughout the school year. My daughter had only recorded around 3000 minutes, but I know that she read at least double that if not more. She was (and still is) a motivated reader who did not feel that she had to justify it; she knew that her dad and I were aware of her reading passion. My oldest son has not been very motivated to read, and it is not from a lack of trying on our part. I am an avid reader, and I have always made sure that there are books in the house as well as looking through the book orders with my children and buying books for them out of those book orders.

Learning Log 5

I remember when I was in school as a child that my teachers made the selections of the books that we were going to read for the year.  It was not common practice at the time to be able to disagree with the teachers, and I do not believe that teachers were completely honest with me about their reading habits or preferences.  I do not remember seeing very many of them that were reading for their own enjoyment.  In other words, I do not remember them being reading role models.  My reading role models were my parents, who were forever reading when they were not at work or had spare time after taking care of things around the house.  I do not understand how so many teachers can expect their students to develop a passion for reading when they do not have that passion themselves.  The teachers are the leaders of their classrooms, and as such, they must be reading role models for the students.  In order to fulfill this role, teachers need to reflect on what reading means to them, and it is critical that teachers communicate with their students on their own personal reading struggles.  This will illustrate to the students that they are not the only ones in the classroom that have struggles.  It will also show students that this type of a classroom is safe, and it is a community that supports learning.

Teachers can create a reading improvement plan to foster positive feelings about reading.  Teachers set a time for personal reading daily, and they select books that interesting to them.  Reading children's books are a great way to get in touch with what their students are interested in reading.  Teachers need to be aware and check out book recommendations either from the industry or from their students, which is essential in establishing and maintaining their role model status.  It is important for everybody not just the students to keep a reader's notebook in which to record reflections of the books that are being read.

Learning Log 4

After this week's reading,  I find myself thinking about what draws me into reading a book for my recreational reading.  First of all, I look at the genre of the book; my favorite genres are modern fantasy, historical fiction, and biographies.  I like to read books that are a part of a series, and I have several series that I have finished or am currently waiting for new installments.  Then, I look at the cover, the size of the book, and the blurb on the back or the inside cover of the book.  I like covers that grab my attention; some pictures on the covers of books that have grabbed my attention have had fanciful beasts or characters or something amusing that caught my eye.  I love to read books with page ranges from 500-1000 pages as I know that this will last me about a week.  If the blurb about the book does not entice me into reading it, then I replace the book back on the rack and forget about it.  This is what gets me started on reading the book; however, I will quit reading the book if it does not grab me in the first two chapters.  Before I started back to school, I could easily read forty books in a year.  However, for the most part now I read for informational purposes through textbooks and journal articles that are assigned reading, and I am probably reading more than the forty books per year.  In between semesters, I read at least two books for enjoyment; whereas, during the semesters I might read only one to two books for own entertainment.

As a future educator, it is essential to remember what motivates me to read as this will aid me in finding what will motivate my students to read.  Students need to understand what a genre is and what the different genres are.  When students find a genre that interests them, they will find more enjoyment in their personal reading.  I like the idea of having myself and my students individually keep reading notebooks for the school year.  This will help all of us to make a plan for our reading as we will keep a list of books that we have read, the different genres of the books, the books that we want to read in the future, and we can write entries in response to books that we have read.

Stone Fox

By John Reynolds Gardiner
HarperCollins Children's Books
1980
83 pages
Reading Level:  K-3, 4-6
Realistic Fiction

Willy is lives with his grandfather on a potato farm.  One day grandfather does not get out of bed, and the doctor tells Willy that his grandfather has lost the will to live.  Willy, with the help of his dog Searchlight, sets about trying to save the farm.  Unfortunately, there is no money, so Willy and Searchlight must harvest the potatoes themselves.  These actions are not enough though.  Willy decides that he has to win the dog sled contest as the prize money is the only way to save the farm, so he pulls money out of his college fund to pay for his entrance into the race.  Willy has a good chance, but so does Stone Fox.

I would rate this book as excellent.  The themes in this book are loyalty, family, and integrity.  I would use this book as a cross-curricular tool by tying together social studies and language arts.  The book also has a multicultural value as I can introduce my students to the Inuit culture.

Vasco Da Gama

By Allison Stark Draper
The Rosen Publishing Group
2003
112 pages
Reading Level:  7-8
Biography

This book contains the history of Vasco da Gama, who was a Portuguese explorer.  This book does not examine da Gama as a hero but as an ambitious man.  One thing that I like about this book is that there are several pictures of ancient maps and portraits in this book.  Due to the content of the book, I would list it as a 7-8 grade reading level. 

I would rate this book as excellent.  It is a more factual account of his actions, which are brutal at times; however, I would use this book when conducting a unit on explorers as I think that it will provide students with a better understanding of how indigenous peoples may have felt when they encountered these European explorers. 

The Story of Abraham Lincoln: President for the People

By Larry Weinberg
Gareth Stevens Publishing
1997
112 pages
Reading Level:  4-6
Biography

This book is the story of Abraham Lincoln.  The book begins with Abe's grandfather before he was born, and it has black and white full-page illustrations of Abe throughout the book.  The Gettysburg Address is presented in its entirety at the end of the book.
 
I would rate this book as excellent.  I would use this book in a unit on the Civil War.  I think that the book will offer students a better understanding of the feelings nad events that led to this tragic event.

The Black Bull of Norroway

By Charlotte Huck
Greenwillow Books
2001
38 pages
Reading Level:  4-6, 7-8
Folklore

This book is full of beautiful illustrations that will capture its audeince.  The story is what I would call a Scottish version of Cinderella.  Peggy Ann does not care who she marries even if it is the Black Bull of Norroway.  She embarks on a journey with the Black Bull which is fraught with trouble.

I would rate this book as good.  I would use this book in the classroom to show my students how a common theme appears in folk tales from different corners of the world.  I would have them analyze the story to find similarities and differences with other versions of Cinderella in which they will then compare and contrast them.



The Magic of Spider Woman

By Lois Duncan
Scholastic, Inc.
1996
32 pages
Reading Level:  4-6
Folklore

I would rate this book as excellent.  This is a Navajo tale of a girl named Wandering Girl.  Wandering Girl, who is later known as Weaving Woman, is offered a precious gift from the Spirit Being, Spider Woman.  This gift comes with an important message about overindulgence.

I would rate this book as excellent.  I love the illustrations, which are bright and colorful and show the patterns that the Navajo used in their weaving and painting.  I would use this book in a unit on North Americans of the Southwest as this is a Navajo tale.



Henry and Ribsy

By Beverly Cleary
HarperCollins
1982
192 pages
Reading Level:  K-3, 4-6
Realistic Fiction

Henry Huggins wants to go salmon fishing with his father; however, Henry's dog, Ribsy, has been a nuisance with the neighbors.  Henry makes a deal with his father.  If Henry keeps Ribsy out of trouble with the neighbors, then he can go fishing with his father.  Keeping Ribsy out of trouble is a lot of work, and Henry has several adventures while doing this such as Ribsy chasing the garbage man and eating a neighbor girl's ice cream cone.

I would rate this book as excellent.  The themes of this book are pet ownership, manners, and conduct.  I think that I would use this book in the classroom as part of a literature circle of an author in which I could have other books written by Beverly Clearly to introduce my students to. 

*Note:  Due to the way the I have my book rating system, I have to amend on the reading level for this book, though as I think that this book is geared more towards third and fourth grade.



Learning Log 3

Donalyn Miller, the author of The Book Whisperer, talks about how her husband carries a book with him everywhere he goes as he is one of those people who can read where ever they are, whether they are on a bus or waiting in the reception room for a doctor's appointment.  Due to the time constraints for instruction that teachers experience in the classroom, the content of this chapter in The Book Whisperer stresses the importance of finding the time for students to read independently throughout the school day. 

There are so many situations that we can find for our students to read besides scheduled independent reading time, which the author lists a few such as classroom interruptions for the teacher, waiting in line for pictures, when students have finished other work , as bell ringers and warm-ups in the morning, and during library time.  When students are using the library, the teacher should help students in setting goals for their use of their library time.  The teacher can aid in this by modeling what is expected of appropriate library time use.  The students should have a purpose in mind of how they are planning on spending this time when they are traveling to the library such as returning, renewing, or reading.  The author found that she was able to find an additional twenty to thirty minutes of independent reading time every day by having her students pick up a book and read during times that may not be full of meaningful instruction.

The author looks at the need for creating a place for her students to read comfortably.  Although she acknowledges that many reading gurus urge the need for a special place to read in the classroom, she is not an advocate of a reading corner as she has developed an attitude of being able to read anywhere she is at and at any free moment.  The author states that independent reading does not need to be a silent time as she feels that there is a need to let students have conversations about the books that they are reading during independent reading as long as the students can keep the noise at a level that will not disturb the other readers in the classroom.

               

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

By Paul Fleischman
Harper & Row, Publishers
1988
44 pages
Reading Level:  4-6
Poetry

Joyful Noise:  Poems for Two Voices is comprised of poems about various members of the insect world.  The poems require two readers, who are to read theme aloud.  I listed this book as a 4-6 grade reading level due to the vocabulary used.

I would rate this book as excellent.  This book could be used as a cross-curriculum tool because of the insect theme.  Social interactions among peers is a must for this book as well.

The Gooch Machine

By Brod Bagert
Wordsong Boyds Mills Press
1997
32 pages
Reading Level:  K-3
Poetry

 

The Gooch Machine contains poems that children will find cute and/or funny along with some wonderful, bright, and colorful illustrations.  The poems are in different styles and lengths, which I think will appeal to most children.

 

I would rate this book as good.  I think that it would be a good addition to have in the poetry section of the classroom library. 



Digging Up Dinosaurs

By Jack Horner
Farcountry Press
2007
48 pages
Reading Level:  K-3, 4-6
Informational

Jack Horner provides facts about dinosaurs and provides information about archaeology for the audience in a book that is full of colorful illustrations.

I would rate this book as excellent.  I would use this book as a resource for a thematic unit as it provides a huge amount of information about dinosaurs and archaeology.  There also some interesting things about fossils found in Montana, which I think that my students will find interesting about their home state.

Polar Bears and the Arctic

By Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
Scholastic, Inc.
2007
119 pages
Reading Level:  K-3
Informational

Polar Bears and the Arctic contains information on the geographical features, people, animals, and life in the Arctic, and it contains numerous illustrations that will grab its audiences attention.

I would rate this book as excellent.  This book would be a nice book to use for a thematic unit on the Arctic, and there are several additional resources at the back of the book, such as videos and the internet that the authors have recommended.

Frost Wolf

By Kathryn Lasky
Scholastic, Inc
2011
238 pages
Reading Level:  4-6
Modern Fantasy

 

 It is summertime; however, winter will not let go of its hold on the land.  As a result, the wolves of the Beyond are starving as they are unable to find the summer herds.  Edme and Faolan are dispatched by the Fengo to check on the other wolf clans as communication is beginning to breakdown.  The two wolves encounter a mysterious cult that is plaguing their way of life, and they encounter other friends to help along the way, and among these friends are a couple owls from Ga'Hoole. 

 

I would rate this book as good.  The themes that are involved in this story are friendship, loyalty, and truth.  I have this book in my classroom library, and I could possibly use it in a literature circle and/or a reader's workshop.



The Outcasts

By John Flanagan
Puffin Books
2011
434 pages
Reading Level:  7-8
Young Adult Fiction

In Skandia, boys who are almost sixteen-years-old go into Brotherbancd training, which is a coming of age ritual in this warrior society.  Hal is different from most Skandians as he is an inventor and a thinker.  He is also an outcast as he is half-Skandian.  His father died when he was a baby, so he has been raised with his mother and a former drunk, Thorn, who was his father's best friend.  The Brotherband that Hal ends up in has eight other outcast boys, and the boys select Hal to be their skirl (captain).  They are outnumbered as the other two Brotherbands have ten members on each team, and there are several tests on strength, discipline, endurance, and knowledge that they need to complete in order to win the trianing for the year.

I would rate this book as good.  I like the Scandinavian flavor that this book contains as it offers a cultural perspective, and it has a lot of knowledge about sailing in it.  The themes that the book addresses are friendship, loyalty, and integrity.  I think that I would use this book as as a choice in a literature circle or reader's workshop in the classroom.

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

By Laura Joffe Numeroff
Scholastic, Inc.
1991
32 pages
Reading Level:  Pre-K, K-3
Picture Book

 

This story is one of a series of books, and it is about a boy who imagines the troubles that can come from offering a muffin to a moose. 

 

I would rate this book as excellent.  The antics that the boy hypothesizes about a moose are comical and sure to grab the audience.  In the classroom, it would be a good way for children to learn about cause and effect. 



Fidgety Fish

By Ruth Galloway
Little Tiger Press
2006
30 pages
Reading Level:  K-3
Picture Book

Tiddler is a very active and "fidgety" little fish.  He is so fidgety that his mother sends out to play in the sea; however, she warns him not to go near the Big Fish.

I would rate this book as excellent as it has bright illustrations that will capture the attention of its intended audience as well as containing a story that its audience can relate to.  This book would be a good way to open up a discussion about our actions and the consequences that come from our actions.

The Last Olympian





By Rick Riordan

Disney-Hyperion Books

2009

381 pages

Reading Level:  7-8

Young Adult Fiction



 

This is the last installment of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  The gods have called upon Percy's services yet again.  Percy and the other demigods have been making preparations for the upcoming battle with the long banished Titans who are led by the renegade demigod, Luke.  Percy and his friends have fortified New York City against the threat to the unsuspecting world of humans.

My rating for this book is excellent.  The charcters seem real, and the plot draws the reader in.  The themes of this book are courage, friendship, and loyalty.  For educational purposes, this would be a book that could be used when studying greek mythology.

A Boy at War



By Harry Mazer

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

2001

104 pages

Reading Level:  7-8 

Historical Fiction 

 

 

 

Adam is a fourteen-year-old boy, who just moved to Honolulu with his family.  His father is a naval officer during World War II.  Adam is befriended by a Japanese boy named Davi.  Adam's father does not support their friendship because of the negative feelings toward anyone of Japanese descent, especially since he is concerned with how that will reflect upon him as he is an officer.  When Adam goes to tell Davi that he cannot be friends with him, he realizes that he just cannot do it because he really likes Davi, so he goes fishing him and another friend named Martin, who is Hawaiian.  As they row out into Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attack.

 

My rating on this book is good; I have chosen this rating as I think that most of the intended audience will be interested in the content.  The themes of this book are war, racial discrimination, stereotyping, family, friendship, and loyalty.  This book will be valuable when instructing students about World War II as it uses a lot historical facts and perspectives. 



Learning Log 2

I am normally an avid reader; however, I do not have the time that I would like to have for reading for enjoyment with a full-time class load.  I love books, and I have some favorite authors whose work I have been reading for several years.  My favorite genres are historical fiction, fantasy, biographies, and folklore.  In my early days of school, I loved stories of animals.  Judy Blume and Madeleine L’Engle were two of my favorite authors when I reached the intermediate grades.  I remember getting excited when the Bookmobile came to our school as the librarian would bring a lot of books from the public library.  I kind of last interest in reading during my first two years of high school.  My favorite English teacher, however, got me interested in reading.  I was reading every free moment that I had in school:  in the library before school, after tests, and during my lunch.  I was also reading at home, and my parents were continuously buying books for me to keep me reading.  My favorite excursions were to go to the bookstore and the public library.  I think that I was reading at least forty books (with a minimum of eight hundred pages) a year.  My favorite authors at that time were Marion Zimmer Bradley, Morgan Llywelyn, and David Eddings.  As an adult, I still have the same favorite genres, and I have added many more authors to my list of favorites.

I have tried to instill into my children the same love for books and reading that I have.  When my kids would bring home the book orders from school, I would find the money so that they could buy a book.  I subscribed to book clubs, and I would buy books as gifts for my kids.  My daughter is a senior high school, and she always has her nose in a book.  She reads in the car, when fishing, and whenever she has a free moment at school.  She loves going to bookstores; however, that is not so easy since our only big name bookstore closed.  My oldest son, on the other hand, just has not found the same interest.  He says that he hates to read, and I told him that he has not found a book to pique his interest yet.  My youngest son, who has a learning disability in reading, loves books even though he has difficulty reading them.  I am hoping that this love will continue for him so that he will become a life-long reader.

It is important as a future educator to find out our students interests as this will help us in suggesting books that they might find engaging.  Having students fill out reading interest surveys during the first week of school will help teachers to get to know how their students feel about reading and get to know what their students interests are outside of school.  According to Donalyn Miller (author of The Book Whisperer), the types of readers that teachers will encounter in their classrooms are developing readers, dormant readers, and underground readers.  Developing readers are the struggling readers, and the dormant readers are the students who read just enough to pass the tests.  The underground readers are the readers who do not need encouragement to read; they read because they love to.  The conditions for learning are:  immersion, demonstrations, expectations, responsibility, employment, approximations, response, and engagement.  When promoting engagement, Miller talks the importance of provide learning experiences in which reading has a personal value to them; is anxiety-free; and is modeled by the teacher or other adult that they like, trust, respect, and want to try to be like.

Learning Log 1

I remember that when I was little that I loved reading and books, in fact my favorite subject from kindergarten through middle school was English.  However, when I started high school, English became my least favorite subject.  Everything from what we read to what we wrote was very structured, so structured that I felt confined.  For reading, there was no choice in what we were reading; to this day, I cannot stand The Lord of the Flies.  For writing, there was no freedom; the teacher selected what we were to write about.  This caused me tremendous difficulty when it came to creative writing, essays, and poetry.  For the first time ever, I hated going to English class.  I was not engaged in my learning, and I do not think that my teachers at the time were really interested in getting me engaged.  I lost interest in reading altogether.  When I transferred high schools at the beginning of my junior year, I became interested in English again.  The English department at my new high school was set up in such a way that the students had choices in the area of study for each quarter.  We were able to choose a particular genre, mythology, creative writing, and Shakespeare.  When my teacher assigned an essay, he let us make a choice of topic in what we were writing.  I loved having that choice as I felt responsible for my learning.  I had the same English teacher for most of my junior and all of my senior year, and he was my favorite English teacher.  He was great; he encouraged me to think, to try.  I became an avid reader again, and I discovered authors that are still favorites of mine today, which is due in part to the choices that I was permitted to have in my English class.

I can definitely relate to Donalyn Miller when she talked about everybody in school reading the same books and doing the same activities whether they were interested in the book or not.  I really like the idea of teaching the reading and writing workshops to students and permitting them to have a choice in books that interest them.  Through this method students can explore new books and share books that they have come to love.  We, as teachers, can share our enthusiasm for reading and books by letting them explore the world of literature, and we can focus our teaching on comprehension strategies and literacy elements, which will aid our students in developing their literacy skills.  Teachers can also create literature circles that will encourage more reading and sharing from students.
An important idea that needs to be employed in the classroom is to design our classroom libraries so that there are books for each student's interests.  Students can complete a reading interest inventory, which will help teachers to know what their students are interested in.  Another option that can be used is to permit students to visit the library regularly, and teachers need to encourage parents and other family members to take their children to the local public library and buy books for their children.

Flygirl

By Sherri L. Smith
Scholastic, Inc.
2008
275 pages
Reading Level:  7-8, 9-12
Historical Fiction

Ida Mae Jones grew up on her family farm in Louisiana.  She has a passion for flying that was instilled in her by her father, who was a crop duster.  She wants desperately to become a pilot, but that is no easy feat for a woman, especially a black woman in the South, so she makes plans to go north to earn her pilot's license.  However, before she earns enough money for that, World War II breaks out.  Her brother drops out of medical school and enlists in the army.  Ida Mae is worried for him, and she wants to help in the war effort as much as she can because she believes that this will help her brother in some way.  That way eventually comes in the form of WASP, Women Airforce Service Pilots.  Ida Mae sees this as her chance to help and uses her light skin color to her advantage in gaining acceptance into WASP by passing herself off as a white girl.  She has to deny her family and friends in order to maintain her assumed identity.  

My rating on this book is excellent.  The themes in Flygirl are gender and racial discrimination, friendship, family, and self.  Because of these themes and the historical content, there many things in this book that can be used for teaching such as segregation in communities and in the military.      

A Greyhound of a Girl

By Roddy Doyle

Marion Lloyd Books
2012
168 pages
Reading Level:  4-6
Modern Fantasy

A Greyhound of a Girl is about coming to terms with death, dying, and leaving behind the ones we love.  Mary is a twelve year old girl living in Ireland whose granny is dying.  Mary and her mother drive to the hospital to see granny everyday after Mary comes home from school. One day, on Mary's walk home from the bus stop, she encounters a young woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes, who is not touched by the rain and appears to shimmer at times.  The woman knows Mary's name, which scares her, as Mary cannot remember ever meeting the young woman before.  She seems to know all about Mary and her family and asks Mary to deliver a message to her granny.  Mary eventually tells her mother about the strange woman, and then her mother meets the woman.  Mary embarks on a journey with her mother, grandmother, and the young woman and learns more about her family.   

My rating on this book is excellent, and it has become one of my favorite reads.  The story is intriguing and humorous, yet it is filled with heart-touching moments as the characters deal with the death loved ones.  In teaching, this book could be used to talk about fear, death, and the grieving process.  Since the story takes place in another country, it can also be used to introduce students to another culture.

Introduction

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Introduction

I am married, and I have three children.  I went back to school in 2010 and am currently working on degrees in elementary and special education.  My first choice for teaching is in special education; however, I would also like to teach third or fourth grade.  One of my favorite pastimes is reading from historical fiction to fantasy to biographies.  It is my hope that when I am teaching that I can pass on my love of books to my students.

Reading level system

• Pre-K
• K-3
• 4-6
• 7-8
• 9-12

 Rating system

• Excellent-The book will be popular and draw most of the intended audience.
• Good-The book will draw a large portion of the intended audience.
• Okay-The book will draw a small portion of the intended audience.
• Poor-The book will not draw any of the intended audience.