Really, the only defensible goal of learning to read in school is not to increase yearly test scores, but to help children become eager, daily readers of self-selected books.
Archive | Self-determined Reading for Fun
Represent and Validate Young Readers. Books Can Do Both…or Neither.
For children to become fully literate, we must provide them with books in which they see themselves.
Establishing Boundaries Around Book Time
Book time qualifies as special time that shouldn’t be interrupted.
Delight-full Reading Results in Real Learning
How do some kids score as proficient on yearly tests while the large majority don’t?
The Invisible Foundation of Literacy Explains the WHY of Literacy
Learning the WHY of print is essential for children to become effective, lifelong readers and writers.
How the Telling of Personal Stories Enriches Literacy Learning
When adults share their own stories with children, connections are built between people and literacy learning is nurtured.
Tears and Laughter–How Books Promote Emotional Health
Reading books with children and talking about what you read invites exploration of feelings and offers long-lasting permission to discuss all of life’s topics.
The Books Behind the Brains
When children have their own books kept on a special shelf, they learn that books are valuable treasures.
Slow Reading Invites Thinking, Discovery
I begin most days by reading the news. I read our local paper and a bit of national ones. I like to “keep up,” as us info junkies say. When I’m involved in something that prohibits my ability to read, I’ll listen to the news. I especially enjoy The New York Times online version’s invitation […]
Who are Multicultural Children’s Books For?
As a child in Iowa, there were no racial minorities in my neighborhood and the values and family practices discussed in the school books were utterly White American. That didn’t mean that I was the middle of anything.