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Almost every day following lunch recess, this magical time happens in our classroom. Rest and read-aloud. Due to the frantic and fast-paced agenda of the latest craze with educaitonin our country, I am not sure it happens in many Kindergarten classrooms anymore, and it is a shame. I see these limp, quiet, still bodies with wide eyes staring at the ceiling as they lie flat on their backs, and it is as they are watching a movie. The movie is being projected from thier minds, and the screenplay is coming from my mouth as i read aloud....from a novel. The Black Bats are currently enthralled with our book, Poppy by Avi. A famous author who has written a handful of great literature for you lives. Please enjoy this excerpt from The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, as to why it is absolutely crucial and of the utmost importance that you read to your children.
"The Time Myth"
"Here is one of the most common responses I hear from parents: "sure I know I should read to my child, but who's got time today? We are both working, and when we are not working, we are driving the kids to daycare or soccer. Nobody's got time to read!" For those parents, I remind you: We are talking about only 15 minutes a day. Surely you can afford that. If nobody had anytime, the shopping malls would be empty, television would be bankrupt, video stores would become antique shops. Who's kidding whom here?"
Reading is a special time for the Black Bats, and we try to create a positive learning environment for our emerging readers. Reading in our classroom adheres to the following principles:
1) Readers have time to read just-right books independently every day
2) Readers select their own appropriate books
3) Readers take care of books
4) Readers respect each other's reading time and reading lives
5) Readers have daily opportunities to talk about their books in genuine ways
6) Readers don't just read the words but also understand the story
7) Readers' work in the independent reading workshop is replicable outside the classroom.
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With a short and jam-packed week full of exciting extra curriculum and projects happening, we will return to our normal Reader's Workshop schedule next week. These were two incredible books we read this week - highly entertaining!
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One great way to make predictions about an unfamiliar nonfiction text is to take a "walk" through the book before reading. By looking closely together at the front and back cover, the index, table of contents, the glossary, and the photographs or other images, readers can start to get a sense about the topic. This scanning and skimming helps set the expectation for the reading. Take the time to walk through the book before starting to read.
A second way to develop more understanding with nonfiction books is to encourage your child to be an active reader who asks lots of questions. Parents can model these behaviors by talking or thinking out loud as you turn the pages of the book. This is a helpful way for your child to see and hear what a successful reader does when faced with difficult or unfamiliar topics. For example, "When I looked at this photograph, I asked myself, "Where is Antarctica? Is that the same place as the South Pole?" Then talk together about how and what you would need to do to find the answer to the questions. This will reinforce that many questions can be answered by reading a text closely and by paying attention to captions and picture titles. Some children enjoy writing their questions on sticky notes and working to answer them during the reading.
Previewing a text and asking questions are two terrific ways to navigate nonfiction texts. Enjoy spending more time with some fascinating informational books!
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