Book Fair is drawing to a close, which means I can stop chugging coffee and Diet Coke like it's undergrad. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Book Fair. It's just utterly exhausting. The mention of the Book Fair bring a wistful look into the eyes of my young adult friends, but I know the darker side of it. The counting of change, ignoring all the money AND kid germs, and hoping everything adds up in the end.
The Book Fair is such a big deal because it's that idea of CHOICE that (some) teachers are terrified of. I'm an advocate of choice - if students don't get to choose what they WANT to read when they're young, will they WANT to read when they grow up? I totally see and value the importance of leveled guided reading groups in the classroom, but I don't think that should be the only thing they're allowed to read. I know if I only read what was "on my level" when I was in grade school I probably wouldn't be a librarian. I also know if I only read what was "on my level" now I'd probably hate reading. I remember the wonder of the Book Fair from when I was young and how excited it made me to get new books that I could "keep forever." If I can get just one student to change their opinion on reading by choosing any book they want from the fair, then the headache is totally worth it. Hopefully I'll be able to reflect more properly over the weekend. For now, it's survival until the end of the fair.
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I have a lot of crazy ideas. Some flop. Some surprise me. Being in K-2 you have to be willing to try, fail and try again.
My latest crazy idea is to address some of the struggling readers at my school. I feel like struggling readers often get shafted when it comes to reading for pleasure. This is AT NO FAULT OF THEIR TEACHERS. I know how important the fundamentals of reading are - and how can students succeed if they can't read? I get it, I promise. Because teachers work so hard on getting students to be able to read, they don't see reading as entertainment. I want to try to show students that reading can be fun and doesn't always have to be "read and test." Here's the plan: I'm going to start a weekly book club for struggling readers during lunch. I'll have five groups of five or six second graders, one on each day of the week. Together we'll pick a chapter book (from a list I've pre-selected), and read for fun. Not reading to take a test, not reading to retell the story, just reading for fun. We'll read a chapter or two a week, meet in the library during their lunch block and talk about it. My AP seems into it - once I work out some logistics I'll pitch it to the second grade teachers at their PLC meeting. Now comes the fun part...looking at book options! If anyone has suggestions, holla at ya girl. |
@LibrarianMarliThis is a reflective blog based on my professional journey - both inside the Media Center and during my Professional Development endeavors. Archives
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