Joan has asked for an update, so here it is.
Heaven. Yup, that's what my partner and I call our classroom reading time. My students beg for me to just let them read. They can go for close to an hour if I let them!
One mother stopped me in the hall to say that her son spent two hours reading the night before. Then she said that he woke up at 6:30 a.m. to read more. The same child walked into school clutching his book (Heat by Mike Lupica--story about a Cuban boy and baseball) begging me to let him read for a while. I did. How could I not.
So far, everyone is bringing their Ipods back and forth everyday. They are reading novels such as I have never seen before. I am dusting off old novels that haven't found a kid to read them in centuries:
Number the Stars - marvelous book about the Danish people protecting their Jews
during WWII
Becoming Naomi Leon -- incredible book about a girl getting to know her Mexican roots
All the Mike Lupica novels involving sports dreams and relationships
All 5 Percy Jackson books
All 7 Harry Potter books
Etc.
I only have about two students that still lack the motivation--Ipod or not--to read, read, read.
Manuel, who I worried would not bring his Ipod back because he can't remember to bring his homework back, reads every night. He says, " I like to read at home best because I don't have much to do there."
So now, with all the Ipods in place, we read, read, read and then wait to see how the pudding sets:)
If anyone wants to donate to a worthy cause, I need i-Tune gift cards to keep purchasing audiobooks:)
This is one of those Stand and Deliver moments. But you're much cuter than James Olmos.
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out iTunes U. These are free downloads. I have Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan through them as well as the "color" fairy tale books by Ed Andrew Lang - My kids love listening to these and the ebooks are also free. If you ask me no questions, I could send you copies of my Raold Dahl collection and How to Train your Dragon books. Let me know. Getting kids to read for pleasure is half the battle -- Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI own all the Roald Dahl books on CD, so I have uploaded them. I own the first How to Train your Dragon. I would love to get the others!! (Was that different than the movie, or what!) Hmmm, interesting about the free downloads, my only problem would be getting the exact books to go with them. We are linked to Accelerated Reading, so my students take a computer test after every book they read and earn points. If they earn 3 points in a week, they earn my home made popcorn. If they earn six points in the week, they earn a large bottle of water to go with the popcorn. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
It makes me want to go get my book right now and start reading, too!
ReplyDeleteI think I could read at a 5th grade level. How to Train your Dragon sounds interesting. Did you see that the 2009 version of Alice in Wonderland is already on TV?
ReplyDelete