Conferring With Readers (Jennifer Seravello)

 

I've heard lots of people talk about the importance of having reading conferences with students. This book lays out exactly what to say, how to do conferences, what to conference about, how to take notes. It's really helpful! It'll be on my list of books to read again and again.


Goodreads says:

A great reading conference only takes five minutes, but its impact can last a lifetime. That's because conferences are the critical, one-to-one teaching that forms the backbone of reading instruction. Conferring with Readers shows you how to confer well and demonstrates why a few moments with students every week can put them on the path to becoming better, more independent readers.

Conferring with Readers is a comprehensive guide that shows you how to determine what readers have learned and what they need to practice, then provides suggestions for targeting instruction to meet students' needs. It provides explicit teaching methods for use in effective conferences. You'll learn how to:

research a student's use of skills through questions and observations
compliment to support and build upon successes
follow up on prior instruction for accountability and depth of understanding
explain a reading strategy by providing an explicit purpose and context
model the strategy to make the invisible brainwork of reading more visible
guide a readerinpracticing the strategy
link the strategy to independent reading. Conferring with Readers presents repeatable frameworks for conferences that focus on six specific purposes of reading instruction:
matching students to just-right books reinforcing students' strengths supporting students during whole-class studies helping students move from one reading level to the next holding students accountable for previous learning deepening students' conversations about books in order to deepen their thinking. What's more, each purpose is bolstered by an appendix of conference transcripts that support your teaching. With all this plus ideas for planning instruction, keeping records of your conferences, and even conducting group sessions, Conferring with Readers will make a big difference in how you teach reading-helping you feel confident and well equipped to foster each student's growth and independence as a reader.

Reader, Come Home (Maryanne Wolf)

The author seems to say that digital reading is kind of like fast food. 

She starts off with a chapter on how the brain learns to read....and it was tough for me to slog through that. Truthfully, most of it was tough to slog through. I read it out of principle....I can handle tough text! However, I found her to be very wordy. Long sentences. Obscure words. It really wasn't easy reading....does she do that to make her point? I don't know. I think she could have said what she said in half the words though. 

She says that we are losing our ability to read deeply, to ponder on great words and thoughts and to build on them. Social Media has done this to adults so what is it doing to children? She says that we are reading just as much as we ever did, maybe even more, but we are skimming and missing the meat. People are less empathetic. They're easily led down conspiracy theory holes. They aren't thinking. I'm not a huge fan of e-books myself - but I don't agree that by themselves, reading is doomed. She doesn't offer much for a solution, especially with children. I guess I'm going back to Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer and Beers and Probst's Notice and Note for those kinds of tips. 

Goodreads says:

The author of the acclaimed Proust and the Squid follows up with a lively, ambitious, and deeply informative book that considers the future of the reading brain and our capacity for critical thinking, empathy, and reflection as we become increasingly dependent on digital technologies.


A decade ago, Maryanne Wolf’s Proust and the Squid revealed what we know about how the brain learns to read and how reading changes the way we think and feel. Since then, the ways we process written language have changed dramatically with many concerned about both their own changes and that of children. New research on the reading brain chronicles these changes in the brains of children and adults as they learn to read while immersed in a digitally dominated medium.

Drawing deeply on this research, this book comprises a series of letters Wolf writes to us—her beloved readers—to describe her concerns and her hopes about what is happening to the reading brain as it unavoidably changes to adapt to digital mediums. Wolf raises difficult questions, including:


Will children learn to incorporate the full range of "deep reading" processes that are at the core of the expert reading brain?
Will the mix of a seemingly infinite set of distractions for children’s attention and their quick access to immediate, voluminous information alter their ability to think for themselves?
With information at their fingertips, will the next generation learn to build their own storehouse of knowledge, which could impede the ability to make analogies and draw inferences from what they know?
Will all these influences, in turn, change the formation in children and the use in adults of "slower" cognitive processes like critical thinking, personal reflection, imagination, and empathy that comprise deep reading and that influence both how we think and how we live our lives?
Will the chain of digital influences ultimately influence the use of the critical analytical and empathic capacities necessary for a democratic society?
How can we preserve deep reading processes in future iterations of the reading brain?
Who are the "good readers" of every epoch?
Concerns about attention span, critical reasoning, and over-reliance on technology are never just about children—Wolf herself has found that, though she is a reading expert, her ability to read deeply has been impacted as she has become, inevitably, increasingly dependent on screens.

Wolf draws on neuroscience, literature, education, technology, and philosophy and blends historical, literary, and scientific facts with down-to-earth examples and warm anecdotes to illuminate complex ideas that culminate in a proposal for a biliterate reading brain. Provocative and intriguing, Reader, Come Home is a roadmap that provides a cautionary but hopeful perspective on the impact of technology on our brains and our most essential intellectual capacities—and what this could mean for our future.

The Reading Life (CS Lewis)

 

This book is one I should buy. It's one to refer to again and again when I need to be reminded of the beautiful parts of the pursuit of reading. It could be used as a reference book as well. 

Favorite Quotes:

p. 11 How to know if you are a true reader:

1. Loves to reread books.

The majority never read anything twice. The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers "I've read ig already' to be a conclusive argument against reading a work. We have all known women who remembered a novel so dimly that they had to stand for half an hour in the library skimming through it before they were certain they had once read it. But the moment they become certain, they rejected it immediately. It was for them dead, like a burnt-out match, an old railway ticket, or yesterday's paper; they have already used it. Those who read great works, on the other hand, will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life.

2. Highly values reading as an activty (versus as a last resort)
Secondly, the majority, though they are sometimes frequetn readers, do not set much store by reading. They turn to it as a last resource, They abandon it with alacrity as soon as any alternative pastime turns up. It is kept for railway journeys, illnesses, odd moments of enforced solitude, or for the process called 'reading oneself to sleep'. They sometimes combined it with desultory conversation; often, with listening ot the radio. But literary people are always looking for leisure and silence in which to read and do so with their whole attention. When they are denied such attentive and undisturbed reading even f or a f ew days they feel impovershed.

3. Lists the reading of particular books as a life-changing experience.
Thirdly, the first reading of some literary work is often, to the literary, an experience so momenteous that only experiences of love, religion or bereavement can finish a standard of comparison. Their whole consciousness is changed. They have become what they were not before. But there is no sign of anything like this among the other sort of readers. When they have finished teh story or hte novel, nothing much, or nothing at all, seems to have happened to them.

4. Continiously reflects and recalls what one has read.
Finally, and as a natural reslt of their different behavior in reading, what they have read is constantly and prominently present to the mind of the few, but not to that of the many. The former mouth over their favourite lines and stanzas in solitude. Scenes and characters from books provide them with a sort of iconography  by which they interpret or sum up their own experience. They talk to one another about books, often at length. The latter seldome think or talk of their reading.

p. 17 I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children's story. The good ones last. A waltz which you can like only when you are walting is a bad waltz.

p. 145  About re-reading books: I find like you that those read in my earlier 'teens ofte nhave no appeal, but this is not nearly so often true of those read in earlier childhood. Girls may develop differently, but for me, looking back, it seems that the glories of childhood and the glories of adolescence are separated by a howling desert during which one was simply a greedy, cruel, spiteful little animal and imagination, in all but the lowest form, was asleep. (Letter to Rhonda Bodle, December 26, 1953)

p. 150 Talking about books: When one has read a book, I think there is nothing so nice as discussing with with someone else - even though itsometimes produces rather fierce arguments (Letter to Arthur Greeves, March 14, 1916)

p. 158 Mapping My Books: To enjoy a book like that thoroughly I find I have to treat it as a sort of hobby and set about it seriously. I begin b making a map on one of the end leafs: then I put in a geneologial tree or two. Then I put a running headline at the top of each page: finally, I index at the end of all the pages I have for any reason underlined. I often wonder - considering how people enoy themselves developing photos or making scrapbooks - why so few people make a hobby of thei reading in this  way. Many an otherwise dull book which I had to read have I enjoyed this way, with a fine-nibbed pen in my hand: one is making something all the time and a book so read acquires the charm of a toy without losing that of a book. (Letter to Arthur Greeves, February 1932)

p. 167 Good Reading: A good shoe is a show you don't notice. Goodreading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, light, or print, or spelling. (Letters to Mlcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, from chapter 1)

p. 169 Journal exercises for reflecting on your reading life

• List the ten books that have most shaped who you are tdoay and write down a few sentenes per book of how they have shaped you.
• Lewis often describes the gift of reading as the opportunity to "see through others' eyes." Which books have you read that have revealed to you a very different view of the world from your own? How did these experiences change you? 
• Which books should you read that woud open up other worlds you are not familiar with - allowing that the idfferences could be cultural, racial, religious, historical, or somethng else?
• Lewis highly values re-reading old books, even books from childhood. Which books have you re-read, and why did you choose to re-read them? Whichbooks have you read more than twice? How have these books affected you?
• Write down your earliest childhood memories of books that transported you and created in you a love of books? Have you re-read these titles lately? Were they still magical? How did these early experiences influence you?
• List the "old books" you will commit to read as a break from reading all contemporary ones.
• What do you think of the genre of books called fairy stories or books of fnatasy and magic - of which Lewis had much to say? Which titles have influenced you most and what do you think they have taught you about the "real" world?
  
• Lewis writes mogingly about the discovery of his favorite author, George MacDonald. Who would you say if your favorite author, and what rold has he or she played in your life?
• Lewis emphasizes the importance of reading for pleasure. What kinds of books do you read solely for this purpose (even if they are guilty pleasures)? Why do you think this type of reading is important?

Goodreads says:

The revered teacher and bestselling author of such classic Christian works as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters reflects on the power, importance, and joy of a life dedicated to reading books in this delightful collection drawn from his wide body of writings.

More than fifty years after his death, revered intellectual and teacher C. S. Lewis continues to speak to readers, thanks not only to his intellectual insights on Christianity but also his wondrous creative works and deep reflections on the literature that influenced his life. Beloved for his instructive novels including The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, and The Chronicles of Narnia as well as his philosophical books that explored theology and Christian life, Lewis was a life-long writer and book lover.

Cultivated from his many essays, articles, and letters, as well as his classic works, How to Read provides guidance and reflections on the love and enjoyment of books. Engaging and enlightening, this well-rounded collection includes Lewis’ reflections on science fiction, why children’s literature is for readers of all ages, and why we should read two old books for every new one.

A window into the thoughts of one of the greatest public intellectuals of our time, this collection reveals not only why Lewis loved the written word, but what it means to learn through literature from one of our wisest and most enduring teachers. 

Game Changer! (Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp)

 

Just like The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild, this is a book to revisit regularly. It is full of great ideas for ways to help kids get access to books and fall in love with reading. What could be more important?! 

I follow Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp on social media and think they're both great! They're people I'd love to have as friends.

Goodreads says:

Literacy advocates with a deep passion for books, bestselling author Donalyn Miller and 5th grade teacher Colby Sharp, showcase the power of children's access to books, providing teachers and administrators with the tools and information they need to increase children's meaningful interaction with books and to launch or sustain book access initiatives in their communities.

Through research and testimonials from voices in the field and their own classroom experiences, Miller and Sharp provide practical and resourceful information on a range of topics and areas, (including successful school and classroom libraries, the power of book ownership, the importance of cultural and social access to books, and meaningful family-community reading engagement) designed to help dramatically increase children's access to and life-changing engagement with books.

Goldi Socks and the Three Libearians

Super cute. The story is based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears only the bears are librarians and Goldilocks goes into their house, which looks like a book. She talks about the five finger rule for finding a book that is just right.

Goodreads says:

Avid reader Goldie Socks wanders into a house made of books, and she must find just the right book and right reading spot.

Book Love (Penny Kittle)

I've heard a lot about this book and it has been recommended to me many times so I decided it was time to order it and read it. It's targeted to teachers of students older than mine, but I still found it inspiring.

Goodreads says:

"I believe each of my students must craft an individual reading life of challenge, whim, curiosity, and hunger, and I've discovered that it is not too late in high school to lead a non-reader to reading. It's never too late."-Penny Kittle

Penny Kittle wants us to face the hard truths every English teacher fears: too many kids don't read the assigned texts, and some even manage to slip by without having ever read a single book by the time they graduate. As middle and high school reading declines, college professors lament students' inability to comprehend and analyze complex texts, while the rest of us wonder: what do we lose as a society when so many of our high school graduates have no interest in reading anything?In Book Love Penny takes student apathy head on, first by recognizing why students don't read and then showing us that when we give kids books that are right for them, along with time to read and regular response to their thinking, we can create a pathway to satisfying reading that leads to more challenging literature and ultimately, a love of reading.
With a clear eye on the reality of today's classrooms, Penny provides practical strategies and advice on:


increasing volume, capacity, and complexity over time creating a balance of independent reading, text study, and novel study helping students deepen their thinking through writing about reading building a classroom library with themes that matter to 21st century kids. Book Love is a call to arms for putting every single kid, no exceptions allowed, on a personal reading journey. But much more than that, it's a powerful reminder of why we became English teachers in the first place: our passion for books. Books matter. Stories heal. The right book in the hands of a kid can change a life forever. We can't wait for anyone else to teach our students a love of books-it's up to us and the time is now. If not you, who?
For information about the Book Love Foundation, which provides classroom libraries to deserving teachers and schools, visit booklovefoundation.org. 

Disrupting Thinking (Kylene Beers and Robert Probst)

This is a book to revisit and reread often - just like their Signposts book. This will give me some good strategies to use to teach students to think about and discuss books. I love reading about reading.

Goodreads says:

In their hit books Notice and Note and Reading Nonfiction, Kylene Beers and Bob Probst showed teachers how to help students become close readers. Now, in Disrupting Thinking they take teachers a step further and discuss an on-going problem: lack of engagement with reading. They explain that all too often, no matter the strategy shared with students, too many students remain disengaged and reluctant readers. The problem, they suggest, is that we have misrepresented to students why we read and how we ought to approach any text - fiction or nonfiction.

With their hallmark humor and their appreciated practicality, Beers and Probst present a vision of what reading and what education across all the grades could be. Hands-on-strategies make it applicable right away for the classroom teacher, and turn-and-talk discussion points make it a guidebook for school-wide conversations. In particular, they share new strategies and ideas for helping classroom teachers:

--Create engagement and relevance
--Encourage responsive and responsible reading
--Deepen comprehension
--Develop lifelong reading habits

“We think it’s time we finally do become a nation of readers, and we know it’s time students learn to tell fake news from real news. It’s time we help students understand why how they read is so important,” explain Beers and Probst. “Disrupting Thinking is, at its heart, an exploration of how we help students become the reader who does so much more than decode, recall, or choose the correct answer from a multiple-choice list. This book shows us how to help students become the critical thinkers our nation needs them to be."

Reading in the Wild (Donalyn Miller)

Another win! I love this book.  I plan to read it again and again, along with The Book Whisperer, as I work on helping my students develop a love of reading. Excellent ideas. There are so many nuggets along the way to help you help kids along.

I read The Book Whisperer a year ago while driving with my husband to my best friend's mother's funeral. It might be weird that I remember events by the book I was reading - but that's me. I can't believe all I've learned about reading over the past year.

Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book (Lawrence Hill)

This is a short book. it actually seems more like a speech or essay. It is in response to a man from Holland who organized some people to burn Lawrence Hill's book, The Book of Negroes. It's thought provoking, well written, and a good argument for why banning/burning books should hot happen. ever.

Some great quotes from the book:

P. 8/9 "There is something particularly odious about burning a book, or a pile of books. The action aims not just to remove the offending article from the hands of readers, but to silence and intimidate writers, publishers and booksellers.  It suggests that they too will be burned if they do not heed the message. The act seems to say: "You will not be tolerated. Your ideas will not be discussed. We must protect society from your toxic mind, and so we are lighting this bonfire."

P. 14/15 "Just imagine. If the left wingers and the right wingers formed a coalition, they could yank half the books out of the Canadian school curriculum. Together, they could ensure that no school or public library book would ever be allowed to provoke, disturb, challenge, offend if outrage another reader for the rest of time. They could control our minds forever after. In the publicly funded shelves of schools and libraries, the only things we would have left is Anne of Green Gables."

P. 31/32 "The very purpose of literature is to enlighten, disturb, awaken and provoke. Literature should get us talking-even when we disagree. Literature should bring us into the same room - not over matches, but over coffee and conversation. It should inspire recognition of our mutual humanity. Together.
I can't see any good coming out of burning or banning books.
Let's talk, instead."

Nokum is my Teacher (David Bouchard)

I love David Bouchard. I have listened to him speak a few times and love his passion for books and reading. He is native and writes books in French, English and Cree. He might have some other languages too. I just have a hard time keeping track of them.

This book has a CD. I loved listening to David Bouchard read it. The voice of his Nokum (grandmother) was a little odd to me - but then again, quite a typical native style. He is talking to his grandmother about why he should go to school and learn to read since she did not and is perfectly happy. She guides him to finding his own answer.

The paintings in this book are beautiful. The words are beautiful. There is so much to  this book. 

The Book Whisperer ( Donalyn Miller)

I have found a kindred spirit in Donalyn Miller!

“I am a reader, a flashlight-under-the-covers, carries-a-book-everywhere-I-go, don't-look-at-my-Amazon-bill reader. I choose purswes based on whether I can cram a paperback into them, and my books are the first items I pack into a suitcase.” 

― Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

I read this book while on a day trip to southern Alberta. My poor husband. All along the way I kept having to read portions to him and would chatter on about how I agreed with what she was saying, and muse about what I'd like to do in my classroom.

Donalyn Miller is really into just getting kids to simply read. She expects her class to read 40 books a year and has them start a Reading Notebook. They record books they have read, books they want to read, and notes from books. I decided I'm going to do that. There are about 13 weeks of school left and my kids could read 10 books, for sure!

I gave them all a notebook and we made covers and labelled the different sections of the book. I showed them my Reading Notebook that I've kept since 1998. They were amazed and it got them very excited about the idea of having their own notebook.

This is definitely a book to read and to re-read. I told my vice-principal about it and she ordered me a copy from Amazon (and I think one for herself). This one is a keeper!