Chapter+8

__**he oChapter Eight: Reading Power Reading Clubs**__ My thoughts around this opening were how lucky Kathy's kids are to have a mom who loves and promotes literacy. Many kids are part of the early "literacy club" because their parents model what readers do all of the time. Daddy reads the paper, mommy has magazines and they both read us each 2 stories before we go to sleep. These kids are blessed! In a high poverty district, I dare say the daily routine does'nt always look like this and therefore the prereading skills learned by the author's two sons doesn't exist in the world of many of my students. I made me think of how tricky it is to get kids reading at their grade level when they all have such distinctly different beginnings in the reading forum. I wish all kids had the literacy rich environment described in the first part of this chapter. Carol Dawson One of my favorite memories (which I have on video somewhere!) is of my daughter, Chandler, when she was about 2 1/2 years old. She is wearing her favorite green and navy striped dress and coordinating polka dot tights and sitting in our recliner where our family bedtime reading took place. Held tightly in her chubby toddler fingers is a board book copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. With the turn of each page she repeated the phrase, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear see" and she did this until she reached the end of the book when she proudly said, "The end!" This had been a favorite book for weeks or possibly months at this time and it had been read to her frequently. I remember the pride I felt--not only for what she was doing but at the fact that reading was already a habit with her. These were her first visible steps as a reader. I love the fact that Kathy's friend "freaked out" thinking Kathy's 3 1/2 year old was reading on page 132. I love sharing with parents that these are the beginning stages of reading. When I picture readers in these beginning stages I think reading is anything that children do to imitate what they know about reading. It may be holding a book, turning the pages, examining the pictures, repeating familiar text, or retelling the story in their own words. Sometimes this doesn't happen until a child is sitting in my first grade classroom. When I tell them they are reading they beam brighter than the sun. Then the real work begins. . . --Jodee Tuttle Chapter 8 Question #1 from Bobbi Friend – I agree with Kathy that even very young children possess reading powers. When they are engaged with books, they are developing those powers. Young children talk about books, ask questions, want to know and understand the mystery behind text. Unfortunately, as Kathy states on page 133, once teachers tell them that they are not actually reading, “children who once had lots to say about books become readers who don’t want to look up from the page to share a thought. Children who once lingered over pictures in their books no longer have the patience or desire to study illustrations, especially once they enter the world of chapter books.” Teachers need to keep that fascination and imagination present in students. We need to encourage exploration and discussion by asking students questions like, What do you see? What do you think? What do you notice? What does it mean to you? We need to give our students reading power rather than taking it away from them!
 * 1) 1. As Kathy described her sons reading, she acknowledged them as being members of the "literacy club" even before they are "able to read or write a single word for themselves". Early elementary teachers witness this all the time. These students are not yet reading conventionally but already possess reading powers. As you read this what thoughts did you have about reading powers?
 * Respond Here:**
 * Chidren come to us with a love for books. I have watched them in the Media Center. They are drawn to their favorite area and they proceed to have a conversation. Now isn't interesting that we hurry them along, get a book, put it in your locker and let's get back to our(my) lessons. Why is it that we don't build on what we know to be true? By the time I get my children for the year, they've lost the innocent joy for the printed word. I'm on a mission to bring the joy back.**
 * Margaret Fox**
 * As I was reading this I was thinking about my 3 1/2 year old niece who loves books and will sit down and read a book to herself. She has many conventions down and no she is not technically reading but she holds many reading powers within her reach. She turns the pages and retells the story, reads repeated phrases, predicts, questions, laughs and engages with the book and understands components of story elements, beginning, middle and end. I really love watching these beginning stages of reading and most kids possess them. Our job is to help children embrace that and model and tell them that they are reading. We need to engage them with the text, ask them questions, ask them to predict, have them help us read when we are reading a loud to them. The beginning stages of reading are magical and are so precious to watch and help children develop all the good habits possible! SLG**

As I read this portion in I kept thinking of my children and their early “literacy club.” They, too, would sit for hours “reading” books. We had many of those books with actual photographs. I remember them having discussion with the babies in those books, or petting the dogs and cats in others. I have memories of them catching a worn out mom from skipping pages. “Mom, you skip the part …” My favorite memory is the one where they had to sit on pop while my husband read Hop on Pop. Precious. We do need to make sure we allow students to hold onto this enjoyment with books as they master their decoding skills. Fran Olesen

I found myself thinking about the fact that, like the parent Kathy describes in the book, many (but not all) parents think reading is mostly decoding the text correctly. I also notice that once kids are decoding correctly, several parents stop interacting with their children about books because they are already reading. I hope I can help parents see all the rich aspects of reading power and the many forms it takes. Thanks Fran and Jodee for the pictures you gave me of reading power. Krista Raffenaud Now that my own children are teenagers and are required to read for all of their subjects in school, I love to take the time to just sit and watch, 3 and 4 year olds that some of my friends have, the kids "read" their books. I have a friend's daughter who will just sit for hours and "read" all of her books as they are all laid out in front of her. I miss the "desire" to read everything in sight at such an early age. She reads it because she has basically memorized the words from having it read to her over and over again. But to see the excitement for reading it by herself, or pretending to read it to her dolls or stuffed animals is just priceless. It seems like such a long time ago that my boys had that excitement for reading. Now for them, it has become such a "chore" because they have to read the novel for a summer reading project or for a specific class to get a grade on it. Hopefully someday when they are grown adults the joy of reading will come back to them and it won't become such a chore for them. Jill Baker

My thoughts were about my daughter and her pre-reading skills. I watched her watch a “movie” that read the Caterpillar. She proceeded to “read” the whole book by memorizing it. The only trouble was the vegetarian could not remember the (vocabulary) word sausage. This happened at about 3 years old. At about 3 ½ we would read Boots a scholastic book. I wondered if she could memorize the spelling of boots since I knew she know the letters, o, t, and s and I thought probably B—she did spell boots and still remembers it first work before her name which she can now spell Trinity. All interesting things that happen—the reading a mini phone book in the car. The time spent look at grown up magazines. KDN


 * I feel that there are such a wide range of kids that come to us in the early grades of our elementary schools. Some, although not yet readers, have lots of these reading powers intact and they themselves are aware of them. They know how to use these reading powers to help them interact with books and with other readers. Some kids have some pre-reading skills that are intact and are beginning to approximate their use. Other students are like blank slates, especially and pre-K and Kindergarten, with no concepts of how to hold a books, or what a letter even is. When I was a literacy coach and worked in some classrooms with students like this, it was so encouraging to see how quickly these last students I described could start to grow as readers. All they needed was some exposure to books and reading. Once they started to handle books, look through them, find meaning in the pictures, and gained some knowledge of the alphabetic principle, they were almost to the same place as the other kids, while none of them were yet conventional readers. Many kids just need to spend more time with books and have more books read to them. It can be so easy to get these kids what they need. **
 * --Kristy Weberg-- **

Chapter 8 Question #2 from Bobbi Friend – Developing a character study reading club should be fairly easy to me because I have a character unit that I developed last year for whole group instruction. Kathy tells us that we need to determine the skills and strategies to teach in a character study. The first skill that Kathy focuses on is that of inferring. I agree that this is a vital skill to teach using a character study. We need to teach students to use what a character says, the ways a character acts, the character’s feelings, and then infer what is going on with the character. This skill will be so fun to teach with sixth graders because the texts they will be reading should have very developed characters with many internal and external traits that can be interpreted. Growing ideas about character is a great way to expand the students ideas about what they are reading. For example, in Little House on the Prairie, Laura climbed up the hay bale and scattered the hay across the barnyard. The author never tells us that Laura is naughty, but we can grow that idea about the character based on the character actions. The next skill is using text evidence to support ideas. This is extremely powerful in that students in the upper grades must learn to find evidence and reference it in all the curricular areas. These three ideas for skills and strategy instruction are very useful as well as applicable in upper grades.
 * 1) 2. A great amount of explanation was given for developintg a character study reading club. Comment on which parts you liked, which might be challenging.
 * Respond Here:**
 * When I've done character studies went to an area that kids seem to get, animation. I found they were quite good at getting to the people part of the character. I had to teach the vocabulary traits, feelings etc. So I do know they are aware, but the times we were dealing with people it was difficult for them to process the connection to the real world. The area most difficult is inferring. Another area I will be working on is text evidence. I'm onboard, I will use the ideas in my minilessons to move my children savoring the Character Club in 3-D.**
 * Margaret Fox**
 * I have not done a lot with character development and it isn't my favorite idea to discuss in my book clubs and so I usually tend to go light on it in the classroom. We discuss characters lightly in the basal reading series, but overall it is a weak area for me. As I read it I noticed how much she focuses on inferences and I tend to zoom in on that life reading skill as well throughout the year. I can see how a character study can lend itself very well to teaching that skill. The part I really latched on to and is so important in third grade is using the text to support ideas; text evidence to support ideas. Students need to be practicing that and know how to do it as it is a major part if the MEAP reading and writing tests. They have a hard time doing this when asked to do it with the writing portion where they need to support changes in a piece of student writing. Now, I realize how beneficial this can be to my students and it actually would be a very good book study cub to start out with in September an model with it so they can have some practice before the MEAP in October! Wow, my plans are changing in my mind all the time as I read and review this book. My head is swirling with great ideas and new outlooks on reading. Time will tell what we do once I meet my students and dig into this. What a new learning experience for me! SLG**
 * I have not done a lot with character development and it isn't my favorite idea to discuss in my book clubs and so I usually tend to go light on it in the classroom. We discuss characters lightly in the basal reading series, but overall it is a weak area for me. As I read it I noticed how much she focuses on inferences and I tend to zoom in on that life reading skill as well throughout the year. I can see how a character study can lend itself very well to teaching that skill. The part I really latched on to and is so important in third grade is using the text to support ideas; text evidence to support ideas. Students need to be practicing that and know how to do it as it is a major part if the MEAP reading and writing tests. They have a hard time doing this when asked to do it with the writing portion where they need to support changes in a piece of student writing. Now, I realize how beneficial this can be to my students and it actually would be a very good book study cub to start out with in September an model with it so they can have some practice before the MEAP in October! Wow, my plans are changing in my mind all the time as I read and review this book. My head is swirling with great ideas and new outlooks on reading. Time will tell what we do once I meet my students and dig into this. What a new learning experience for me! SLG**
 * I have not done a lot with character development and it isn't my favorite idea to discuss in my book clubs and so I usually tend to go light on it in the classroom. We discuss characters lightly in the basal reading series, but overall it is a weak area for me. As I read it I noticed how much she focuses on inferences and I tend to zoom in on that life reading skill as well throughout the year. I can see how a character study can lend itself very well to teaching that skill. The part I really latched on to and is so important in third grade is using the text to support ideas; text evidence to support ideas. Students need to be practicing that and know how to do it as it is a major part if the MEAP reading and writing tests. They have a hard time doing this when asked to do it with the writing portion where they need to support changes in a piece of student writing. Now, I realize how beneficial this can be to my students and it actually would be a very good book study cub to start out with in September an model with it so they can have some practice before the MEAP in October! Wow, my plans are changing in my mind all the time as I read and review this book. My head is swirling with great ideas and new outlooks on reading. Time will tell what we do once I meet my students and dig into this. What a new learning experience for me! SLG**

It wasn’t directly related to the character club but for all the clubs. I was excited (to read in Chapter 7) about how we the teacher should “Read a variety of texts in the genre and pay attention to the reading skills and strategies you most often use to negotiate the text, to deal with difficulty, and to understand what you’re reading.” A bit of self-introspect about are reading with the genre – what gets in our way, what tools do we use, what do we want to schema am I using … That whole section was an eye opener for me. That is how I would prepare for the Character Club. Rereading section of books that had great characters I remember, and take note what I am doing as a reader. I love the concept of “character detectives” to work through inference. I do have a fun lesson I do to introduce inferring and it can definitely lead into “character detectives.” Having students to use text evidence, I find the toughest activity for my students to do. They just don’t get it or want to do it. I want to ask my teachers to make a character list for their classrooms – what a wonderful idea to see all the “friends” the student made throughout the year. – Fran Olesen

Like Fran I appreciated Kathy's suggestion that I “Read a variety of texts in the genre and pay attention to the reading skills and strategies you most often use to negotiate the text, to deal with difficulty, and to understand what you’re reading.” I'm a little embarrassed to say that I don't often do that on my own. It would be interesting to think about in the next book I read, step outside myself and watch as I learn about the character. I think it will be a good experiment. On another note, I appreciate it that Kathy suggests having read-aloud conversations about characters a week or two before character book clubs. This sounds so obvious now, but in the past I would usually do those conversations while the students were focusing on something, not ahead of time. I also love, love her homework suggestions. If parents loved a particular character they will remember and model a love for reading. The chart on page 142 looks very helpful to me and I plan to have it nearby as I plan the club. One final comment to Fran - the character list sounds like a great idea. Maybe students could even draw protraits of the characters they really connected with. Krista Raffenaud

It just hit me. When the facilitator asks about what is challenging about do X. During the school year in the heat of it, I can always think on the troubles or pitfalls. But it just came to me it is summer and during summer all things are possible in the classroom. The rose colored glasses come out and if they did not maybe we could not do it again next year.

The part I like was in the helpful char on pg 144-145 was “reader can grow ideas about character in their books.” This part helps compare 2 characters, 2 books, 2 similar issues etc. This is a great-standardized test skill. KDN

Chapter 8 Question #3 from Bobbi Friend – One of my student’s favorite series is the Magic Tree House books. They are fiction with a hint of nonfiction since they teach about a specific subject or period of time. Another series that my students love is Harry Potter. They love the science fiction as well as being able to compare the books to the movies. Using series books reading clubs would be a great idea toward the beginning of the year to get reluctant readers hooked, during the middle of the year to rejuvenate readers, or at the end of the year to encourage students to keep reading over the summer.
 * I love the idea of a Character Study in reading clubs and I think this could come really naturally to kids, with a some instruction up front. When doing fiction read-alouds, especially chapter books with my older kids, it is the main character that gets the kids so hooked into the books. They start to care about the character so much and want to know what will happen next in their life. I think kids would get involved in the character the same way in a Character study reading club. The task for the teacher would be to then help the students do deeper thinking about that character than they might be doing on their own. Collins talks about the skills of Inferring, Growing Ideas about Characters, and Using Text to Support Ideas as areas to focus on during this kind of club. First, I would need to have modeled all these skills in read alouds. Then we would have done some minilessons on these as well, and I could do some work with them in conferring with kids. But I think the more familiar kids are with hearing me talk about inferring and growing ideas with characters, they will be more comfortable to do the same with partners in reading clubs. **
 * --Kristy Weberg-- **
 * 1) 3. A Series Book reading club was another example given. The benefits of young readers wrapping themselves up in a series they love are numerous. I can recall several series I read through as a young reader then series that I shared with my daughter and my son. Share some series you witness today's students wrapping themselves around. How would this reading club cycle fit in?
 * Respond Here: My children in third grade have several series that they love reading. Some of them are Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Horrible Harry, BoxCar Children, The Littles, Cam Jansen, Skippy Jon Jones and Magic Tree House as well. This type of reading club would be right up my kids' alley so to speak. They LOVE series books and I think that it might even be a great book club group to start out with at the beginning of the year! SLG**
 * Respond Here: My children in third grade have several series that they love reading. Some of them are Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Horrible Harry, BoxCar Children, The Littles, Cam Jansen, Skippy Jon Jones and Magic Tree House as well. This type of reading club would be right up my kids' alley so to speak. They LOVE series books and I think that it might even be a great book club group to start out with at the beginning of the year! SLG**

I have never tried a series book reading club in my classroom before. I know how much the children enjoy read alouds with different series, but now I can see how I could try and incorporate this in a reading club. In first grade the children do seem to love Cam Jansen, Horrible Harry and Junie B. Jones but I have always used these books mostly as our read alouds. I can remember when I was in elementary school and reading the Nancy Drew Series and having to get every single one that was ever printed. In fact my mom still has this whole series at her house that she had saved. With having two boys of my own, I could never use this series for them and I have never taught a higher grade than first so I have never used them in my classroom before. Just knowing how much I enjoyed reading every book in that series, I can see how the children could possibly love a series reading club in the classroom. J. Baker

I think the series club could be quite powerful. As a kid I didn't really read any series, but I've really enjoyed a few as an adult. Last year some of my students really got into the Fudge books. I've had students in recent years get into The Boxcar Children, Ramona books, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the series about a cat clan (can't remember the name right now). I have a harder time getting my younger students interested in series like Horrible Harry, The Littles, Cam Jansen, etc. Maybe a series club will help. Krista Raffenaud

As a second grade teacher, I loved to expose students to several series. My caution was always to do it in a way that I didn't leave kids feeling inadequate if they weren't at the level of the highlighted series book yet. I LOVED to read Junie B. Jones books and that is a perfect series for 2nd grade readers. Another favorie was the Boxcar Children...this was a favorite when I was little my self and I enjoyed promoting the first book of the series to some of my higher level second grade readers. I hated reading until sometime in 4th grade and I remember this being one of the series that finally made me love reading. I always think about my own journey as a reader when I promote series books with children...knowing that my recommendation might get them to LOVE reading too...so I really make a big deal about promoting the books. A reading club have been the ultimate way for me to do this in my classroom! Carol Dawson