tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69924372421718723772024-03-04T22:40:20.011-08:00The Sustained ReaderThe Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-21245733622795429172018-04-17T14:06:00.002-07:002018-07-02T13:25:55.827-07:00Enrich Student Writing by Mining for "Gems" I fell in love with an image today.<br />
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"They traveled in one group, like children inside a camel costume." Something about this image in Meg Wolitzer's best-seller, <i>The Female Persuasion,</i> spoke to me. (It didn't hurt, either, that one of the character's,"Dog," was affectionately nicknamed for his first spoken word.) With one evocative simile, Meg Wolitzer convinced me of Greer and the dynamic among her friends.</div>
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I'm sure you've experienced Book Love, too, that moment when a line or a character or even a picture hooks into the you of you and becomes an essential something you carry forever. It's important for you to discuss this experience with your students. The ones who have felt it will want to chime in. Those who have never even heard such a thing need to know it exists. Once they do, not all, but some will want to savor the feeling themselves.</div>
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Naturally, some lucky readers (including you and me) instinctively began mining these gems, these words and phrases and even illustrations, early in our childhood.</div>
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To this day, I cherish the quirky bond between Jane, <i>The Middle Moffat</i>, and her friend, The Oldest Inhabitant, who is Cranberry's most senior citizen. Reading about it calls to mind the relationships my childhood self embraced with my own beloved set of "oldsters": Abu, Gikki, Daumie, PawPaw . . .<br />
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"Kindly do not poke the Sally." An unexpected, annoying touch instantly resurrects this quote from Shirley Jackson's <i>Raising Demons. </i>Sometimes I even say it out loud, not caring one bit that the 'poker' won't "get it." It tickles my funny bone. It makes me happy.<i> </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-dkP1G4LWYNZ3B0fXbfmJQaHdd8VjoNemJz8aQ6nVrqafe92sHQnjnazLW8oAjQqOuGI0W0i33W7Co6m15C7cwQzaKuc-U7ZIz3ld-zWac7YyEpPQbNaEuOSiKYnZ4lFfy2bGwkDJnNX/s1600/demons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-dkP1G4LWYNZ3B0fXbfmJQaHdd8VjoNemJz8aQ6nVrqafe92sHQnjnazLW8oAjQqOuGI0W0i33W7Co6m15C7cwQzaKuc-U7ZIz3ld-zWac7YyEpPQbNaEuOSiKYnZ4lFfy2bGwkDJnNX/s200/demons.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Grok. Karass. Corduroy's fuzzy ears peeking out from under the bed sheets. These words and images are <i>for </i>me and <i>of</i> me. They make me who I am. And I know you have some of your own.<br />
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Awareness of words and a love for them does not come naturally to everyone, but they <i>can</i> be cultivated in our students by having them create a page in their Language Arts journals designated for "gems." I first learned the practice of mining book "gems" in a long-ago writing institute: A "gem" is a turn of phrase that captures your fancy in the (self-selected) text you are reading. You pause as you read (or after you read) to inscribe it -- along with the book's title and page number -- on that dedicated page in your journal.</div>
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Collecting gems, as with any other worthwhile practice in the Reader/Writer Workshop, is a habit that must be ingrained through repeated practice. Doing it as a "mini-lesson" will result in a one-and-done "activity." (As are most "mini-lessons." Do NOT get me started on "mini-lessons.") You may have heard that one must repeat a behavior seven, eight times before it becomes a habit? That's at <i>least </i>how many times your students must be instructed to jot down a "gem" they encounter during Silent Sustained Reading. Some will take a while to warm up to the practice, so have your Immediate Enthusiasts share theirs with the class.</div>
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Now for the "why" of mining for gems:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2u-7Rzej-YL2r1NTpYz9jta23M4vQZ4RtZuFABxFvzhJPGQqJ_my5QhZPZGCLo84hq3jV-cM4Hv4ByndP4VvBHaJ0n7dUMz6i9KyTS9efI-3471IbWzxpAe2CbL_KRVNL4NyFmg2FTRH/s1600/picasso-great-artists-steal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="570" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2u-7Rzej-YL2r1NTpYz9jta23M4vQZ4RtZuFABxFvzhJPGQqJ_my5QhZPZGCLo84hq3jV-cM4Hv4ByndP4VvBHaJ0n7dUMz6i9KyTS9efI-3471IbWzxpAe2CbL_KRVNL4NyFmg2FTRH/s320/picasso-great-artists-steal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pablo Picasso is known to have said, "Good artists copy. Great artists steal." By way of explaining to your students that this is <i>not</i> an endorsement of plagiarism, give them an example of how they can obliquely insert gems into their own writing. For example, in Paragraph Three of this post, I refer to books that hook into the "you of you," an indirect reference to an e.e. cumming's poem I read long ago, the title of which I've since forgotten. But the phrase is a permanent part of me along with the feeling and the understanding it invoked. </div>
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Students who do not "grok" the concept of allusions will benefit from a lesson on how to embed direct quotes into their writing.</div>
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Over time, your students' collection of gems will grow, as will their skill in using them to make their own writing sparkle. And, if all goes according to plan, one day they'll start creating gems of their own.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_i2e5lrJxTZFuxe3XgafTSzxqEER9z5Qe6bZyjn7yPdUXvOz9ohRcBODETslMokPhqAdy0zXBLVfthq-WA9sM1qBGTG6VyISyKemp6tk1AsUPP7yeDYEOv537lQDAAC7LIbtXVxTs2XZ/s1600/conversation-with-smaug-tolkien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="463" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_i2e5lrJxTZFuxe3XgafTSzxqEER9z5Qe6bZyjn7yPdUXvOz9ohRcBODETslMokPhqAdy0zXBLVfthq-WA9sM1qBGTG6VyISyKemp6tk1AsUPP7yeDYEOv537lQDAAC7LIbtXVxTs2XZ/s320/conversation-with-smaug-tolkien.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>JRR Tolkien's illustration of Smaug atop </i>his<i> pile of gems.</i></div>
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<i> The Sustained Reader</i>, a blog devoted to promoting the use of self-selected text in an integrated Language Arts classroom, debuted on May 13, 2014, with its inaugural post "<a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/let-it-go.html">Let It Go</a>".</div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-37802773597372666792018-04-08T12:27:00.001-07:002018-04-27T13:03:07.797-07:00Prose from the Pros: Putting Your Classroom Library to Work In February of 2017, I was <i>thrilled</i> to receive the news that my students had taken first place honors at both the seventh- and eighth-grade level in the Austin Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR) writing competition. I'm not gonna lie: When my principal initially forced -- er, <i>encouraged</i> us to enter the competition, I was mildly annoyed by the amount of time that would be "lost" from my first semester curriculum. Once we dug in, though, I was surprised by the number of target objectives that could easily be incorporated. (I've typed them in <b>boldface</b> throughout this post.)<br />
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The topic? "Celebrating a Century: America's National Park System." In 1,000 words or less, our mission was to depict -- in <b>journal form</b> -- the wonders of one specific American national park. Hmmm. Not only did the prompt provide our <b>research</b> topic for the year -- SCORE! -- it required the students to create <b>character</b>s, advance a <b>plot</b> in journal form, and make lavish use of <b>descriptive writing</b> about the <b>setting</b>. </div>
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Reading and writing should be inextricably interwoven in the teaching of Language Arts, and it's important that we continuously find ways to wed our students' reading to their writing activities. But that's not always easy (especially for novice teachers). In the end, this DAR writing contest provided a beautifully authentic opportunity for the students to use their self-selected text as a resource material. Even better, it enabled me and my students to experience the natural flow of an integrated Language Arts project.<br />
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After the students had chosen the parks they wanted to research, we began to scour our home and class libraries for trade books set in locations with similar geographic features: beaches, forests, deserts. Unearthed gems were placed on a whiteboard tray for easy access. Here are a few that we found:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUObgYVBb6og-g8DHVhBJV-xhNOMMct3a6UpxTARCcGKThmYp7hfTxC1MarSBk7LdrM4l9XaGOaywH91aITAYgAgFBexJTQ4JoaYGWBrQA-7w2Hx6go0hxXsL5T6BGE37PcxwTly2skLiT/s1600/DAR+books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUObgYVBb6og-g8DHVhBJV-xhNOMMct3a6UpxTARCcGKThmYp7hfTxC1MarSBk7LdrM4l9XaGOaywH91aITAYgAgFBexJTQ4JoaYGWBrQA-7w2Hx6go0hxXsL5T6BGE37PcxwTly2skLiT/s400/DAR+books.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Whenever students encountered a great descriptive passage, they would mark the spot with a sticky note to facilitate easy access for their classmates. Students were also offered the option to write out such passages and tape them to a collection of "Descriptive Passages From Books" posted on a window.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmW8T5DQ5d8dfrguERzPpHqOp6f9fE5yUpOxkmqpF22tp8l87HH_IjIJIfvPfUb3YtDzo3OF94jfG3OFT0_ZrkoQNnC5CUrR-j9Z-WG0ntzqsOhyphenhyphenxcIUJTdf_WW8DnqSDK3JsVqrfQlBk/s1600/Mentor+Text.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmW8T5DQ5d8dfrguERzPpHqOp6f9fE5yUpOxkmqpF22tp8l87HH_IjIJIfvPfUb3YtDzo3OF94jfG3OFT0_ZrkoQNnC5CUrR-j9Z-WG0ntzqsOhyphenhyphenxcIUJTdf_WW8DnqSDK3JsVqrfQlBk/s400/Mentor+Text.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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During the <b>pre-writing</b> process of the "journals," passages that we found -- like the following excerpt from Peter Brown's <b><i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wild-robot-peter-brown/1122451135?ean=9780316381994#/">The Wild Robot</a> </i>*</b> -- provided the class with wonderful opportunities for collecting <b>specific nouns</b>, <b>active verbs</b>, and <b>adjectives </b>to describe the sights, smells, and sounds of nature. We also found an abundance of sentences to use for <b>sentence modelling</b> activities. </div>
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" . . . instead of <b><span style="color: orange;">crash</span></b>ing against the rocks, [the last crate] <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>s</u></span></b><span style="color: orange;"><b>losh</b></span>ed against the </div>
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remains of the first four crates. <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>S</u></span></b>oon, more waves were heaving it up out of the water.</div>
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It <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>s</u></span></b>oared through the air, <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>s</u></span></b>pinning and glistening until it <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>s</u></span></b><span style="color: orange;"><b>lam</b></span>med down onto a tall</div>
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shelf of rock. The <b><span style="color: magenta;">cr</span></b>ate was <b><span style="color: magenta;">cr</span><span style="color: orange;">ack</span></b>ed and <b><span style="color: magenta;">cr</span><span style="color: orange;">umple</span></b>d, but the robot inside was <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>s</u></span></b>afe." </div>
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Sentences like these can also be used during the <b>revision</b> process for mini-lessons on incorporating sound devices like <b><span style="color: orange;">onomatopoeia</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>alliter</u></span><span style="color: magenta;">ation</span></b> in prose.</div>
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By reading and analyzing skillfully crafted text such as this, and using it to model their own prose, the students expanded their <b>vocabularies</b> and developed more sophisticated <b>sentence structures</b> without even knowing it was happening! </div>
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The added bonus? Throughout this use of our classroom library, many students found titles they wanted to add to their "Books I Want to Read" lists in the back of their Language Arts notebook. For example: </div>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pax-sara-pennypacker/1121996228?ean=9780062377012#/">Pax by Sara Pennypacker</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRJ6RWRhMWcNq1LvnGFBrsmmOwqUlgNoJvlUDpSmL-sUWM16nUeF8qS5HQirbECJrj-oSCXetFwCCukt44WHwkvgc_yoi6iKYkpw7LBOmq5p5XPRxaGXTjALUhtJUmvYIDzcnYGULvv2P/s1600/Wolf+Hollow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRJ6RWRhMWcNq1LvnGFBrsmmOwqUlgNoJvlUDpSmL-sUWM16nUeF8qS5HQirbECJrj-oSCXetFwCCukt44WHwkvgc_yoi6iKYkpw7LBOmq5p5XPRxaGXTjALUhtJUmvYIDzcnYGULvv2P/s320/Wolf+Hollow.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolf-hollow-lauren-wolk/1122454963?ean=9781101994849#/">Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa12QFFjy5NExB0tPyY7nUyD2QCc1n63dGMtHWw-5TPXGPOAh5i4S9ultCZM2tsKF6eH2C8GO4_mysExglXYWNz4IzK7dbS5Q47OQF7cnllhxhj9TA9qGHqjhBQzPEpEJVHIEf6ZdSjNu/s1600/Turtle+in+Paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa12QFFjy5NExB0tPyY7nUyD2QCc1n63dGMtHWw-5TPXGPOAh5i4S9ultCZM2tsKF6eH2C8GO4_mysExglXYWNz4IzK7dbS5Q47OQF7cnllhxhj9TA9qGHqjhBQzPEpEJVHIEf6ZdSjNu/s320/Turtle+in+Paradise.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turtle-in-paradise-jennifer-l-holm/1100259458?ean=9780375836909#/">Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm</a></div>
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If you are interested in learning more about using a "Books I Want to Read" list with your students, please visit these earlier posts from <i>The Sustained Reader</i>: </div>
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<li><a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-best-book-list-ever.html">The Best Book List Ever!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/starting-student-book-buzz.html">Starting the Student Book Buzz</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/07/using-book-trailers-in-your-language.html">Using Book Trailers in Your Language Arts Classroom</a></li>
</ul>
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Next Up: Teach your students how to draw upon their reading as a means of enriching their own writing in <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2018/04/enrich-student-writing-by-mining-for.html">Enrich Student Writing by Mining for "Gems."</a><br />
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-17407514115139412982018-04-05T13:29:00.000-07:002018-04-11T12:41:18.352-07:00Feasting at the Poetry Buffet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As a novice Language Arts teacher, I just wasn't comfortable with teaching poetry, and so, I did the least I could while adequately meeting the state standards. As a result, my early students experienced only a few poems each year: the poems found in their textbooks and maybe a few others I threw in. My classes all read the same poem at the same time and then answered the same questions, thereby ensuring that everyone "covered" the required objectives. While that approach got the job done, it also ensured an abundance of students would enjoy not even one poem they encountered in class. And that is just wrong.</div>
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During those many - too many - years of striving to appease the standardization gods, I noticed that a few of my students actually seemed to enjoy poetry, even some students now referred to as "emerging readers." So, in an effort to spread the love, I scrapped everything I'd ever done in the past and created what I call a Poetry Buffet. Yes, it's scary, but you can do it, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLRMhHiIjrk5zpjp-BitIby8NaQWrMNJHbngykanaZM2EJVpHTrEC5spyBxAtUVJEUCgr7R7o9smAhcfywNPh721LfwyklJhslUI4X770vBvyG1No7TyVV2W2vnj0gquIc-OzfB5SiFYa/s1600/feast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="1038" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLRMhHiIjrk5zpjp-BitIby8NaQWrMNJHbngykanaZM2EJVpHTrEC5spyBxAtUVJEUCgr7R7o9smAhcfywNPh721LfwyklJhslUI4X770vBvyG1No7TyVV2W2vnj0gquIc-OzfB5SiFYa/s400/feast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When assembling a Poetry Buffet -- a wildly diverse collection of poems -- keep these three words in mind: abundance, variety, and choice. Just as a buffet table offers morsels that tempt even the pickiest eaters, your collection must be varied and visually appealing to as wide an array of readers as you are likely to teach. At last count, my buffet consists sixty laminated pages, front and back, of illustrated poems, all gleaned from poetry collections like these:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcWTmgC4ksqmXyO-d3wA2db4aY0FbDo5ModfRBZ8Dlc5ZbMmzlr2jOTReDm8PIBo5GKLoV9WaQKVWb_hIXtbtWyJM4zVOqc6T_WtyDz-kE_qjYXpLr_VBVw-NYCPXQ1t8H7qqbIH4M3KF/s1600/poetry-speaks-to-children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="185" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcWTmgC4ksqmXyO-d3wA2db4aY0FbDo5ModfRBZ8Dlc5ZbMmzlr2jOTReDm8PIBo5GKLoV9WaQKVWb_hIXtbtWyJM4zVOqc6T_WtyDz-kE_qjYXpLr_VBVw-NYCPXQ1t8H7qqbIH4M3KF/s200/poetry-speaks-to-children.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeUvnvW4ABv3c4Y_OPRB-Ov94tDDn9ZDdjO97EZyMlvXcsopjpWVhyphenhyphendMVocJPIpccc8m38ylckWz0xw1UexSksM410WN1UhIjMgkeA0HdFjFpsmUBeM2uSVch5_bXPKCngvO43iFjo1kD/s1600/Hip+Hop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="621" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeUvnvW4ABv3c4Y_OPRB-Ov94tDDn9ZDdjO97EZyMlvXcsopjpWVhyphenhyphendMVocJPIpccc8m38ylckWz0xw1UexSksM410WN1UhIjMgkeA0HdFjFpsmUBeM2uSVch5_bXPKCngvO43iFjo1kD/s200/Hip+Hop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Don't let the word "children" scare you away from these amazing books. The collected poems range from "just for fun" --</div>
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-- to "perfect for cultural celebrations" -- </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj6O_Ij9cqHnLXvtGxeaW3sEgfaBl4G1Hxg6kkg8hRXGDJhjtGGQs8ybKOfd02q21qygoqTXkNUs1ygAjaY0NJSbAmyyqhysMy4E6PFgHRXYZNcaOf9USHaHFyQR5BEsQTyuqgUuwAnON/s1600/IMG_2836+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj6O_Ij9cqHnLXvtGxeaW3sEgfaBl4G1Hxg6kkg8hRXGDJhjtGGQs8ybKOfd02q21qygoqTXkNUs1ygAjaY0NJSbAmyyqhysMy4E6PFgHRXYZNcaOf9USHaHFyQR5BEsQTyuqgUuwAnON/s320/IMG_2836+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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-- all the way up to "challenging for Honors 8th Grade." AND the accompanying CDs provide you with professional recordings of selected poems!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa-cAIWSWCv_yYrbpTE4n1sBPTZcdG77RoWzAdK0LCXy3xXFiHsoBsg9QrHUKoe40jxqaox2b8E7b7inncSsKydfgDJzv48sxrpGQ2VnievxXHoev3mEoHT9d8TZ5-_eSW8Xgnpr68dFQ/s1600/IMG_2834+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa-cAIWSWCv_yYrbpTE4n1sBPTZcdG77RoWzAdK0LCXy3xXFiHsoBsg9QrHUKoe40jxqaox2b8E7b7inncSsKydfgDJzv48sxrpGQ2VnievxXHoev3mEoHT9d8TZ5-_eSW8Xgnpr68dFQ/s320/IMG_2834+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Poetry Buffet day, you will place two laminated sheets in front of each student. As gentle music plays in the background, students answer the questions on teacher-made handouts, addressing the elements of poetry on which you want to focus that day. When finished with the poems in front of them, they get up and move to work with the poems on another table. Obviously, the process flows much more smoothly if you have at least one unoccupied place to which a student can move when he is ready.</div>
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So often, students think they're supposed to learn a particular poem instead of learning the general elements of poetry. For that reason, the handouts should require that your students answer the same questions about different poems they read. For example:</div>
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<li>Is this a narrative poem? Explain why or why not.</li>
<li>Write an example of onomatopoeia and explain the sound it is trying to imitate.</li>
<li>How many stanzas does this poem have?</li>
<li>What lesson, if any, does this poem teach?</li>
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How many poems should students analyze during the buffet? As many as they are able to complete during the time you allot for the activity. That's why you'll want to provide a stack of spares for your more advanced readers. I really enjoy giving the students the ability to work at their own pace. If you have any students obsessed with the notion of "fairness" -- (Hey! HE only did two poems today!) -- you may want to let them know that they will ultimately be choosing <i>one</i> of their analyses to submit for a grade. The kids who complete more analyses have a wider range of work from which to choose. Also, my students' final assessment consisted of completing a similar handout, analyzing a poem we never studied as a class. In theory -- and usually in practice -- the more poetry analysis practice they got, the higher their final assessment grade would be.</div>
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As students move from desk to desk exploring the buffet, you circulate the classroom attending to these two tasks: </div>
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<li>Answering questions that crop up: "Mrs. McHale, can you tell me one more time what 'onomatopoeia' is?"</li>
<li>Making note of any poem that students just don't "get."</li>
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I will never forget the day a <i>very</i> bright eighth grade boy read "How to Paint a Donkey" by Naomi Shihab Nye --</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNZuWRBJJ91ysy-oClaMDAIOE0haH_ZiYc5WGzavkvd06pNZghHWTgzmz5tW3jKiUlo5iKU3yMlB6-sR-mhcrTQ41c5eQecDUN1xBY3QWZh7qrOzMjcYcwL53XncdH-MB5a4t2OmxIrrF/s1600/donkey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNZuWRBJJ91ysy-oClaMDAIOE0haH_ZiYc5WGzavkvd06pNZghHWTgzmz5tW3jKiUlo5iKU3yMlB6-sR-mhcrTQ41c5eQecDUN1xBY3QWZh7qrOzMjcYcwL53XncdH-MB5a4t2OmxIrrF/s320/donkey.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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-- and his "take" on the poem was something like this: "It's just a dumb poem about some dumb donkey." While hilarious, his response made abundantly clear the fact that he (and probably the rest of the class) needed a great deal of practice with abstract inferential thinking!</div>
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I try to do at least three Poetry Buffets during April, National Poetry Month, interspersing them with lessons that 1) address specific elements I want to teach or 2) give students the opportunity to analyze a specific poem in small, heterogeneous groups. You may want to give students who like to read aloud the opportunity to present a poem to the class. And, it is always fun to follow along silently with celebrity recordings of famous poems, like this one:</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/BefliMlEzZ8">Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" as read by Christopher Lee</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TlBem3qFRaLSb282uCDLSy2MgztwWSApD6iSSBQdCDeekmgNsDZw8apJLuUEaR6CJlgIsBGnSIgjB1W5WSliqMFP4PeD1xYjmiZhBaQ2u1e-0q2RPK3ACWAjOwg2y_1fkqDygPWKQb7l/s1600/raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TlBem3qFRaLSb282uCDLSy2MgztwWSApD6iSSBQdCDeekmgNsDZw8apJLuUEaR6CJlgIsBGnSIgjB1W5WSliqMFP4PeD1xYjmiZhBaQ2u1e-0q2RPK3ACWAjOwg2y_1fkqDygPWKQb7l/s320/raven.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After feasting at the Poetry Buffet, at least one student <i>will</i> develop a taste for poetry -- (It happens every year!) -- so add a few volumes to your classroom library if you can. Who knows? They may whet your appetite for the genre, too! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqxJRRCZe8B_Dtf7zeTKkBBpeXEDhqgm2lZT-VBmW72qhuItiy2-EY7t1_5Iolah2UN3UBiZ_6Rn8rvAGXWScXXJ8CBEC4gLfT9Ead-DFvxsXm6tu4ZpsHy0xQ8iMUnaiYowLQsNk5IY_/s1600/The+Sustainted+Reader+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="451" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqxJRRCZe8B_Dtf7zeTKkBBpeXEDhqgm2lZT-VBmW72qhuItiy2-EY7t1_5Iolah2UN3UBiZ_6Rn8rvAGXWScXXJ8CBEC4gLfT9Ead-DFvxsXm6tu4ZpsHy0xQ8iMUnaiYowLQsNk5IY_/s200/The+Sustainted+Reader+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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You can find examples of Poetry Buffet ThinkSheets at TeachersPayTeachers.com:<b> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poetry-Thinksheets-3745916">Poetry ThinkSheets</a> .</b> </div>
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Reading and writing should be inextricably interwoven in the teaching of Language Arts, and it's important that we continuously find ways to wed our students' reading to their writing activities. But that's not always easy (especially for novice teachers). Our next post, <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2018/04/prose-from-pros-putting-your-classroom.html">Prose from the Pros: Putting Your Classroom Library to Work</a>, show an example of how it can be done.</div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-87890366725153138982018-03-08T12:16:00.001-08:002018-04-05T13:58:37.854-07:00The Unfortunate Exclusion of Mrs. Why<span style="background-color: white;"> I adore the question, "Why?"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> "Why?" you may ask. (Please ask. Please <i>always</i> ask.)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> Of all members in the<b> 5Ws and an H</b> cohort -- Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How -- "Why" is the <b>W</b> that vaults class discussion into the realm of higher-level thinking. "Why?" is the question that demands analysis. For some reason, though, this important query is often excluded from polite Language Arts society. (Where, for example, was Mrs. Why in <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>? Talk about a snub!) <i> </i>Fortunately, she doesn't have to be excluded from your classroom. Invite her in -- daily! The level of classroom discourse will rise each day that Mrs. Why is invited to participate.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47Ig0U0nadXNa-W0YEOPMtHGZ7wT3hKVGL5pO3QtLy6Zax0oLIH3PKI-eefMB1eW4Sc7wzmeetzdSXhnhqceZ5TMGPi9zqyQzQiSRwSeXi-nqmyKDR6GEZCuUBGJ0Hf_UBiHj89zkNORi/s1600/a-wrinkle-in-time-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="800" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47Ig0U0nadXNa-W0YEOPMtHGZ7wT3hKVGL5pO3QtLy6Zax0oLIH3PKI-eefMB1eW4Sc7wzmeetzdSXhnhqceZ5TMGPi9zqyQzQiSRwSeXi-nqmyKDR6GEZCuUBGJ0Hf_UBiHj89zkNORi/s400/a-wrinkle-in-time-movie.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;">(I love you, Madeleine L'Engle, but where the heck is Mrs. Why?)</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> The mystery of the missing "Why?" resurfaced this week as I was exploring the Internet for poetry resources -- more specifically, resources for sound devices in poetry. (National Poetry Month is right around the corner, you know. <i>And</i>, April 26 is National Poem in Your Pocket Day -- mark your calendar!)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> As I was saying, " . . . Internet resources for sound devices in poetry." Naturally, I found a TON of worksheets and PowerPoints with questions like these: "<b>What</b> sound devices can be found in poetry?", "<b>What</b> are the definitions for the those sound devices?", "<b>Where </b>do you see those sound devices in this poem?" But, who is missing from these questions? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> So, today, let's assume your students have already learned to <b>name</b>, <b>define</b>, and <b>identify</b> rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia in poetry -- all of which are lower-level thinking skills. Don't <i>stop</i> there! All that work is merely the prelude to a deeper analysis beginning with a single question: "<b>Why</b>?"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> I can think of no better poem for demonstrating my point than "Cheers" by Eve Merriam, the queen of sound devices in poetry for children.<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitD4NYs750rZ8wfyTbsXaFB9BAE6g8ioH14ihQmPcsCgr2aGeI81NpJTHiX50mpdL3CU1LAxpYGt5vzZ_Wij-W_ahtzIx4NFyM9zcMNME5kAUXd-jZjlWh4rlZeZnMEz5o6P4F_vw1yImN/s1600/frogmaster_1280.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitD4NYs750rZ8wfyTbsXaFB9BAE6g8ioH14ihQmPcsCgr2aGeI81NpJTHiX50mpdL3CU1LAxpYGt5vzZ_Wij-W_ahtzIx4NFyM9zcMNME5kAUXd-jZjlWh4rlZeZnMEz5o6P4F_vw1yImN/s320/frogmaster_1280.bmp" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Cheers” by Eve Merriam</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> The frogs and the serpents each had a football team,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> And I </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>heard</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> their cheerleaders in my dream:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> “Bilgewater, bilgewater,” called the frog,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> “Bilgewater, bilgewater,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Sis, boom, bog!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Roll ‘em off the log,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Slog ‘em in the sog,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Swamp ‘em, swamp ’em,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Muck mire quash!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> “Sisyphus, Sisyphus,” hissed the snake,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> “Sibilant, syllabub,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Syllable-loo-ba-lay,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Scylla and Charybdis,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Sumac, asphodel,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> How do you spell Success?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> With an S-S-S!”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>Begin by reading the poem aloud. <i>Always</i> begin by reading the poem aloud. Twice even. Then start by asking those "Who?, What?, When?, and Where?" questions:</span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Where</b> does this poem take place? <span style="color: #45818e;">A swamp.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><b>What</b> are some words that let us know that? <span style="color: #45818e;">bilgewater, bog, log, sog, swamp, muck, mire</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Who</b> is the poem about? <span style="color: #45818e;">Frogs and serpents</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><b>What's</b> another word for a serpent? <span style="color: #45818e;">Snake</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><b>What</b> are they doing in this poem? <span style="color: #45818e;"> They're cheering for their football teams.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Does this poem convey a deep life message? <span style="color: #45818e;">Obviously, no.</span></span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> So <b>why</b> did Eve Merriam write it? Take a few answers from those daring souls who always have an idea. But if you discover that your students really don't know yet, explain that, sometimes, poetry is written just for fun! Sometimes poets -- Eve Merriam, especially -- just love to play around with words and sound!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> In Stanza Two, repetition of the consonant B is obviously alliteration, but <i>why</i> is the letter <i>B</i> repeated? <i>Why</i> not L or T? Well, who's cheering in Stanza Two? Read the stanza aloud once more and really <i>belch</i> out those words beginning with B as if YOU are a big, ol' bullfrog.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white;"> The letter B is repeated in Stanza Two so that we actually hear the sound of the frogs as they belch out their cheer!</span></span><br />
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Stanza Three is even better.</div>
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<li>What consonant sound is repeated in the third stanza? <span style="color: #45818e;">S</span></li>
<li>Now apply what you learned from Stanza Two. <i>Why</i> is the letter S repeated in Stanza 3?</li>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">The letter S is repeated in Stanza Three so that we can actually hear the snakes as they hisssssss out their cheer. </span> Make sure the kids connect the S sound to the onomatopoetic word "hissed" in Stanza Three.<br /><br /> Rhythm, while artfully applied in "Cheers," can be tricky for modern students because the poem harkens back to a time before spandex and glittery eye-shadow, back to the days when cheerleaders looked like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-dqu9bxae8FVJiOT5Ss53pG4DO7H2ntKh6HLyD64NRCxy6gQAyP3VvWvTmHH3jwiimj5BKRcQD9AdjBZG_kgCrn9rpSzikttErS92W0tEKgPxYGGOU-YwrAGf1n4VmZKKe_So2f60Ecd/s1600/cheerleaders.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="599" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-dqu9bxae8FVJiOT5Ss53pG4DO7H2ntKh6HLyD64NRCxy6gQAyP3VvWvTmHH3jwiimj5BKRcQD9AdjBZG_kgCrn9rpSzikttErS92W0tEKgPxYGGOU-YwrAGf1n4VmZKKe_So2f60Ecd/s320/cheerleaders.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><b>Roll</b> ‘em off the log,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Slog</b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"> ‘em in the sog,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> <b>Swamp</b> ‘em, <b>swamp</b> ’em,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Muck mire <b>quash</b>!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> Can't you just hear those old-time "yell leaders"? No? Well, if <i>you</i> can't, your students surely can't either. What better opportunity to get those kids up out of their desks to devise some old-fashioned moves for this old-fashioned cheer! And if they're totally wrong, who's to say?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlufT9ZceziDWNp5GMg3Emj5a26BFOUOGpdKQWB4VmBgELEEErgP6qYNrmYqW4VL_dFz0eeOFo_Kx3Nsm31vlElgSdzTlWToq6ysppIPkisXefObKSlnegrtdaT7ncteZJaSzM94fLXEj/s1600/cheer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlufT9ZceziDWNp5GMg3Emj5a26BFOUOGpdKQWB4VmBgELEEErgP6qYNrmYqW4VL_dFz0eeOFo_Kx3Nsm31vlElgSdzTlWToq6ysppIPkisXefObKSlnegrtdaT7ncteZJaSzM94fLXEj/s1600/cheer.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> Once you've settled everyone back into their desks, it's time to pose the lesson's final, "<b>Why</b>?"</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Why </b>did Merriam want to create that particular rhythm in her poem, "Cheers"?</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e;"> Merriam wants the reader to hear the actual sounds of a football game, so the rhythm of Stanzas Two and Three imitates the rhythm of an old fashioned cheer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> As National Poetry Month draws near, pull out some old friends -- "Cheers," "The Highwayman," "Casey at the Bat" -- but, this year, ask them a brand new question: <b>Why</b>?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> You'll be happy you did.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxheKYAi4ZtX9yKwhdHhR1JevA1g6ebOwciX5GVCBeNZjA_GNzP0bOyKtC2aOx54Rr5ZkcCWwNL_OXgBOcbjjx1qXsgQXfA1Msf5ot_dAxQz30hKJJCK_tSeqv4xMxUIC0iNMbsjOxjIYy/s1600/The+Sustainted+Reader+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="451" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxheKYAi4ZtX9yKwhdHhR1JevA1g6ebOwciX5GVCBeNZjA_GNzP0bOyKtC2aOx54Rr5ZkcCWwNL_OXgBOcbjjx1qXsgQXfA1Msf5ot_dAxQz30hKJJCK_tSeqv4xMxUIC0iNMbsjOxjIYy/s200/The+Sustainted+Reader+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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Want to try something new with poetry this year? Dig into <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2018/04/feasting-at-poetry-buffet.html">Feasting at the Poetry Buffet</a>.</div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-60981776603565743862018-03-02T14:29:00.001-08:002018-03-08T13:45:43.667-08:00Meeting Ourselves (and Other Strangers) in Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As so often happens on Twitter, I stumbled last week across the most intriguing tidbit: </div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqBuve3DheKwqySA7KDDGmaZjC6aCEniHqShZ-fLQk921Zjs7y75VglWva-K2oL51aJDvosTYkUsivHmG4AlozCotjS03KSQR5e1Th_sFPb97oZ-1OEPtzhJkZXgDA_0YGMoGXLtHQVvq/s320/tweet1.jpg" /></div>
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This miniature biography of Ona Judge was just one among 28 stories of extraordinary black women highlighted throughout Black History Month by author Jason Reynolds. Never before had I heard this woman's name, much less the saga of her audacious, improbable, <i>permanent </i>escape from enslavement under George and Martha Washington. And, like many Americans, I'd never before been so blatantly confronted with the reality of slave ownership among our nation's Founding Fathers. </div>
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As a white woman in modern America, I would be hard-pressed to imagine a life more alien to mine than that of Ona Judge. Yet, in the aftermath of that one tweet, hers became a story I needed to know. Fortunately, just moments after wondering online about the outcome of Ona's escape, Erica Armstrong Dunbar appeared with the answer:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxpdLD0UGDM_KQ4NBikp6MfWMW2eIP6rt2P8y1E2c6-_t8zhEDeyLSlFz1cGV7Og1_mhnBG1XhVcxhmk14Nj1nneKH3UoYkitxfzHYugGHT5GqIUYX7ciTdnM8Yxpd3l8bXi9GRL65VnZ/s1600/tweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="750" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxpdLD0UGDM_KQ4NBikp6MfWMW2eIP6rt2P8y1E2c6-_t8zhEDeyLSlFz1cGV7Og1_mhnBG1XhVcxhmk14Nj1nneKH3UoYkitxfzHYugGHT5GqIUYX7ciTdnM8Yxpd3l8bXi9GRL65VnZ/s320/tweet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Turns out, Dr. Dunbar is the author of <i>Never Caught</i>, a Finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction. (Don't you just love the Internet?)</div>
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We read a lot these days about the importance of children seeing people like themselves in the books they read. That <i>is </i>so important. Books are the first, best place for kids to learn they are not alone in an overwhelming world. (Thank you, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Time-Quintet/dp/0312367546/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520008773&sr=1-1&keywords=a+wrinkle+in+time">A Wrinkle in Time</a>.) But the joyful synchronicity of this online exchange compels me to reaffirm the <i>equal</i> importance of kids -- and grownups -- reading books that are filled with people with whom they have little, if anything, in common.<br />
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I have a very specific fourth-grade memory of reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Song-Bernadette-Franz-Werfel/dp/1586171712">The Song of Bernadette</a>, Franz Werfel's novel about St. Bernadette Soubirous and her visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France. Galvanized to action by a looming book report deadline, I found it amidst my mother's collection of Reader's Digest abridged books. Who could have predicted this chance encounter would spark a life-long interest in the Catholic faith to which I eventually would convert? Given that my great-grandfather helped found our local Lutheran church, that's quite a testament to the life-changing power of friendships formed in a book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FmRbCrTFwMXwfylAH6uawBfnUcpFsfNHLIv9JHYETCCk-PLQFPcg6nhEmBD9mqd9yX_7nPpkzQcuU381mVC78IYWTJhYB9sCrvZRiNjhnz5pJsKLxMOAqFkXd3EM71X1uVbZlw1prA_z/s1600/Bernadette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FmRbCrTFwMXwfylAH6uawBfnUcpFsfNHLIv9JHYETCCk-PLQFPcg6nhEmBD9mqd9yX_7nPpkzQcuU381mVC78IYWTJhYB9sCrvZRiNjhnz5pJsKLxMOAqFkXd3EM71X1uVbZlw1prA_z/s320/Bernadette.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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Occasionally, as a reading teacher, I've been led by my students to books I would never have given the time of day. Books like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugzaPuBbfdBqZnLnn4wf2k4jVArift7Kb3NoSC5-c8IT_p-d1fYohzH1eSIJ6-ANjHpFZmj57K-vZi0Zuj6_8WEpBLmcGhRVNHGtm63Z4Wwm-0M73Ej9nmyowV_ZhKixHZc-5fD43LiSA/s1600/Jackie+Robinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugzaPuBbfdBqZnLnn4wf2k4jVArift7Kb3NoSC5-c8IT_p-d1fYohzH1eSIJ6-ANjHpFZmj57K-vZi0Zuj6_8WEpBLmcGhRVNHGtm63Z4Wwm-0M73Ej9nmyowV_ZhKixHZc-5fD43LiSA/s320/Jackie+Robinson.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
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As a ballet-dancing, impressionist art-loving, life-long inveterate bookworm, <i>never</i> would I have picked this book for myself! I was actually somewhat flabbergasted to see it presented in the hands of a demure little sixth grade girl. But somehow Jackie spoke to her, and together we worked our way through the events of his uncommon life, marveling over his athletic prowess and at the intelligence and grace with which he overcame the mighty challenges as America's first African American in the MLB. My life was enriched by his story, one I would eventually impart to all three of my sport-obsessed sons.</div>
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So thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonReynolds83">@jasonreynolds83</a> for leading me to Ona Judge (as well as to the Ghost who was haunted by his past). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PMsKblLsRBGFRzkhMrAp10I7Lj1_jCzDf7CFYPicCjrgglVPBfE1J-cwEEa38jx5vSSyYAjEzlHjQ-i85tgS9tiubIvDZAIBPURspfTTFEkogrOYkP2m8Qr81wSBY7FLVptGGm3tWSto/s1600/ghost-9781481450164_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PMsKblLsRBGFRzkhMrAp10I7Lj1_jCzDf7CFYPicCjrgglVPBfE1J-cwEEa38jx5vSSyYAjEzlHjQ-i85tgS9tiubIvDZAIBPURspfTTFEkogrOYkP2m8Qr81wSBY7FLVptGGm3tWSto/s320/ghost-9781481450164_lg.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/ahY5VcB81rc"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Click here for an amazing book trailer you will want to use in your class!</span></a></div>
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And, thank you, Erica Amstrong Dunbar, for guiding me through Ona's life in your wonderful book that I've just begun to read. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc1beaGAXFtgtvTCBizs9rF2GHY2FRcaROrjHvCdP7K_yWimmXipwndvjirsf3ANSqf1fhfpbWXJ7ZkHdeud7_7_zodwqT-oKNYbfduucF8QQlma9igceivUfuIUDFFjAN96pXo8QI74W/s1600/dunbar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc1beaGAXFtgtvTCBizs9rF2GHY2FRcaROrjHvCdP7K_yWimmXipwndvjirsf3ANSqf1fhfpbWXJ7ZkHdeud7_7_zodwqT-oKNYbfduucF8QQlma9igceivUfuIUDFFjAN96pXo8QI74W/s200/dunbar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ericaadunbar">@ericaadunbar</a></div>
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Thank you, writers everywhere. Your stories, both real and imagined, can teach us about ourselves and others; they can teach us about ourselves <i>through</i> others. <br />
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<b>Up next</b>: The Sustained Reader Examines <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-unfortunate-exclusion-of-mrs-why.html">The Unfortunate Exclusion of Mrs. Why</a></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-78161574805066597772018-02-18T18:53:00.000-08:002018-02-18T18:58:37.172-08:00Need a Day Off? The Sustained Reader Can Help!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafDqOGbXMAeFoJrIAlftzWX4PEObOIIiwhdukuvC0q3061_mx3HvfIDLx_TJCq6togUwkImgLJkn8zNiMJ8LW8kwV-C_uqvfTDPtfGl1NUXsmaQnxy7CKrI2vtXrBpep1Y-CYeoZMy12X/s1600/The+Sustainted+Reader+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="451" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafDqOGbXMAeFoJrIAlftzWX4PEObOIIiwhdukuvC0q3061_mx3HvfIDLx_TJCq6togUwkImgLJkn8zNiMJ8LW8kwV-C_uqvfTDPtfGl1NUXsmaQnxy7CKrI2vtXrBpep1Y-CYeoZMy12X/s320/The+Sustainted+Reader+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As every educator knows, classroom teaching may be the only profession where it’s more difficult NOT to show up to work! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consequently</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">many</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a sick, exhausted, or feeling-a-little-crispy-around-the-edges teacher drags herself into the classroom instead of taking that well-deserved rest. Fortunately, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sustained Reader </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(TSR)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has had an idea!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Drawing upon her 27 years of classroom teaching, TSR is creating a cache of objectives-based, classroom-tested teaching bundles for use on just such occasions!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">he first bundle,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> titled “Teaching with Rabbit Ears:<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leopard-Spots-Rabbit-Storybook-Classic/dp/1939228190/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519008561&sr=1-1&keywords=how+the+leopard+got+his+spots"> 'How the Leopard Got His Spots'</a></i>,”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>*</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is designed, in part, to provide substitute teachers with engaging and easy-to-implement lessons that ensure meaningful instruction continues in your absence. Best of all, each lesson includes an extension activity that requires your students to apply the skills they've practiced together to the Silent Sustained Reading book they've selected for themselves. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If, like <i>The Sustained Reader</i>, you've become immune to all student-borne bacteria, you'll be happy to know these lessons are also perfect for those crazy days before a holiday as well as that occasional day when you just want your students to hear a different voice. (Great for home-school use, too!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Each "Teaching with Rabbit Ears" lesson is intended for use with a <b><i>Rabbit Ears</i> picture book and CD </b>set, all of which are available, new <i>and</i> used, at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Arabbit+ears+treasury&page=2&keywords=rabbit+ears+treasury&ie=UTF8&qid=1518545359">Amazon.com</a> and often at Half-Price Books. Because of the extremely high quality of <i>Rabbit Ears</i> products, most school librarians will be happy to purchase them for campus-wide access. Given her book hoarding tendencies, though, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sustained Reader </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">never felt much inclined to share such academic treasures, nor would she have wanted to leave them behind should she transfer to a different campus. So, she bought them for herself, loaning them out only very occasionally to her dearest and most desperate friends; to this day, her extensive Rabbit Ears collection has proven to be among the most useful purchases she ever made as a teacher. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throat a little scratchy? Crazy-making holiday coming up? There's no time like the present to prepare for the future. Go to <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/PreK-12-Subject-Area/English-Language-Arts?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-qDTBRD-ARIsAJ_10yKk1BXJqOarzmtLdRiNWmiMKL3XEYZqTvgFPV6bZwXXelR5JmdpYbcaApxvEALw_wcB">TeachersPayTeachers.com</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and look for </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sustained Reader</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> brand. You'll be happy you did -- and so will your substitute! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">*Here's your direct link to TeachersPayTeachers.com: </span><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-with-Rabbit-Ears-How-the-Leopard-Got-His-Spots-3661660" style="color: #222222;">Teaching with Rabbit Ears: "How the Leopard Got His Spots"</a></span></span>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-30145559222689951222018-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:002018-02-02T07:38:02.405-08:00A Dynamic Duo: You and Your School Librarian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8VVbfkYw6_ltPe97GXo4H1BVOjuqlvz7dDLThiHMQGQXVJBweAhGOW7PROWLLEVBUuzwjnCwxnGjlDqB0ViYEldPFXDdIZ98Bb5SrQs4X5eoTYK_jBzg2HNc4J2sc1ddYER2oGlrkp2g/s1600/Listless+Batman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="400" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8VVbfkYw6_ltPe97GXo4H1BVOjuqlvz7dDLThiHMQGQXVJBweAhGOW7PROWLLEVBUuzwjnCwxnGjlDqB0ViYEldPFXDdIZ98Bb5SrQs4X5eoTYK_jBzg2HNc4J2sc1ddYER2oGlrkp2g/s320/Listless+Batman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Holy Hard Work, Teachers! Does that look familiar? Promoting school literacy can be a daunting job -- even for the most tireless Language Arts advocates! And because the quest is never-ending, sometimes even a super-hero needs help. </div>
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Take heart, my Classroom Crusaders. Your perfect partner may be as close as the school library! Contrary to her mild-mannered appearance, the librarian (an oft-overlooked resource) has super-powers far beyond calming class cut-ups with a single, "SHHHHH!" And, she's eager to share them!</div>
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As you may recall from our last thrilling installment, <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2018/01/getting-all-atwitter-about-books.html">Getting All aTwitter About Books</a>, "<i>the number one job of a Language Arts teacher is getting her students excited about reading.</i>" But how, you may ask, can our librarian help? With a mere touch of the keyboard, your school librarian can conjure up book lists tailored to entice even the most reluctant readers. You just have to know how to use them.</div>
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For reasons obvious to any middle school teacher, let's call this first printout our "But, Mom! EVERYBODY'S Reading It!" book list. Notoriously motivated by whatever their peers are doing, students in grades sixth through eight cannot help but gravitate to a list of the twenty-five books most frequently chosen by their classmates during the first semester of school. With a piece of poster board, some colorful markers, and a few willing accomplices -- (aka student aides, teaching interns, or that kid who just loves hanging around your classroom) -- the list below easily becomes "poster perfect" for a quick classroom <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/starting-student-book-buzz.html">Book Buzz</a>.<span style="color: red;"><b style="color: red;">* </b></span>Yes, you will have to recreate this poster each year as student choices change, but in my experience, the interest it sparked throughout my classes made it worth the effort.</div>
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OR, as librarians say, check <i>this</i> out: Sustained Readers -- (which your students soon will be) -- learn to hunt down books that appeal to their personal interests.<b><span style="color: red;">**</span></b> With spring just around the corner, many of them will begin to exhibit symptoms of baseball fever. What better time to tempt your "jocks" with a list of fiction and nonfiction titles to feed their current obsession? The list below is only one of <b>sixteen pages </b>to appear when your cagey companion runs a search for "books about baseball." </div>
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In the interests of keeping this task manageable, you may want to ask your savvy sidekick to winnow the list down to ten or so of the most popular titles. Those "Top Ten Baseball Books" then become a poster to display after the class reads some baseball-related text. (For sixth graders, might I suggest a choral reading of <i><a href="http://www.milb.com/documents/7/3/8/60981738/Casey_at_the_Bat_zv9n6t2i.pdf">Casey at the Bat</a> </i>by Ernest Lawrence Thayer?) If you ask nicely, your newest -- and best? -- campus resource may even pull out the tantalizing volumes for display during your classes' next Library Day!<span style="text-align: center;"> [Added bonus: This is a poster you can use year after year.]</span></div>
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Swing by soon to plot these and other amazing escapades with your school librarian! Together, you may discover a whole new world of academic adventure!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hjRShUVkp8BM75QUssSM9Qe8lFQrKdp61tvZF4IETWh4JQRwDxH8vUYw97oDvCeYvR24OE4S6D_AY9K5LZTiab_yUHpGE_h074X3a-_UBlXERXuoOC9LGKGB2HCMSHO-Hijxr5yQeErx/s1600/dynamic+duo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="573" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hjRShUVkp8BM75QUssSM9Qe8lFQrKdp61tvZF4IETWh4JQRwDxH8vUYw97oDvCeYvR24OE4S6D_AY9K5LZTiab_yUHpGE_h074X3a-_UBlXERXuoOC9LGKGB2HCMSHO-Hijxr5yQeErx/s400/dynamic+duo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"> * </span>Click here for a quick refresher on <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/starting-student-book-buzz.html">Starting the Student Book Buzz!</a></div>
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<b style="color: red;">** </b>For more on "How to Choose a Book You Will Enjoy," take a peek at <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/so-many-books-so-little-time.html">So Many Books, So Little Time</a>.</div>
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The Sustained Reader<i> gratefully dedicates this article to the Dynamic Duo of Erin Flynn and Brenda Sparks Specks who immediately (and without any grumbling whatsoever) came to the rescue in running the kinds of book lists I needed for illustrative purposes.</i></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-65130119800276513362018-01-30T19:25:00.001-08:002018-02-01T08:49:03.704-08:00Getting All aTwitter About Books! Perhaps the number one job of a Language Arts teacher is getting her students excited about reading. After all, the more they read, the better they read, and the better they read -- well, the more they read. Nothing vicious about that cycle, right? The question, though, is "<i>How </i>do we get them excited?" <br />
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In my experience, excitement results not from one massive school-wide activity like an author visit from John Green.<span style="color: red;"><b>*</b></span> (Although that would be mind-blowingly fabulous, and will someone please set that up for me today?) Excitement about reading is the cumulative result of small, on-going efforts -- daily, if possible -- to place engaging text in front of your students, express enthusiasm for that text, and provide students with the opportunity to explore, discuss, and write about that text. It's true. The more I gave students time to talk with each other about the<i> books they were choosing for themselves</i>, the more excited everyone became about reading. Including me!<br />
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For one such activity, we need look no further than social media, specifically Twitter.<br />
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I always love the beginning of every year because that's when publishers post lists on social media of the books they'll debut in the new year. Just yesterday, I ran across the most wonderful tweet from Brightly, an online resource in partnership with Random House Penguin:<br />
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<a href="http://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2018/">18 of the Most Buzzed-About Middle Grade Books of 2018</a></div>
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2018/"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="850" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUlhVwSDpij1vzxSBoFJk6bcS9zOhL2UuevXQDrvoK47b1Yw-Ur77o6mvaVmSXk2Jig38kOstIX5A-QgENrsPcDROl_BgyVG9l3dR5GV5EzP3UX9SFT7kW1ykgIZgopClvtrXLdxfa24B/s400/2018-previews-middle-grade-feat.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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Colorful and with print large enough to placate even the most reluctant reader, this <b>Brightly</b> list not only features each book jacket and a short blurb about its contents, but also offers links to four online booksellers where you -- and your students -- can explore the books even further!</div>
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Here's how you can use this as a classroom resource to get your students all aTwitter about books that will soon hit the shelves:</div>
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<b>Step One</b>: Tell your students that, today, they get to preview the <b>18 most buzzed about books of 2018</b>! That's right! Through your amazing connections in the Twitterverse, YOU have arranged for them to get a sneak peak at 18 amazing books not yet released to the general public!</div>
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<b>Step Two: </b>For their computer-time assignment, direct the students to look at each of the 18 covers, read the 18 blurbs, explore the 18 links, and -- most importantly -- write the titles and authors of any books they might want to read on the "Books I Want to Read" page in the back of their composition books.<span style="color: red;">*</span></div>
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<b>Step Three: </b>Once the students have perused the entire list, have them complete a Google Form survey or a good old-fashioned print ballot, naming the three books they found the most interesting and settling on the one book they think stands out as the best of show. </div>
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<b>Step Four: </b>The written assignment is for students to write a short paragraph stating which book they think looks the best<b>/</b>they want to read most<b>/</b>they want to read first<b>/</b>etc. Their topic sentence should be supported with at least one reason they want to read it, and each reason followed by explanation and/or example. Something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1swdaJ33ooUgGm8CoZIwxvHaEyt_8E8rhPe_BnV-BNYqw7EFItqAMi-mQwqcqZuzO6tsb54hF1gYyR61qDiMt_lcxotx4tXRBcFzPGsqAMc90p-yTJ7dRfF5jRKMxd76uPgwkQWHG7ohR/s1600/Breakable+Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1swdaJ33ooUgGm8CoZIwxvHaEyt_8E8rhPe_BnV-BNYqw7EFItqAMi-mQwqcqZuzO6tsb54hF1gYyR61qDiMt_lcxotx4tXRBcFzPGsqAMc90p-yTJ7dRfF5jRKMxd76uPgwkQWHG7ohR/s320/Breakable+Things.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<i>Of the 18 books we previewed in class yesterday, I am most looking forward to reading <u>The Science of Breakable Things</u> by Tae Keller. As you know, science is my favorite subject, and according to the book blurb, the main character Natalie uses scientific method with a classroom "egg drop" experiment as well as a method for solving her mother's real life struggle with depression. I'd be very interested to see whether it's possible to use scientific method to solve real life problems. Also, the blurb suggested that this book is, in some ways, like The Thing About Jellyfish, my very favorite book from last year.</i> <i><u>The Science of Breakable Things</u> is definitely going on my "Books I Want to Read" list!</i></div>
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This paragraph should <i>not</i> be an elaborate composition project. The more of these paragraphs the students write, the more adept they will become at discussing text <i>and</i> at recommending books to each other, a major component of creating a book buzz in your classroom.</div>
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<b>Step Five: </b>Reading is a social activity -- or, at least, it should be.<b> </b>Talking about books they have read as well as books they <i>want</i> to read is an important part of getting students excited about text. In small groups or as a whole class activity, have the students share their paragraphs or just discuss their opinions about the books the chose as their favorites.</div>
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<b>Step Six: </b>Create a bulletin board or poster featuring all of the book covers plus 1) how many kids chose each book as their favorite and 2) the date when each book is going to be released. See if you can get your librarian/the PTA/classroom parents to purchase a copy of the book for your school/classroom library. </div>
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<b>Step Seven: </b>Make a point of letting the kids know the week/day before the book is due to be released, and ALWAYS be sure to show any professionally-made books trailers provided by the publisher.</div>
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These seven easy steps should take no longer than two days during which your students <b>use technology</b> to read about books (and maybe compose their paragraphs, depending on the availability of computers on your campus). It affords the opportunity for the <b>group work</b> that so many administrators promote, and it helps to instill in students the <b>good reading habit</b> of knowing what they are going to read next.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOLfp2jH9Wogsa1_N3mZbU-_rZsTZubsWZsegR0xm8jzBWzXAYNE5n-eRj-a1X3EQ-ua1vypP08Gh2SWK9cVEwugCioRIMgKmfEMDpZJmI2NINvL1uggMq4rYBI7OVrxOUMXPr3-NeBAu/s1600/Turtles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="685" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOLfp2jH9Wogsa1_N3mZbU-_rZsTZubsWZsegR0xm8jzBWzXAYNE5n-eRj-a1X3EQ-ua1vypP08Gh2SWK9cVEwugCioRIMgKmfEMDpZJmI2NINvL1uggMq4rYBI7OVrxOUMXPr3-NeBAu/s320/Turtles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="color: red;"> * </b>If you haven't yet nabbed a copy of Green's latest, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Turtles-All-Down-John-Green/dp/0525555366/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517419316&sr=8-2&keywords=turtles+all+the+way+down+john+green">Turtles All the Way Down</a>, do yourself a favor and order it today -- for yourself <i>or</i> for your 8th grade and up classroom library. Beyond the pleasure of learning what that title has to do with anything, the book 1) offers beautifully developed character relationships that can make adolescent readers feel less alone and 2) provides comfort in knowing that you're not the only person in the world coping with anxiety every. single. day. of your life.</div>
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<b style="color: red;">** </b>For more info on the "Books I Want to Read" page, see <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/starting-student-book-buzz.html">Starting the Student Book Buzz</a> and <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-best-book-list-ever.html">The Best Book List EVER!</a>.</div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-67163545481906257932018-01-21T14:25:00.000-08:002018-01-23T08:57:50.671-08:00Why Language Arts Teachers Should Love Newsela!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1ZccYCsdGBuateY6biPcREK0bkZag9G69XpaI2VULdMfFJvXA_2aT19yIc7NFeTNdjU6szlIDo1uIlud_U9HxfRdcdQ5ScRL_G1SVqL_XeIDq3EFyBHzlJ73eCe3CWJw920pM4akIAGY/s1600/98392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="750" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1ZccYCsdGBuateY6biPcREK0bkZag9G69XpaI2VULdMfFJvXA_2aT19yIc7NFeTNdjU6szlIDo1uIlud_U9HxfRdcdQ5ScRL_G1SVqL_XeIDq3EFyBHzlJ73eCe3CWJw920pM4akIAGY/s320/98392.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, as I (yet again)<i> </i>"liked" and retweeted a Newsela article, I realized I've never taken the time to explain <i>why</i> Language Arts teachers should love it as much as I do! Here, off the top of my head, are <b>eight</b> REALLY good reasons:</div>
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1. Kids <u>love</u><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: blue;">tech</span></b>! But, as teachers, we have to be vigilant about the quality of the applications we use. Are they actually keeping our students engaged -- or are they just keeping them busy? In my experience, Newsela not only engages but challenges middle school and upper elementary students. </div>
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2. Newsela is an easy, reliable way to access <b><span style="color: blue;">nonfiction text</span></b> appropriate for the classroom. If you haven't yet heard, students benefit enormously from reading increased amounts of nonfiction. And, as with any other academic endeavor, the more they practice reading nonfiction, the more skillful they become.<br />
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3. Kids <u>love</u><b style="color: red;"> </b><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">choice</span>! Newsela organizes its library of articles into 14 categories:<br />
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If you've been teaching your students to choose text based on their interests -- and I know that you have<b><span style="color: red;">*</span></b> -- Newsela's pre-sorted articles make it even easier for students to find something they will enjoy! <br />
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4. Take a moment to peruse those 14 categories, and you'll note that Newsela can assist your academic team with <b><span style="color: blue;">interdisciplinary planning</span></b>. Materials for use by Social Studies and science teachers are clearly available, and the post-reading quizzes afford students the opportunity to practice reading skills outside the Language Arts classroom.<br />
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Similarly, if you ELA teachers are working with a short story like <a href="http://tiptoediscovery.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/u2_ghost_of_lagoon_se-text.pdf">"Ghost of the Lagoon" by Armstrong Sperry</a> -- (GREAT for sixth graders!) -- you can pair it with one of the twelve or so nonfiction passages that appear after typing "sharks" in the search bar at the top of the page.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAJg-aQDICa6eZV_E7vOhj74tqpaQmk1N0V1lBUBwCn3uJdnhgGdyYZRlLQtLPoKdqGY1bjUxVjiCMm6jn9tGSAql-UmDjyo7ixDsnRCiblJK85GahaEorvUIRRzvoR6CBGqvbRsJ5i2S/s1600/topic+search+Newsela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="751" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAJg-aQDICa6eZV_E7vOhj74tqpaQmk1N0V1lBUBwCn3uJdnhgGdyYZRlLQtLPoKdqGY1bjUxVjiCMm6jn9tGSAql-UmDjyo7ixDsnRCiblJK85GahaEorvUIRRzvoR6CBGqvbRsJ5i2S/s320/topic+search+Newsela.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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5. Finding appropriate text for students at their <b><span style="color: blue;">independent reading levels</span></b> can be time-consuming, and teachers <i>rarely</i> have time to spare. With a click of the mouse, any Newsela article can be changed from a "MAX" Lexile level (in this case, over 1170) to a level as low as 620.<br />
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6. Speaking of teachers' on-going efforts to <b><span style="color: blue;">save time</span></b>, Newsela not only grades the students' quizzes for you but also provides reports of individual and class mastery on the quizzes they take. Additionally, teachers can see which objectives are tested in each of the four questions provided in every quiz. So, if you really want to hone in on "text structure" with your students, you can search ahead of time for tests that offer at least one question involving that skill.</div>
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7. Are your administrators pushing for higher-level questions in class discussions and teacher-made tests? Newsela almost instantly became my "go-to" resource for some of the best <b><span style="color: blue;">critical thinking questions</span></b> I have ever seen. Just look at the skills they address: text structure, point of view/author's purpose, central idea. </div>
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8. Years ago, I realized that some of my students perform poorly on standardized tests not because they can't read, but because they just don't understand the test questions! Fortunately, Newsela presents students with questions unlike any they have ever seen before. As the class is working, I allow students to call me over to their desks to inquire what, exactly, a question is asking. Sometimes, I only need to point out, "Oh, that's a main idea question," and they'll know our strategy for tackling it. Other times, though, I have to explain the procedure they should use to determine the correct answer. In other words, Newsela Day is a good day for practicing both reading- <i>and</i> <b><span style="color: blue;">test-taking skills</span></b>.</div>
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In case you're wondering, no, I don't own stock in Newsela, nor am I compensated for singing its praises to anyone who will listen. (Although it would be a whole lot cooler if I were!) Check it out for yourself, though, and you'll see. School budgets are always tight, but an investment in this highly effective product is well worth the money.</div>
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<b>Coming soon: </b>Making Connections with Comix</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>*</b></span> If you are new to the wonderful world of self-selected reading for students, you might want to check out this article to help you get started: <a class="short-url" href="http://bit.ly/2mX4yts" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ee6123; display: inline-block; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; line-height: 20px; outline-offset: -2px; outline: 0px !important; text-decoration-line: none;">So Many Books, So Little Time</a>. (It also contains a link to an Animoto video you can use in class!)<br />
<input class="copy-input" readonly="" style="font-size: 15.6px; left: -10000px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle;" tabindex="-1" value="http://bit.ly/2mX4yts" /><br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-78812526718337113312015-09-26T11:22:00.000-07:002018-01-29T13:04:45.093-08:00Greg Heffley: Super Villain? Why do so many parents hate Greg Heffley? Especially when he's the reason their reluctant reader - <i>finally!<b> </b>-</i> has a book in his hands?<br />
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In 2004, Jeff Kinney took advantage of a simple truth that remedial reading teachers had long known: Some middle school readers just aren't ready to give up the large text, the illustrations, and that all-important white-space in the books they choose. </div>
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I will never forget the day I was doing morning hall duty and noticed a former student sitting and reading quietly. Thrilled to see a book in her hands, I said, "Kayla, it's so great to see you reading! What have you got there?"</div>
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During the course of our conversation, Kayla revealed that she had "hated to read" until I told her it was okay to read books with large text in them [even though she was in middle school]. She started to check out those books again -- "and now I love to read."</div>
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Shortly thereafter, Greg Heffley was born, and reading teachers everywhere sent up a silent prayer of thanks (right after tearing out their hair for not creating him themselves). And because, in publishing, no good idea ever goes uncopied, scads of similarly formatted books soon became available to kids who had given up on reading.</div>
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Over the past decade, I've been surprised by a number of well-meaning parents who have admitted to taking <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i> books out of their children's hands. Why? Because they're "baby books," not the kind of book their kid "should" be reading.</div>
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Here's what they don't know: The Lexile range for <b>on </b>grade-level readers in the eighth grade is 900 - 999. A recent search at Lexile.com produced what, for many, would be a shocking revelation: Six of the nine <i>Wimpy Kid</i> books are written at <i>or above</i> a Lexile level of 1000.</div>
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In other words, middle schoolers who enjoy the antics of Greg Heffley, et al, are more often than not reading <i>above</i> grade level!</div>
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Throughout generations, "old wives" have admonished their children, "Don't judge a book by its cover!" Because of Jeff Kinney, the adage now holds true literally as well as metaphorically. Parents and teachers, Greg Heffley has made reading fun for kids who "hate to read." Let's give him the respect he deserves.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Author's note: For another look at the topic of "good" books vs. "bad" books, click this link to</span></div>
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<a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-mystery-of-maligned-manuscripts.html"> The Mystery of the Maligned Manuscript</a>.</div>
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<b>Are you looking for online reading resources that can effectively impact your students' reading and test-taking skills? Click here for eight solid reasons <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2018/01/why-language-arts-teachers-should-love.html">Why Language Arts Teachers Should Love Newsela!</a></b></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-79784302894828062342015-05-17T12:34:00.001-07:002018-04-07T15:56:37.190-07:00My Secret Summer Book Society Somehow, after a quarter century in teaching, I've turned into a risk-taker. Not exactly sure how that happened; maybe after years and years of telling my students to do that very thing, I accidentally overheard myself. At any rate, I'm pretty excited about my latest plan that may or may not work, and it all began with this question: "How am I going to keep my students reading this summer?"<br />
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Plan A was to buy a few acres of lakefront property here in Austin and suspend a couple dozen of these babies over the water. Then I remembered, "Wait! I'm a teacher . . ." -- and quickly moved on to Plan B.<br />
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Knowing that my students' best resource for recommendations is other kids, I had to find a way, an <b><i>easy</i></b> way -- an easy, <i><b>fun</b></i> way -- for them to stay in touch with each other. Facebook was out. (Those pesky child predators have a way of ruining everything.) But was there something similar we could use? Fortunately, my Twitter technology "go to" guy, <a href="https://twitter.com/chrismayoh">@chrismayoh</a>, had the answer: <a href="http://www.edmodo.com/"><b>Edmodo</b></a>.<br />
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Here's what I know today about <b>Edmodo</b>. First of all, it's free! Plus, you will be asked to verify that you are a classroom teacher which, for me, lends a level of credibility to the company's claim of online security: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #898989; font-family: "lucida grande" , "lucida sans unicode" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Edmodo makes a teacher’s daily life easier by providing a safe and easy way for teachers and students to engage and collaborate for free, anytime, anywhere.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #898989; font-family: "lucida grande" , "lucida sans unicode" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> "</span> Upon verification, you can create a page that looks something like this --<br />
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-- after which you will be given a code that must be used to gain access to the site, further assuring the expectation of privacy for your students.</div>
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From this point forward, the sky's the limit. I'm pretty sure there are a billion different ways to use <b>Edmodo</b>, but so far, this is what I'm come up with for <i>Mrs. McHale's Secret Summer Book Society</i>:</div>
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<li>I've posted a link to <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/best-book-series">Common Sense Media</a>'s <i>Best Book Series </i>list. As the summer progresses, I intend to add more book recommendation lists, a practice that will be continued into the fall. This past school year, I had a certain degree of success using Google Drive for that purpose, but I think Edmodo will be even better.</li>
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<li>The <b>website calendar</b> shows book signing events throughout the months of June, July, and August. Eventually, it will also feature <i>book release dates</i> -- such as the May 18th release of <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maximum-ride-forever-james-patterson/1119866793">Maximum Ride Forever</a>, the newest in a popular series by James Patterson -- as well as the premiere dates of any movies made from books the kids have read or might want to read. For example, James Dashner's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4046784/">The Scorch Trials</a> is set to debut in movie form on September 18. ("Movie books" are another effective way to spark reading among your students. For more on that topic, see <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/movies-books-and-typical-preteen-reader.html">Reeling in Student Readers with Movies</a> and <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/05/how-hollywood-made-my-students-read.html">How Hollywood Made My Students Read</a>.)</li>
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Using <b>Edmodo</b>'s "Assignment" feature, the students will receive, on June 1, a request to post a picture of their "Book Pile" on June 30. This will let them know to hang on to the books that they've finished.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC00NNonM5Hz59U-0QD-K8wMsdR_E-bg63kRsUKZyCY3NiFFaXgQOun3IvpAkWiWUK1WyLdCBEdCH3bSMjNMd-1-lB0n3jQHuPDYSIcN5wxuAkErmDi_xLar_MI42VlWxoYzr8N1Ok4HRz/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC00NNonM5Hz59U-0QD-K8wMsdR_E-bg63kRsUKZyCY3NiFFaXgQOun3IvpAkWiWUK1WyLdCBEdCH3bSMjNMd-1-lB0n3jQHuPDYSIcN5wxuAkErmDi_xLar_MI42VlWxoYzr8N1Ok4HRz/s320/books.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Example of a June 30 "book pile." (Hey, a teacher can dream, can't she?)<br />
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Students will be encouraged to share great books they've enjoyed as well as to post pictures of themselves reading, <i>especially if they're on vacation in some exciting place</i>! (There is NOTHING that middle schoolers love more than looking at pictures of themselves doing whatever.) </div>
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<li>At least one social gathering will be announced via Edmodo. Our school librarian is toying with the idea of opening the the library one day this summer for that purpose. Other ideas include meeting at a local bookstore, most likely on a book signing date, or even just a book share/picnic on the school grounds.</li>
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I hope, by summer's end, to know a lot more about Edmodo's capabilities, but I wanted to pass Plan B along to a few close friends in case you wanted to try it out, too. Just don't tell anyone else, okay? It's a secret!<br />
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<b> Have you encountered parents with an irrational hatred of their child's beloved <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid </i>books?</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWX77fAmYyJH8kxkYKTNs3xG7zY9yh0T8ntHJkIsUx2feIvqg_81zBiQREfNZiVZ-Na-yJ4PRiaRojzts55MtMXXLLSGco7VIl5diScKw3jCCxaFdN2KSVdvVL5IKbtmgpt2gzu4zOAoQ/s1600/greg_heffley_dabbing_by_bedheadbernie-dao1yxu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="334" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWX77fAmYyJH8kxkYKTNs3xG7zY9yh0T8ntHJkIsUx2feIvqg_81zBiQREfNZiVZ-Na-yJ4PRiaRojzts55MtMXXLLSGco7VIl5diScKw3jCCxaFdN2KSVdvVL5IKbtmgpt2gzu4zOAoQ/s320/greg_heffley_dabbing_by_bedheadbernie-dao1yxu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Find out why parents -- <i>especially</i> parents of reluctant readers -- need to learn to love Greg Heffley: <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2015/09/greg-we-hardly-knew-ye.html">"Greg Heffley: Super Villain?"</a>The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-1672912088329031362015-05-09T17:30:00.002-07:002018-04-18T12:00:10.403-07:00Feasting at the Poetry Buffet It's fourth period on a Friday afternoon, and twenty 8th graders are in various stages of wrapping up their poetry projects. Some of them are sampling selections from the "Poetry Buffet," an extensive hodge podge of laminated poems I've collected over the years; some are writing personal responses to poems they finished reading. Other students are creating original "found" poetry on Read.Write.Think.'s <i><b><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/mobile-apps/word-mover-30930.html">Word Mover App</a></b>. </i>(You've got to check it out; they <i>loved </i>it!)<br />
<i><br /> </i>By student request, we are listening to Bach's <i>Prelude in D Minor</i> on guitar. The only two disruptions in the lesson occur when students announce "I feel a poem coming on!" at which point, we must all stop to hear their dramatic readings of "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, and "About the Teeth of Sharks," by John Ciardi. Not only are the presentations vastly entertaining, some students feel inspired to look for one or both of those poems to add to their "buffet" collection.<br />
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In other words, it was one of those perfect days that just kind of happens.<br />
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For the first time in my teaching career, I decided to use National Poetry Month as an opportunity to immerse my sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in poetry. Their primary activity, the "Poetry Buffet," had students roaming from desk to desk, reading the poems that caught their fancy and writing a brief personal response to each. Occasionally, we would gather as a class to enjoy such professional recordings as Christopher Lee reciting "The Raven." Structured analysis took the form of two "Examine the Elements" assignments in which the students looked for examples of the sound devices and figurative language we'd studied the first semester. It was all very low key.<br />
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Throughout the month, students were offered extra credit for interacting with poetry in various ways. In addition to the spontaneous recitations mentioned above, they were encouraged to send me "Poetweets" via Twitter --<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNTQeovtSnVJJwDGNWJcfK5zj2cnRZyPl-UqRM7UDl4KzCCIGs8jE85BFwPKPSxiVKqpo4eOZ-NbxisYriqEqvm07fEtkr9HvTfFxmseAKccTqAhshfsRrWRUlqxVfQ0HwT2AyYJoNMuY/s1600/poetweet%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNTQeovtSnVJJwDGNWJcfK5zj2cnRZyPl-UqRM7UDl4KzCCIGs8jE85BFwPKPSxiVKqpo4eOZ-NbxisYriqEqvm07fEtkr9HvTfFxmseAKccTqAhshfsRrWRUlqxVfQ0HwT2AyYJoNMuY/s1600/poetweet%231.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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-- or to submit original creations like this gem:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVo4FsaMMtZ3xfnLPJGY1j467CxRvTMnxgthPP_b6IZkyrKIMLeCUZ7i0meyjIo79WTZ2EXRIY5yLDtrz6I-UxvrMcpLQq43N_iva1DMEW870rC3hSr3splAWGbZWmd30yZFTGQ1_IddM8/s1600/austin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVo4FsaMMtZ3xfnLPJGY1j467CxRvTMnxgthPP_b6IZkyrKIMLeCUZ7i0meyjIo79WTZ2EXRIY5yLDtrz6I-UxvrMcpLQq43N_iva1DMEW870rC3hSr3splAWGbZWmd30yZFTGQ1_IddM8/s1600/austin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Not only was the overall student response to the unit unexpectedly positive -- enthusiastic, even -- but a number of parents also felt compelled to chime in with their own fond memories of poetry "back in the day" . . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFydCVSjpvTToW8hyphenhyphenV6xm5CoOBrd7YWykTPXUxm_hYT2tOciXLAvgu4Klt6m8f733Cqo2IWv8vdMgaN30RuZOCk9lxkbNCD-SRsCFdBGEvH_RUdD58F0wshLF3eZlTjUJWAym4MSQ9tCC/s1600/parent+poetry2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFydCVSjpvTToW8hyphenhyphenV6xm5CoOBrd7YWykTPXUxm_hYT2tOciXLAvgu4Klt6m8f733Cqo2IWv8vdMgaN30RuZOCk9lxkbNCD-SRsCFdBGEvH_RUdD58F0wshLF3eZlTjUJWAym4MSQ9tCC/s400/parent+poetry2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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especially when I sent out the announcement about our participation in National Poem in Your Pocket Day:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIb0dyaJFHUrd1F3ZfyOo2N_8N0dXDWPk3IeQG0B7vCUBn1XRtSwhZP6efcE1L_JSoipWbMcO-okaTHyMOyOKv02tGfqvSvrGxPPUA52ur3L5uaqRTPa9Robjl-75WKpVdmzZF3JiYvXjR/s1600/parent+poetry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIb0dyaJFHUrd1F3ZfyOo2N_8N0dXDWPk3IeQG0B7vCUBn1XRtSwhZP6efcE1L_JSoipWbMcO-okaTHyMOyOKv02tGfqvSvrGxPPUA52ur3L5uaqRTPa9Robjl-75WKpVdmzZF3JiYvXjR/s400/parent+poetry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Turns out this mom's treasured memory was of William Carlos Williams' "This is Just to Say":</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; line-height: 24px; text-indent: -1em;">I have eaten</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; line-height: 24px; text-indent: -1em;">the plums</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">that were in</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">the icebox</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">and which</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">you were probably</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">saving</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">for breakfast</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Forgive me</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">they were delicious</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">so sweet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">and so cold</span></div>
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Time and again, I was surprised by the poems that spoke to the children and to their parents. Time and again, the children were surprised that poetry spoke to them at all, something I learned from the culminating essay, a reflection on insights and discoveries they'd had about poetry throughout the month. Other insights?<br />
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"I used to think poetry always had to rhyme."<br />
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"I was surprised how much fun it is to write poetry!"<br />
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"I learned that I really enjoy reading poetry aloud."<br />
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"I couldn't believe how many different forms of poetry there are."<br />
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The poems taught the students more about poetry. Their poetry taught me more about them. We read. We wrote. We recited. <i>Everyone</i> grew from the experience. Not a bad way to spend the month of April.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawn4dcsdgEgHYZRAubRiWt5SlusWkRF7_Y3yEVAG0o3YN71_gwnCuyfBWp6qadtl8Mz_Hc6N5ngrt0q0w1IQCUGYYD4J-SbO1VUCh-TcTucAModudFXRksv28rRRGiBw0zW63p87Yoaa4/s1600/Poetry+Speaks+to+Children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawn4dcsdgEgHYZRAubRiWt5SlusWkRF7_Y3yEVAG0o3YN71_gwnCuyfBWp6qadtl8Mz_Hc6N5ngrt0q0w1IQCUGYYD4J-SbO1VUCh-TcTucAModudFXRksv28rRRGiBw0zW63p87Yoaa4/s400/Poetry+Speaks+to+Children.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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(If you are interested in compiling your own "Poetry Buffet," <i>Poetry Speaks to Children</i> is a magnificent resource, beautifully illustrated and filled with an incredibly diverse collection of poems.)</div>
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-56531858866322161782015-04-29T17:32:00.001-07:002016-06-23T11:16:25.474-07:00Bad Kitty Says "No!" to Lexile LevelsMeet Kevin Lester,* sixth grader:<br />
<ul>
<li>On each of this year's reading assessments, Kevin has proven his ability to read at the 12.9+ grade level. </li>
<li>Last month, Kevin took first place in the city-wide Science Fair, competing against students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.</li>
<li>This past weekend, he participated in the middle school State Ready Writing competition and took second place. As he explained to me after class this morning, "Last year, I wrote a very serious and detailed essay, and I didn't place at all. So this year, I decided to change my strategy and write something really wacky." (Apparently, it worked.)</li>
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In other words, Kevin is REALLY smart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjQvoyJHQBOI3MH8r_TTGFvGttHV-3OznaGkWjCzVYW5wxf51uMWgN4gEzOxpHHK5mqe3AbkW26ew-KqMJXWSqReJGm51r2XIhMz-xL82DKlOICIvnMGM7ekrtnjQtBtp_fp6VV_trlbs/s1600/Kevin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjQvoyJHQBOI3MH8r_TTGFvGttHV-3OznaGkWjCzVYW5wxf51uMWgN4gEzOxpHHK5mqe3AbkW26ew-KqMJXWSqReJGm51r2XIhMz-xL82DKlOICIvnMGM7ekrtnjQtBtp_fp6VV_trlbs/s1600/Kevin.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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You can imagine my surprise, therefore, when I noticed him reading Nick Bruel's <i>Bad Kitty for President </i>during Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) this week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJubB1LMTxnEgsEETkrNvqozGohFMFP48aazeEiixOAWwtl_5kRD4lxBDmsbgSwAqpp1RWdvqNI6JtlFbEKeDo630R1n8J_IS-2m0t4e5e98EQNrat6_RpVJSmOaTqyBjGqWhjpYWV_7L/s1600/bbad+kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJubB1LMTxnEgsEETkrNvqozGohFMFP48aazeEiixOAWwtl_5kRD4lxBDmsbgSwAqpp1RWdvqNI6JtlFbEKeDo630R1n8J_IS-2m0t4e5e98EQNrat6_RpVJSmOaTqyBjGqWhjpYWV_7L/s1600/bbad+kitty.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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At a Lexile level of 690 (approximately the 4th grade reading level), <i>Bad Kitty </i>is perfectly appropriate for a struggling sixth grade reader. But Kevin? Sidling up to his desk, I nonchalantly inquired, "So what do you think of that book?"</div>
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Grinning from ear to ear, Kevin gave me a big thumbs up and went back to reading. Hmm. Clearly, he likes it. And why?</div>
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<b>BECAUSE HE'S IN THE SIXTH GRADE!</b></div>
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<b> </b>If you're familiar with middle school children, you know that they are ALL over the place -- physically, mentally, socially, psychologically, and every other '-ly.' Depending on which aspect of the whole child you're discussing, one middle school boy like Kevin can be a bizarre hodge-podge of ages ranging from 8 to 18. That, in a nutshell, is why they're so weird! Who can blame them?</div>
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Given all those variables, can you understand why it's a little silly to restrict children's reading to materials in their Lexile range? If I were to follow that protocol, here's a sampling of what Kevin would be digging into this week:</div>
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<i>A Theory of Conceptual Intelligence </i>by Rex Li, or</div>
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Fyodor Dostoevsky's <i>Brothers Karamzov, </i></div>
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<i>or</i> this beloved sixth-grade classic:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3AqvY8FMupW1b3R9gakN_hnlmq7v2Raf7M8yGtAl_EZ3MICuO0Msvdv7KclYS0uAO-L_Qdx2rMGjHxeWL0XlIoH7gdUzSEOhHiXxD096UC_9TW_JPmHAOAGGgotpvBImfloL6vBGKl1K/s1600/Melanchthon_coverweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3AqvY8FMupW1b3R9gakN_hnlmq7v2Raf7M8yGtAl_EZ3MICuO0Msvdv7KclYS0uAO-L_Qdx2rMGjHxeWL0XlIoH7gdUzSEOhHiXxD096UC_9TW_JPmHAOAGGgotpvBImfloL6vBGKl1K/s1600/Melanchthon_coverweb.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
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<i>Annotations on First Corinthians </i>by Philipp Melanchthon.</div>
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Are you kidding me? No offense to the really smart guys who wrote those books, but even <i>I</i> don't want to read them! </div>
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If Kevin Lester is smart enough to beat out all the other sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade participants in the city-wide Science Fair, I think we can trust him to choose the books he'll enjoy reading on any given day. Obviously, he didn't get to the 12.9+ reading level on a strict diet of <i>Bad Kitty</i> books, right? As for those three books you see above: They're a full 100 Lexile points BELOW Kevin's actual reading level. I couldn't find any books on a high enough level for him at <a href="http://lexile.com/">Lexile.com</a>.</div>
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If I have to choose between making Kevin Lester* read books "appropriate" for his reading level or allowing him to devour the occasional silly morsel of his own choosing, <i>Bad Kitty for President </i>will get my vote every time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAATcMEhiSo6FD0pzgnDOvIcijF7HclyjIKVe-IqbqOGx1iNS-qhMqRkErV_u_ff9rx1eNbTYjB08xy4sno9dNmhMry0zXK_OtJ0lU9Hh1ZvNfgLMLfHx1D2L2FrqT2ff1Jziq3-MLoYd/s1600/bad+kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAATcMEhiSo6FD0pzgnDOvIcijF7HclyjIKVe-IqbqOGx1iNS-qhMqRkErV_u_ff9rx1eNbTYjB08xy4sno9dNmhMry0zXK_OtJ0lU9Hh1ZvNfgLMLfHx1D2L2FrqT2ff1Jziq3-MLoYd/s1600/bad+kitty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">* Children's names have been changed to protect the innocent. As usual, all adults are guilty as charged.</span></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-1014964548926372032015-04-04T09:38:00.003-07:002016-06-10T11:37:41.057-07:00Twitter University I am a student at Twitter University, an institution of higher learning that is open 24-hours a day. You choose your own classes with lessons offered by experienced, educated, and enthusiastic teachers of limitless backgrounds and perspectives. The world is your classroom.<br />
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I regularly attend classes on Saturday morning in my bedroom where, sometimes, coffee is delivered in my favorite mug by a very nice man who just happens to be my husband. (No, I <i>don't</i> know what I did to deserve him. Thank you so much for asking.) Here is what I learned today:<br />
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<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/106470507505322898506" target="_blank">ReadWriteThink.org</a>, aka <a href="https://twitter.com/RWTnow">@RWTnow</a>, introduced me to <b>Word Mover, </b>an intriguing app for creating poetry during National Poetry Month (which I also learned about on Twitter). We'll be trying it out next week in Room 213E. By the way, did you know that National Poem in Your Pocket Day is on April 30 this year? I didn't either until <a href="https://twitter.com/MrSchuReads">@MrSchuReads</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsPstorytime">@MrsPstorytime</a> told me yesterday!<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/DrMaryHoward">@DrMaryHoward</a>, an educational consultant and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Howard/e/B001Q49BPY/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1428162917&sr=1-2-ent">author</a>, reminded me of the importance of read-alouds, the practice I am most likely to abandon whenever I'm feeling a time crunch. (Just where <i>did</i> I put that great <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scholastic-Read-Aloud-Anthology-Comprehension-Skills-/dp/0439047595/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428161458&sr=1-1&keywords=Read-Aloud+Anthology">Read-Aloud Anthology</a>?)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzgVPMZnycHusT29Wt8UnNArAjb1efRXpx3GeFeFIfNMtcCCK1MrLqKKuQaTyYz1rj8zu6l1ORHhAd6GJ8xCft6KkMKS5TxdqwRnRtYuAgB6g_U4O0pLFMV75cYDyxkHA_mKAY7x3N7Fb/s1600/read+aloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzgVPMZnycHusT29Wt8UnNArAjb1efRXpx3GeFeFIfNMtcCCK1MrLqKKuQaTyYz1rj8zu6l1ORHhAd6GJ8xCft6KkMKS5TxdqwRnRtYuAgB6g_U4O0pLFMV75cYDyxkHA_mKAY7x3N7Fb/s1600/read+aloud.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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In <a href="http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/2015/04/what-i-know-to-be-true.html?m=1">"What I Know to be True,"</a> Katherine Sokolowski reaffirmed what I've long known to be true: I have the greatest job in the world, a job for which I'm actually paid to hang out with kids and books every day of the week. I look forward to learning more from Ms. Sokolowski at <a href="http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/">Read. Write. Reflect, </a>her blogsite to which I now subscribe. (You can, too!) During my time there this morning, I came across a series of books by Andy Griffiths that I think will be <i>just right</i> for my 6th grade devotees of "Wimpy Kid" style books. Thanks, <a href="https://twitter.com/katsok">@katsok</a>!<br />
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Here's a new mini-poster I got for my classroom: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3L7DRQyClmft8icwWhuX_N_xe6wIheB3kfX1OOwFYaGwzVsOSp6Z1udYs7o4FMEd-yKDxR76bqxKcY8ZrBRP9R1lH9jMbGpOmFD4PiWRSCIWOcDsZe3-CwIEJQJes42XNQWLvp2kmzU_/s1600/different2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3L7DRQyClmft8icwWhuX_N_xe6wIheB3kfX1OOwFYaGwzVsOSp6Z1udYs7o4FMEd-yKDxR76bqxKcY8ZrBRP9R1lH9jMbGpOmFD4PiWRSCIWOcDsZe3-CwIEJQJes42XNQWLvp2kmzU_/s1600/different2.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
And thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/Edudemic">@edudemic</a>, I've got a new <a href="http://www.edudemic.com/8-ways-to-get-students-reading/">pre-reading guessing game</a> to use with my students when advertising great reads during our weekly "book talks." <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Check%20it%20out:%20%20http://www.edudemic.com/8-ways-to-get-students-reading/?utm_content=buffer63803&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer"></a><br />
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Not bad for a morning's "work," eh? Oh, and before I forget, here's the best news of all: Tuition is free! But you'll have to get your own coffee.<br />
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-77144920868772306872015-04-03T09:10:00.000-07:002015-04-05T16:17:58.012-07:00Old Dog in the 21st Century Let me begin by admitting that I am the "old dog." I began teaching back in a time when PCs did not exist. Neither did iPhones or iPads or Twitter or Tumblr . . . you get the iDea. Needless to say, I've spent the past couple of decades learning scads of "new tricks" -- enthusiastically, for the most part. But when I first started hearing about "brain theory" and various hypotheses that technology is "changing the way our children think," my initial reaction as an old TEXAN dog was, well, "B.S."<b><span style="color: blue;">*</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">*</span></b><i>Cow patty bingo -- Google it.</i></div>
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<i> </i>A few years back, though, my colleagues and I started to notice something strange -- strange, <i>even for middle school students.</i> (And <b>that's</b> saying something.) When presented with a list of tasks, most students started with Task #1 and methodically worked their way down the list. That's what "everyone" does, right? Wrong. Periodically, we'd spot a random student who would start his work with Task #4. <b><i>Or</i></b> he would begin with Task #1 but then skip around, picking and choosing the order that he preferred. What???</div>
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At first, we teachers chalked it up to middle school squirreliness, something found in abundance on campuses nationwide. But as we noted the phenomenon with increasing frequency, we began to suspect that something was afoot. Why on Earth were children suddenly incapable of following a simple list of instructions?</div>
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A glimmer of insight emerged one day in the library as I observed a student working at the computer with our librarian, Paulette Rodriguez (See <a href="http://www.myjunkobsession.com/">http://www.myjunkobsession.com/</a>).</div>
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"Eggbert,<b><span style="color: blue;">**</span></b> stop clicking all over the screen," admonished Mrs. Rodriguez. "Just go to the list of steps I've provided and follow them one by one."</div>
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After class, as Paulette and I stood scratching our heads over the mysterious ways of the preteen, Paulette said, "Did you notice how he was clicking all over the screen? It was as if he were playing a video game!"</div>
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Had we been cartoon characters, that would have been the moment for light bulbs to appear above our heads. Oh. My. Gosh. After years and years of video gaming, some students are <i>so oriented</i> toward the "point and click" approach to seeking information, <b>linear thinking is no longer their default strategy</b>. [The writer pauses a moment for readers to pick up their jaws.]</div>
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Fast forward to third period Language Arts today. Even before roll call, Alistair -- an 8th grader NOT renowned for his linear thinking -- fluttered around me, anxiously asking endless questions about every item on the starter list. Mustering as much as patience as I could pretend in that moment to have, I requested that he go to his desk and begin doing Task #1.</div>
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"I'll answer your questions in just a minute."</div>
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After the usual start-of-class minutia, I called everyone's attention to the Smart Board rather than single out Alistair's confusion. Pointing at Task #1, I announced, "This is where we will begin for today. After completing that assignment, you will return your Chromebook to the cart, move on to Task #2 and, eventually, begin Task #3."</div>
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Oh. My. Gosh. Even as I was speaking, the realization hit me: Alistair is one of those "nonlinear kids." When he looks at the SmartBoard, he doesn't see a list of discrete tasks that he knows to tackle one by one; he sees it like a gaming screen with neither a clue about where to begin nor an understanding that the tasks are presented in the order they are to be completed. No WONDER he always seems to be on the wrong task! </div>
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The moral of this story? Take a few minutes at the start of each school year to explain the concept of "following lists" to your students. Something so obvious to "old dogs" like me might actually be a foreign concept to children born after Y2K. Weird, huh?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">**</span>Children's names have been changed to protect the innocent. All the adults are guilty as charged.</div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-35243449694533596912015-03-29T14:17:00.001-07:002015-03-29T14:17:10.055-07:00Twitter, Tumblr, and A Curious Tale of the In-Between A few months ago, I first saw the amazing cover art for Lauren DeStefano's upcoming novel, <i>A Curious Tale of the In-Between.</i><br />
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Knowing my students would find it compelling, I laminated 25 copies and placed one on each desk with this message: </div>
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"<i>The artwork for your new book jacket just came in! Please submit your final draft so we can publish as quickly as possible."</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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As expected, the resulting tales were wildly varied and vastly entertaining. I believe that the students had as much fun with the writing as they did with the oral sharing.</div>
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I did <u>not</u> expect what happened next.</div>
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Prowling around on Twitter a few evenings later, I actually bumped into Lauren DeStefano herself, fielding compliments on <i>A Curious Tale</i>'s fanciful artwork. Emboldened by the success of my students' written responses, I sent her this tweet:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hFP0RVTwhtYe4SctXRo584MxJHdabKsqjNSSpdIrMI7M6afCGcLpNDgyE6UIgUl3H6rvlaeb3YLLXqCmxjyunpi9ZsI0KCAbB9e5dMD7N70EYL-x8_atAqg2VuSpJXS8-CKNIjTwLnK1/s1600/tumblr_njbl2amBTE1r3tviuo1_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hFP0RVTwhtYe4SctXRo584MxJHdabKsqjNSSpdIrMI7M6afCGcLpNDgyE6UIgUl3H6rvlaeb3YLLXqCmxjyunpi9ZsI0KCAbB9e5dMD7N70EYL-x8_atAqg2VuSpJXS8-CKNIjTwLnK1/s1600/tumblr_njbl2amBTE1r3tviuo1_1280.png" height="310" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a lifelong book nerd, I have always regarded published authors with the level of reverence and awe most Americans reserve for Hollywood celebrities. For Ms. DeStefano to respond to my tweet was exciting enough. For her to make an such an offer was thrilling beyond belief! </div>
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You can imagine the hubbub in my eighth-grade class when I announced their opportunity for digital publication. Everyone polished up his original draft that evening, and in class the next day, we had a round robin reading. The students' desks were arranged in a circle, and papers were silently read and passed clockwise until each one made its way back to its author. Upon my signal, students glued a foil star to their favorite story, and the six papers with the most stars awarded were sent to Ms. Stefano's Tumblr site: "<i><a href="http://laurendestefano.tumblr.com/post/110194045325/dear-ms-stefano-as-you-can-imagine-my-8th">That sounded better in my head.</a>"</i></div>
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True to her word, Lauren DeStefano posted their creations the next day, making six eighth-grade authors feel like the real deal. In return, she won a whole new fanbase here in Austin, Texas, six of whom will undoubtedly buy her book!</div>
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I've attached their work below if you would care to see the creative writing one amazing picture can inspire among your students!</div>
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<b>Claire K</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">A Curious Tale of the In-Between</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
I don’t know my name. I am 17. And I am alone.</div>
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I have been alone for a long time, longer than I care to remember. When I try to bring together the pieces of memories of my past, they don’t make sense to me. They are like bent, damaged puzzle pieces; I know they are supposed to fit together, but it is impossible to make them do so.</div>
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I live in a dreamlike state. I live in a world inside my head, a world where the sky is dull and the lake is clear and flower petals float down from the single spindly tree. I live in a world where I am alone. I sit on the edge of the water, my feet tucked under me and my head tilted downward, gazing at my own reflection, and I think. Confusing memories flood my mind, thoughts and ideas that I don’t understand. I stay awake; I never sleep. I don’t eat, but I never starve. The only thing I do-the only thing I know how to do-is think.</div>
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I am sitting by the water, lost in my thoughts, when I notice a shape appear behind me. A boy. He looks at me, his stare penetrating my isolated world.</div>
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“Hey.” The word sounds strange to me. Distant.</div>
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“You’re…in a mental hospital. Treatment. And I’m not sure if you’re even listening but you should know that I’m waiting for you to come back.”</div>
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With that sentence, my jumbled memories finally begin to mean something.</div>
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Each day, the boy continues to break his way into my world, and each day, my confusion lessens. On the ninth visit, I remember the boy’s name. On the tenth, I remember my own. And by the eleventh, I know that someday the boy will be able to pull me out of my little world and back into reality.</div>
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<b>Ryan B</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">The Curious Tale of the In-Between</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Stephanie Baines has a special talent. Some girls are good at dancing. Other girls sing. Stephanie… she can see the dead. But not without a reflective surface. For instance, if Stephanie looked around, she would see nothing unordinary. But if she looked in the reflection of the water in front of her, she could very clearly see the boy standing behind her, watching her. Of course, the dead never know she sees them. No one else can, so why would she? So when Stephanie said something to him, he was surprised. So surprised that he stopped dancing around and making faces at her!</div>
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“Can you teach me how to dance like that?” she joked.</div>
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His face turned bright red. “Why can you see me? How?” he asked her.</div>
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She just smiled at him and giggled. “Next time, think again before you embarrass yourself like that. There are more of us than you think.” Stephanie was lying of course, but the boy didn’t know that.</div>
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And so began the tale of Stephanie and the boy in the reflection. They became good friends, those two, and made many memories together. As time passed, Stephanie grew older, but John never aged.</div>
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Over time, the unlikely friends grew further and further apart. Stephanie Baines left for college one day. She never saw the pond or the strange boy again.</div>
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<b>Emily M</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">A Curious Tale of the In-Between</span></b></div>
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Lucy Kale lives among the dead. The odd thing is, she is alive, but all of her friends are dead. Her best friend, Tyler, drowned in a pond at the neighborhood park when they were only eight. Most have forgotten Tyler, but Lucy hasn’t. To her, Tyler is very much alive. She sees him every time she goes to the park where he died, in the reflection of the pond. Tyler always asks her to come with him into the depths of the water. For years she has refused, but one day, Lucy finally jumped in.</div>
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Something unexpected happened. She was surrounded by people, average people, like someone you’d see in a shop. Lucy looked around, curious of how this was possible. She was underwater, for goodness sake!</div>
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Tyler watched her expression, then whispered into her ear, “We are the In-Between. We’re dead, but only according to the living. We feel we’re still alive, but not ready to leave just yet.”</div>
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Lucy observed the people around her. They all appeared to be under the age of 15.</div>
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“I don’t understand,” she said, scared.</div>
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Tyler didn’t react with sympathy. Instead, he took her hand and led her down a dark, narrow path, saying, “You will one day.”</div>
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<b>Elena A</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Joe’s Pond</span></b></div>
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As soon as the school bell rang, Margaret slammed her books shut and ran outside to her bicycle. She straddled it and rode away, just as her friends were discussing a game of cricket.</div>
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Riding through the small Yorkshire town of Wetherby, Margaret passed St. John’s Church, the bakery, and Mrs. Meade’s flower shop. Every person that saw her clatter by on the red bike seemed to cluck their tongue sorrowfully as if to say, “Poor girl.”</div>
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She rode until she reached Dolly’s Corner, an old, undeveloped field on the Morton farm. Margaret skittered to a stop, a mix of anxiety and anticipation overtaking her. She looked left and right, for this was her secret, and no one could know.</div>
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Certain that no one was watching her, Margaret began to step carefully toward the pond, curling her fists nervously. A cool breeze rustled the cattails as Margaret looked down at her reflection, mesmerized. Sure enough, there he was. Her brother Joe. Killed in action at the Battle of the Somme.</div>
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“Hello, Joe,” she breathed.</div>
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“Hi, sis.” His voice seemed to come to her on the wind. She whirled around, hoping against hope that he would really be standing behind her. He wasn’t.</div>
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Looking back into the pond, Joe was gone.</div>
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<b>Amanda T</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">A Curious Tale of the In-Between</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Lucy is different. Of course she doesn’t think she is, but everyone else does. Countless therapist appointments and trips to the doctor didn’t really do anything for her. She never told anyone about the boy.</div>
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The boy is everywhere she goes, the boy who never ages, the boy who has watched her grow up. She never told the countless therapists, doctors, or even her parents. She was too smart for that. He never really talked or did anything to conceal himself in reflections; he just stared. Lucy just stared back.</div>
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She came up with theories of what he could be, maybe a ghost, or one of those people from <i>Tuck Everlasting</i> who never aged. She always saw him as a comfort, but of course, no one else could see him. </div>
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Finally, Lucy couldn’t take it anymore and asked him the question she’d been wanting to ask for a very long time. “Who are you?”</div>
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Just as she expected, he only stared, but she could’ve sworn she saw something in his eyes. Amusement? Anger?</div>
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She brushed him off and just sat at the edge of the pond staring. Just as she had done for ten years. She stuck in her toes, but was pulled under by none other than mysterious boy. He hugged her, and when she came back up, she was shocked. Never in her life had someone actually showed he cared. She never saw the boy after that day. She was happy and reached out to her parents.</div>
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All grown up, the girl returned and just as she had done for many years she looked in the pond. The boy was there. She smiled, he winked, and she left without a word.</div>
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<b>Samantha K</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">A Curious Tale of the In-Between</span></b></div>
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“Get away!” she screamed. The girl was running towards the pond. She had mud all over her clothes. Her arms and legs were caked with blood. She had to get out of this awful place, this nightmare. The girl tripped, but continued to drag herself closer to the pond, digging her nails into the moist dirt.</div>
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Something pierced her skin. “Please, let me go,” she whimpered. She was only a couple of feet away from the pond. Something kept scratching her leg, tearing her flesh. The girl didn’t dare look behind her. She was focusing on the pond. Rolling with the last of her strength, she splashed into the shallow water.</div>
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The girl pushed her head under water then came back up to the surface. She was home. A small cottage was right in front of her, and her friend that only she could see stood right next to the pond.</div>
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“I can’t believe you used to live there,” said the girl.</div>
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The boy smiled, “Now I live here, but you know the plan. I’ll be gone soon.”</div>
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“Jane! Come inside for dinner!”</div>
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“Mom is calling me. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She raced out of the pond. Her clothes were ruined, but there was no sign of blood, and the pain had left her.</div>
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The next day, Jane put her plan into action. “Hey, Thomas. Ready?” With a nod of his head, her friend had disappeared. The pond started shining. There was a flash. Jane jumped in the water and lifted her head. Her little cottage was there, and her friend was there, too. They were both in the pond now, stuck there forever.</div>
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-49868073364030787932015-03-28T12:44:00.000-07:002018-04-07T16:11:28.345-07:00An LA Teacher's Dream Come True Yesterday was the day students were assigned to enter the room with rough drafts in hand, ready to begin the peer-editing process. Class started with the usual bustling around, exchanging papers, and procuring the all-important color pens required for the task. Eventually, everyone settled in to reading each other's text . . . and something wonderful happened.<br />
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Utter silence fell over the room as the students became absorbed by their work. After a while, conversations flared up: Partners began asking questions, offering suggestions, collaborating toward the goal of refining each other's work. Students asked <i>me</i> questions, too -- good ones. Questions that went waaaay past mechanics and into the realm of style and tone. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK5TAWWiiBK0bvjFgvlGLMUlhPLDrEOM1fYWuq369Z1SSdk8IiENbY2Dn9dC7p6VABDivL7sM9RgWq4d_72QStruapjSFr6jfq1WeoClXSP7mPxY4fuZ9ZJTH39O2ZSBgfzukIy9Qkg1Z/s1600/editing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK5TAWWiiBK0bvjFgvlGLMUlhPLDrEOM1fYWuq369Z1SSdk8IiENbY2Dn9dC7p6VABDivL7sM9RgWq4d_72QStruapjSFr6jfq1WeoClXSP7mPxY4fuZ9ZJTH39O2ZSBgfzukIy9Qkg1Z/s1600/editing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A lot of the students weren't satisfied with just one editor. Of their own accord, many sought out what I call "another set of eyeballs to roll across the page."<br />
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Did I mention that yesterday was a Friday? Yet such was the atmosphere of every class in Room 213E, straight through to the final bell of the day. I didn't feel like a middle school Language Arts teacher: I felt like a paid professional consultant at a writers' workshop. (If only I'd had a video camera.) I can't wait to read what they've written!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbcKUJtKEDJSKTyKPvGCm4BDUomttJ2bO5Te0fXzt9qdUFfKOkCLFQcnCubAiQ53yavJPkEpNSB7cGuEupr6-7taFhg2PV6F2CbBwByDp3U9ugxFRCrtr44Fhg3mb-MOHjHm2ZXfIswrj/s1600/long+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbcKUJtKEDJSKTyKPvGCm4BDUomttJ2bO5Te0fXzt9qdUFfKOkCLFQcnCubAiQ53yavJPkEpNSB7cGuEupr6-7taFhg2PV6F2CbBwByDp3U9ugxFRCrtr44Fhg3mb-MOHjHm2ZXfIswrj/s1600/long+road.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wonderful though yesterday was, I knew that it would come. It happens every year -- eventually. Each year, one of the hardest things for students (and their parents) to accept is that learning to write well is a long and difficult process. It's probably even more difficult for Americans, given our "quick fix" mindset. Lots of kids want to give up along the way, particularly if everything else in life comes easily to them. All a teacher can do is plug away at allaying their fears, offering advice and encouragement, and promising them that, eventually, the pieces will fall into place. <br />
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Yesterday just may have been that day.<br />
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-59531105512227596942015-02-16T17:26:00.000-08:002015-02-17T18:23:43.897-08:00Book Ledgerdemain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you've ever taken a single student to the library, then you know this is true: Kids are more likely to choose a book if they have seen its cover. Librarians know that. That's why these exist:</div>
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Book stores know it, too. That's why rows of books are occasionally interrupted by books that are shelved "face out."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitu3s-hbpuTJN7cAnrfxQGP11nK5gMo88S0g2eUgdhoJxQOfc_M3APJks2gGEP0zYho0Gg0p4ZfJ9Vq974p6YK_NJVdkdbmAyjA74t0FLcwjGp07lR4m01WQxkp-dWDYYRejMCNdLgGNMp/s1600/book+store+shelves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitu3s-hbpuTJN7cAnrfxQGP11nK5gMo88S0g2eUgdhoJxQOfc_M3APJks2gGEP0zYho0Gg0p4ZfJ9Vq974p6YK_NJVdkdbmAyjA74t0FLcwjGp07lR4m01WQxkp-dWDYYRejMCNdLgGNMp/s1600/book+store+shelves.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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So why don't Language Arts classrooms look like this: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLOFc9yL03xKSv3zRvqPv8WOMiaHoVDdreckH42PG7AgUiDf0_f-Gcu13KGASPek8f0F7ZoUw26iS52Gq6Khwj6ljba-P25-Kk8h3YRI3ustk6ygD6EkjveplEeeE0Cha9-lz9l_4tozP/s1600/Ledges+in+Classrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLOFc9yL03xKSv3zRvqPv8WOMiaHoVDdreckH42PG7AgUiDf0_f-Gcu13KGASPek8f0F7ZoUw26iS52Gq6Khwj6ljba-P25-Kk8h3YRI3ustk6ygD6EkjveplEeeE0Cha9-lz9l_4tozP/s1600/Ledges+in+Classrooms.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Is that not fabulous? I guarantee those books would fly off the ledges faster than a pigeon that's spotted an unprotected breadcrust. Here's another question: Why don't the other core classes have book ledges, too -- ledges displaying all that nonfiction text we want our kids to read?</div>
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And before you start up with the whole money thing, here's the link to a video about building $10 ledges:</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/9F5wr-cmalM">How to Build Picture Ledges with Ana White</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmdN08ik4BJkFWLVLinOn90bl1i_YmIXkRJv3Mu9EPRsCW3yEtmL92ARpCPGQvldIyxZ6bOY24PteDmBA601jt2z0SZfxeuWhNTCZW6AI0P7PXt_AtsWgtMgLfeUMRB-pTgYrA_LIE9dW/s1600/picture+ledges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmdN08ik4BJkFWLVLinOn90bl1i_YmIXkRJv3Mu9EPRsCW3yEtmL92ARpCPGQvldIyxZ6bOY24PteDmBA601jt2z0SZfxeuWhNTCZW6AI0P7PXt_AtsWgtMgLfeUMRB-pTgYrA_LIE9dW/s1600/picture+ledges.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The final product looks like this.</i></div>
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Every single person I've told this idea loves it. So why don't I have book ledges yet? I'm starting to worry they're hoping I'll forget about them.</div>
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But I won't. It's too good an idea. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9gkWHAVOkHTG1ySJm0DEqFjIUmT0JsfRLOtkGwHA80VewCS2F4JaC8PCjdeXNwAECyjPSKLdaZiQwXILtJeJQGAHgIsby41Xq-EgsmrswYKy0JvJazJGXRDUrO2YnpBIBPT7tniR3x3O/s1600/book+ledges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9gkWHAVOkHTG1ySJm0DEqFjIUmT0JsfRLOtkGwHA80VewCS2F4JaC8PCjdeXNwAECyjPSKLdaZiQwXILtJeJQGAHgIsby41Xq-EgsmrswYKy0JvJazJGXRDUrO2YnpBIBPT7tniR3x3O/s1600/book+ledges.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-72807217238508666462015-01-30T11:26:00.003-08:002018-04-07T16:11:00.562-07:00Einstein Read Fairy Tales<div style="text-align: center;">
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"You've got to kiss a lot of frogs in order to find your prince."<br />
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"Sometimes, an ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan."</div>
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"He's a regular Pied Piper with those kids!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyqpBu4mWj40fFmRmIgBbQUiCYVGtGW7CPBl3HT0jRUfx19v_s4jJcVYm9PdgZGG_cgIqBWtd-M-ljTz6AXAi-xKnHAg_W977FzF6m2vGSWd7xXhinmi9FVXRyROiZfA4BsaoeABWXNEK/s1600/fairy+tales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyqpBu4mWj40fFmRmIgBbQUiCYVGtGW7CPBl3HT0jRUfx19v_s4jJcVYm9PdgZGG_cgIqBWtd-M-ljTz6AXAi-xKnHAg_W977FzF6m2vGSWd7xXhinmi9FVXRyROiZfA4BsaoeABWXNEK/s400/fairy+tales.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
Fairy tales are tightly woven into the fabric of American culture, but fewer and fewer kids read them. In fact, if it weren't for the Walt Disney movies, a lot of kids would be completely unacquainted with those timeless tales. What a shame! Fortunately, though, savvy authors of children's and YA lit are spinning those yarns into literary gold -- and luring young readers back into the Grimm world of make-believe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhMSDToZJP4S4sFwzjrDglNBWzdM_6K-Mugm7iqW7xUoLDHuA1NEmzakniIEzSat9v6PRiJL5kfNpkYJxFkO-0A0TIDcda8gvLm06acCstoLai6PXI_CS-txeSAEOdBj1XDDUbVAjzRgI/s1600/marissa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhMSDToZJP4S4sFwzjrDglNBWzdM_6K-Mugm7iqW7xUoLDHuA1NEmzakniIEzSat9v6PRiJL5kfNpkYJxFkO-0A0TIDcda8gvLm06acCstoLai6PXI_CS-txeSAEOdBj1XDDUbVAjzRgI/s1600/marissa.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://thelunarchronicles.com/#http://www.thelunarchronicles.net/block-modal/7/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Tweet&utm_term=na&utm_content=-na_read_Excerpt-Online&utm_campaign=9781250060556">Click here</a> to read Chapter One</div>
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of <i>Fairest, </i>Marissa Meyers' latest fairy tale rewrite<i>.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-nL74WXfXV8Jfq743S8tK1pSjye5IRB2tOTDLCw8T9iXc55537G9F5BvpVA3P60CxjiWbpxeDyC0lYUNhCdkoXlkLxM4F-VPuVP6Te7kjY-K_KxCYGHQyTW7lq6KAlgh_4_jcmUH2jtv/s1600/fairest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-nL74WXfXV8Jfq743S8tK1pSjye5IRB2tOTDLCw8T9iXc55537G9F5BvpVA3P60CxjiWbpxeDyC0lYUNhCdkoXlkLxM4F-VPuVP6Te7kjY-K_KxCYGHQyTW7lq6KAlgh_4_jcmUH2jtv/s1600/fairest.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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But wait! There's more!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYKT5qICenGGSIJnUGEpDGgsXkWe1UoN77vdozKvBDvPTezi2Y-eCrODhU1mNSmCksycQAuWwEQfUnV8KhXOgEElhrqm-lcgpycIWPFAmaqvKyvbTmYPHTDXZsALvdei641gtSb9ytaR4/s1600/Fairy+Tale+slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYKT5qICenGGSIJnUGEpDGgsXkWe1UoN77vdozKvBDvPTezi2Y-eCrODhU1mNSmCksycQAuWwEQfUnV8KhXOgEElhrqm-lcgpycIWPFAmaqvKyvbTmYPHTDXZsALvdei641gtSb9ytaR4/s1600/Fairy+Tale+slide.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.epicreads.com/blog/an-epic-chart-of-162-young-adult-retellings/">Click Here for an Epic Downloadable Chart of YA Fairy Tale Retellings</a></div>
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from www.epicreads.com.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> The following lesson plan sprinkles a trail of bread crumbs back to the enchanted forest. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Our tour guide? Rumpelstiltskin.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJqY9uV3THUYrrUb4aSUyMhfYZ2FPS75icTNu35bAtwa2QfvRCCtWyWPVA-1QykKid574h7eyELnFxrIttHHDKXSnhhZSu3mcLd4oK0Kw4crRUDJ1cKHPxPVFz5QVbqXFvvgv2zKzNPFe/s1600/rumpelstiltskin+Rabbit+Ears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJqY9uV3THUYrrUb4aSUyMhfYZ2FPS75icTNu35bAtwa2QfvRCCtWyWPVA-1QykKid574h7eyELnFxrIttHHDKXSnhhZSu3mcLd4oK0Kw4crRUDJ1cKHPxPVFz5QVbqXFvvgv2zKzNPFe/s1600/rumpelstiltskin+Rabbit+Ears.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><b>Day One</b></u>: </div>
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As the students read along with Kathleen Turner's wonderful performance for Rabbit Ears Audio, they sharpened their <b>character analysis </b>skills by seeking out <b>text evidence</b> to support <b>inferences </b>about the King:</div>
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Because they are middle school students, we also discussed all sorts of outrageous "wonders" about the plot:</div>
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"If he can spin straw into gold, why does he want her ring and her necklace?"</div>
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"What does he want the baby for?" (((<i>EW!!!!)))</i></div>
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"What IS Rumpelstiltskin?"</div>
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<u><b>Day Two</b></u>: </div>
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We got out our composition books for a <b>creative writing</b> activity stolen straight from a review of Gary D. Schmidt's <i>Straw </i><i>into Gold:</i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #bf9000;">"</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;">What would have happened if the queen had failed to guess Rumpelstiltskin's name and the odd </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px;">little man had taken her child? Why did he want the young </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px;">prince?" </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px;">Fast forward ten years into the future and tell the story of the prince who was taken </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px;">by Rumpelstiltskin.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"> The students had a blast entertaining each other with their scary, hilarious, and outright </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">ridiculous visions of the boy's future while I was able to interject questions and observations </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">about </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">setting, point of view, foreshadowing, hyperbole, etc, without their even </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">realizing </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">we were reviewing elements of literature -- (kind of an educational equivalent to </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">slipping the dog's heartworm pill into a Snausage).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"> After abundant time to enjoy each other's stories, I sent the students to "<i><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/st-theresa.org/document/d/1gUziQf9b6-Yejn26Ij_OoEu__MHVgnE58e3JUrCuPaE/edit">Rumpelstiltskin Rewrites</a>,</i>" a list of books in which <i>Rumplestiltskin</i> and other fairy tales have been reimagined as YA fiction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"> This lesson plan works . . . well, like magic with sixth, seventh, <i>and</i> eighth grade students. During SSR the following week, students were spotted reading </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">Adam Gidwtiz' </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">A Tale Dark & Grimm,</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"> Marissa Meyer's <i>Cinder</i> and <i>Fairest</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">,</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;"> </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>and</b> a collection of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">Grimm's Fairy Tales</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">.</span></div>
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For a description of a dream class come true, see <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2015/03/yesterday.html">An LA Teacher's Dream Come True</a></div>
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-56114335664742709082015-01-25T14:53:00.000-08:002018-04-18T11:32:50.322-07:00Print and Post Have you noticed that technology policies meant to protect our students can sometimes cut them off from really good info? Here's how I smuggle an occasional tidbit past the Educational Cone of Silence:<br />
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<b>Tweet of the Week</b>!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUb5zqhda5_eBJpSEfvz8a2wGm3lkDSmtqzwx9FFi0AlBfNrA_1LqKCubEC59GlHYShfUS0naMDFyyyhWRtwaLn6lrOH1Zo6Eh3k6dzBD5jJAJ9K-2BMXDSNGsG_WSLlpeHEFBz6adj0u-/s1600/Tweet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUb5zqhda5_eBJpSEfvz8a2wGm3lkDSmtqzwx9FFi0AlBfNrA_1LqKCubEC59GlHYShfUS0naMDFyyyhWRtwaLn6lrOH1Zo6Eh3k6dzBD5jJAJ9K-2BMXDSNGsG_WSLlpeHEFBz6adj0u-/s1600/Tweet1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While I have no desire to be "tweeps" with my middle school students, they definitely need to hear what many of my contacts have to say, SO . . .</div>
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<b>Tweet of the Week</b>!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxII8xntHgaf7LSI7cYtzSzhpVNow6gVR2UDpIEwzSZ2lIgldPqdEFN-28SBQTwCLLCjpQ1dzKqqFfG_OOf-udvP4USFMrhYR-NzBmKZ5sldx3lNVFByOwNahWH8SksWwRPqwQUw03PB6/s1600/Tweet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxII8xntHgaf7LSI7cYtzSzhpVNow6gVR2UDpIEwzSZ2lIgldPqdEFN-28SBQTwCLLCjpQ1dzKqqFfG_OOf-udvP4USFMrhYR-NzBmKZ5sldx3lNVFByOwNahWH8SksWwRPqwQUw03PB6/s1600/Tweet2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I snap a screenshot off my phone, <b>print </b>an 8 "X 10" of the image, <b>and post</b> it as the <b>Tweet of the Week! </b>in my classroom. (For instructions on taking screenshots on your Smartphone, consult the nearest teenager.) Not only do students hear new voices recommending great books, Twitter users can "follow" wonderful new resources for "books to read" -- <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/110610389956950417131" target="_blank">+Fierce Reads</a>, @colbysharp, @nerdybookclub, etc.</div>
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Since few things are more motivating to middle school students than the prospect of being "first" with anything -- fashion, technology, and, yes, books -- Twitter is also my favorite resource for "Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You!"</div>
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<a href="http://thelunarchronicles.com/#http://www.thelunarchronicles.net/block-modal/7/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Tweet&utm_term=na&utm_content=-na_read_Excerpt-Online&utm_campaign=9781250060556">Read the first chapter here!</a></div>
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<u>Step 1</u>: <b>Print</b> <b>and</b> <b>post </b>covers of soon to be released titles. </div>
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<u>Step 2</u>: Mention the books in class. </div>
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<u>Step 3</u>: Fan the flames of anticipation.</div>
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<u>Step 4</u>: Chuckle diabolically.<br />
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<u>Step 5</u>: When the book arrives, display it on a whiteboard tray with the note "<b style="color: red;">It's FINALLY </b><br />
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One last thing, teachers (and this is a tip that can save you time <i>and</i> money): Because I was spending the last week before school moving 24 years of teaching materials into my new classroom, I ran out of time to craft one of those glorious displays of yesteryear. Panicked and feeling more than a little lame, I just started tacking interesting stuff onto a pristine corkboard. (I didn't even cover it with blue butcher paper. The horror!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6LqyUDVc4NzlcHcqfIi1xCVe4SWCqSPSt8tgNCdzIWXUgyxhFDlskNuiJOKOFVzX3wbRcfuWd6UXoBYD-uDhz3KNfJI4K2VIWa8UZ5x1E9j_wB3nObY6D8xer8k7rbjwyTPzrQY2KlJz/s1600/Bulletin+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6LqyUDVc4NzlcHcqfIi1xCVe4SWCqSPSt8tgNCdzIWXUgyxhFDlskNuiJOKOFVzX3wbRcfuWd6UXoBYD-uDhz3KNfJI4K2VIWa8UZ5x1E9j_wB3nObY6D8xer8k7rbjwyTPzrQY2KlJz/s1600/Bulletin+board.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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My students LOOK AT IT, probably because my shame stopped me from making A Big Honkin' Deal of it. Also, it's constantly changing. They sometimes refer to the quotes and comix during our class discussions. Now, I do, too. While theme-free bulletin boards are probably illegal in most elementary schools, you middle school wranglers might want to give this a try. <br />
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<b>Once upon a time, kids read fairy tales</b>. <i>The Sustained Reader </i>explains why they should be reading them still: <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2015/01/once-upon-time-kids-read-fairy-tales.html">Once Upon a Time, Kids Read Fairy Tales</a> .</div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-66865499134127906272015-01-17T14:17:00.001-08:002018-04-18T12:19:44.246-07:00Cultivating Life-Long Readers<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span> </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As an educator, your reading habits were set long ago. It’s been ages since your last homework assignment, yet you’re currently embroiled in a great read, </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the next one is already chosen. (In fact, it’s queued up in your Kindle or in a pile by your side of the bed.) For you, reading isn't just fun; it's a way of life. Over time, certain reading behaviors permanently claimed their spots in your daily, weekly, and monthly routines. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMyt3o5FRLGewxXuZ5h6oUxqpNZfR1XK99VO284w7KmAfCG-crmNoSncMFVr9l9oZ_H3ri6hSnxWCM5BcuMkuBXvTfgNrJU4-9uVq75KYkljlbjUUhzkUGChtj36p-pgVXRNYiUOgFZz7/s1600/reading+bathtub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMyt3o5FRLGewxXuZ5h6oUxqpNZfR1XK99VO284w7KmAfCG-crmNoSncMFVr9l9oZ_H3ri6hSnxWCM5BcuMkuBXvTfgNrJU4-9uVq75KYkljlbjUUhzkUGChtj36p-pgVXRNYiUOgFZz7/s1600/reading+bathtub.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This, I think, is how we make life-long readers of our students: We don’t assign them materials to read. So often, they’re not ready for or just </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>not interested</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the books we teachers require. Don't take it personally. Let them read what they want, but integrate the behaviors and attitudes of life-long readers into </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">their</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> daily routines. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Step One</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of this process is for you, the Language Arts teacher, to borrow or buy </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Book Whisperer</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a real career-changing read. In just one weekend, Donalyn Miller convinced me that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">self-selected</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reading is the only way to go with my LA students, a conviction that continues to grow. Self-selected reading is a much more authentic reading experience, and -- even better -- getting the right book into every students' hands becomes their responsibility! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaKptZTBojs0oybV2Ma7pBb-Md3ZkRfr4migou_Cyu-JUI3s_aOqnKg6xw5V-P3HLNRSHzspRGdLvXgmCGU4X1HynPdpZ_OMXc61J4FfXuj6eCwLWlmm9OhFTVb_YcdpFr8eH-5dE_2T1/s1600/reading+book+whisperer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaKptZTBojs0oybV2Ma7pBb-Md3ZkRfr4migou_Cyu-JUI3s_aOqnKg6xw5V-P3HLNRSHzspRGdLvXgmCGU4X1HynPdpZ_OMXc61J4FfXuj6eCwLWlmm9OhFTVb_YcdpFr8eH-5dE_2T1/s1600/reading+book+whisperer.jpg" width="238" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Whisperer-Awakening-Inner-Reader/dp/0470372273/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420923926&sr=1-1&keywords=the+book+whisperer+by+donalyn+miller"><i>The Book Whisperer</i> by Donalyn Miller</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Book Whisperer</i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> doesn't persuade you, then take a peek at <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/readingreport/">Scholastic's Kids and Family Reading Report 2015</a>. As far as I'm concerned, this is the most important finding in the survey:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Ninety-one percent</b> of children ages 6-17 say "my favorite books are the ones that I have picked out myself."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 14.72px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span>Step Two</b></span><span style="line-height: 14.72px; vertical-align: baseline;">, one that involves a great deal of time and effort, is teaching your students a variety of ways to make successful independent reading choices. <a href="https://bitly.com/a/bitlinks/1nTmRsm">(See "So Many Books, So Little Time" for a list of preliminary ideas.)</a> </span><span style="line-height: 14.72px; vertical-align: baseline;"> This step, for some students, will take the entire school year. You cannot give up on their learning this skill, though, and you cannot let even one student give up. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 14.7199993133545px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 14.7199993133545px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step Three:</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 14.7199993133545px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Keep Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) at the heart of your LA curriculum. Make reading, and writing about reading, and talking about reading the number one priority in your lesson plans. Even after four years of structuring my lessons around SSR, I'll find myself "borrowing" time for less important activities. But it doesn't take long for the kids to snap me back in line.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> "SSR? Yay!" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> One never tires of hearing <i>this</i> instead of [<i>groan</i>] "We have to <b>read</b> today?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <b>Step Four: </b>Litter your classroom with books: Fill up shelves, line whiteboard trays and window sills, snag an unused book cart - find any way you can to display books. Because students are more likely to investigate a book when they see its cover, I've invested in a bunch of those plastic book stands you see in your school library. Eventually, I'd like to have one classroom wall covered with book display ledges</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unbelievably, every online image I found for this idea is shown in nurseries, or it features books for elementary-age kids. Why? Middle school kids would love this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <b>Step Five: </b>Think like a grocer and move your product around. You know the psychology behind that practice -- it works with books, too. Every month I feature a different <b>genre</b> of books on the rolling cart. We research the genre. We watch trailers about books from the genre. I buy new books from the genre and display them at the front of the room on the whiteboard tray. One year, in the crazy two weeks before Christmas vacation, I neglected to make that change. Kids started asking me why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <b>Step Six: </b>You want students to borrow your books? Ask if you can borrow theirs. Then recommend the good ones to your classes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <b>Step Seven: </b>Convince your colleagues to keep a bookshelf of nonfiction books and magazines about their content area as an option for students who complete assignments quickly. Students shouldn't associate reading with Language Arts alone. Content materials should be displayed in every classroom!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Step Nine? </b>I bet you've already thought of it as you've been reading this list. Put it into action this week -- and don't forget to Tweet it to me <a href="https://twitter.com/">@paula1mchale</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are your school's technology restriction's "protecting" your students from valuable input? Here's how to circumvent the problem:<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2015/01/print-and-post.html">Print and Post</a></span></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-59901414839280356812015-01-10T16:03:00.002-08:002018-04-18T12:11:23.337-07:00Judging a Book by Its Cover About six years ago, my school librarian enthusiastically recommended a "<i>great book</i>" she thought I'd love. Because of her amazing skill as a literary matchmaker, I took the novel from her hands and examined the cover --<i><b> Ewwwww</b></i>! The only image on a completely black background appeared to be some sort of abstract pulley system, and -- <i>where were the people</i>, for gosh sakes? In homage to her glorious suggestions from days past, though, I felt bound to pretend I might read this book as well. <br />
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<i> Look over book jacket. Count to five. Look inside. Count to five. Assume expression of regret that I'd already made my decision for today.</i><br />
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Smiling, I thanked her for the recommendation and handed back the text, promising to pick it up "next time," much in the way people vow to "get together for coffee sometime."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7iD4qJys33XKQYUqBIMPtfxgfGwijFcbvfR-LPPJhtP8PkeJ733YuqplCOfrnj8qxLBmPPEPQKbg7tpuTmy_M_ww5cvOtvjbY24n88Wy2drZHFt9GNSMkN1OUdfBaVXzaCWYBFPGt39t/s1600/question+mark.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7iD4qJys33XKQYUqBIMPtfxgfGwijFcbvfR-LPPJhtP8PkeJ733YuqplCOfrnj8qxLBmPPEPQKbg7tpuTmy_M_ww5cvOtvjbY24n88Wy2drZHFt9GNSMkN1OUdfBaVXzaCWYBFPGt39t/s1600/question+mark.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://amsjournal.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/hungergamescover.jpg">Click here to see the book I ignored because of its cover.</a> </i></div>
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Yep. For a full year, I successfully avoided the 'mind-numbing drudgery' of reading <i>The Hunger Games, </i>all because I'd judged a book by its cover.</div>
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My students eat that story up, mainly because I come across as such a nincompoop. But when the hooting and jeering dies down, I ask who has made the same mistake. Nobody? Back before the movie let the cat out of the bag, I would hold up a copy of <i>The Invention of Hugo Cabaret </i>by Brian Selznick.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyocsToj0LlXUaNS6JZ5gb4QYI5cLCcogE5tdbpJ7LtfQ5CEFro-SiF5hBCN3FyXqkcD6MtPM_YPBYEIwt2j8mxCbTi2c-pj_o9aPMrg65exuWST-EUV3ZgMNOQWzL1rVH4N0yUodHq7O/s1600/The_Invention_of_Hugo_Cabret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyocsToj0LlXUaNS6JZ5gb4QYI5cLCcogE5tdbpJ7LtfQ5CEFro-SiF5hBCN3FyXqkcD6MtPM_YPBYEIwt2j8mxCbTi2c-pj_o9aPMrg65exuWST-EUV3ZgMNOQWzL1rVH4N0yUodHq7O/s1600/The_Invention_of_Hugo_Cabret.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Invention-Hugo-Cabret-Brian-Selznick/dp/0439813786/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421001336&sr=1-1&keywords=the+invention+of+hugo+cabret">The Invention of Hugo Cabret</a> </i>by Brian Selznick</span></div>
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"Really? How many of you would choose this book?"</div>
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[<i>chirping crickets</i>]</div>
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"Why not?" </div>
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"It's too LONG!" <b>Obviously</b> -- <i>until</i> I showed them the inside: white space, chapters that are one paragraph long, page after page of illustrations. Before long, multiple copies graced our library shelves, the result of supply and demand.</div>
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At the opposite end of this "judgy" spectrum is the Rabbit Ears version of Rudyard Kipling's <i>How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin</i>. My closest brush ever with full-blown mutiny transpired the day I pulled out that book for seventh and eighth grade students. While Jack Nicholson's performance was sure to delight them -- not to mention the music and sound effects by Bobby McFerrin -- the illustrations were an utter affront to their adolescent dignity. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Rhinoceros-Skin-Rabbit-Ears/dp/1591977509/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421001535&sr=1-2&keywords=how+the+rhinoceros+got+his+skin">How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin</a> (Rabbit Ears edition) </i>by Rudyard Kipling</span></div>
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"Wait -- <b><i>no way</i></b>! That's a BABY BOOK!" Sigh.</div>
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Fortunately, I had forearmed myself with the story's Lexile level <b>-- 1030</b>, well within the range expected both of seventh and eighth grade readers. Projecting Googled evidence onto the screen -- (because if it's on Google, it's GOT to be true) -- the students dismounted their high horses and settled in for a perfectly enjoyable read with more than one vocabulary word to leave them scratching their heads. Kids.</div>
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While I've long been aware how important a book's appearance is to kids, Jeff Kinney -- that sly rascal -- has spun the knowledge into literary gold with the <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i> series. In my opinion, Jeff Kinney is one of the most brilliant minds in children's literature, not because of his appealing stories and clever illustrations, but because of this one simple realization: lots of middle school kids don't read because they just aren't ready for tiny print, little white space, and zero illustrations. From that understanding, Greg Heffley was born, and reluctant readers everywhere found their hero. (I still occasionally sob into my pillow at night for not having the idea first.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bDNKKYZ-j8JIK3d1bxFnbFKUrZuvVHvD6RFg8fPqhYS_8oE6IWbIzf-NeEoOxxkhQXPmM2_14U7P2QBSpRONTOfCLq570q8SggkB2zWQ_Yu8ETjn_Jvut_ws4aNOPfZlILBNoMqQLGVd/s1600/Wimpy+Kid+innards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bDNKKYZ-j8JIK3d1bxFnbFKUrZuvVHvD6RFg8fPqhYS_8oE6IWbIzf-NeEoOxxkhQXPmM2_14U7P2QBSpRONTOfCLq570q8SggkB2zWQ_Yu8ETjn_Jvut_ws4aNOPfZlILBNoMqQLGVd/s1600/Wimpy+Kid+innards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Wimpy-Collection-Books-Kinney/dp/B005KPNK2U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421000013&sr=8-1&keywords=diary+of+a+wimpy+kid+series">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</a> innards</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo2atJqGuTzNddvtg9qU-15xIUX9QLYsduXmpGbKHWkF-WvyvT7Yj28VZGvYrNClnEX1WdFVz4NZksTzyZ7Kj1om1g3YR9ZZjS7ijlpg_ug8CmiUPKI9bsYiGGXORtebxpyFdP3xp_kcI/s1600/wimpy+kid+outards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo2atJqGuTzNddvtg9qU-15xIUX9QLYsduXmpGbKHWkF-WvyvT7Yj28VZGvYrNClnEX1WdFVz4NZksTzyZ7Kj1om1g3YR9ZZjS7ijlpg_ug8CmiUPKI9bsYiGGXORtebxpyFdP3xp_kcI/s1600/wimpy+kid+outards.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Wimpy-Kid-Long-Haul/dp/141971189X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421000123&sr=1-1&keywords=diary+of+a+wimpy+kid+the+long+haul">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</a> outards</span></div>
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<i>Don't judge a book by its cover</i>. We've all heard and probably repeated that timeworn adage, yet adults and schoolkids persist. Knowing that can help us lead students to books they'd never choose for themselves.</div>
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<i><u>Author's note</u>: This blog is dedicated to Sally Odenwald, librarian and literary matchmaker </i></div>
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<i> </i><i>extraordinaire.</i></div>
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Language Arts teachers want their students to become life-long readers, but do we really have the power to effect that outcome? Click here for The Sustained Reader's take on <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2015/01/can-teachers-cultivate-life-long-readers.html">Cultivating Life-Long Readers</a>.</div>
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-77931252360588473632014-12-13T10:15:00.000-08:002018-01-21T18:17:06.730-08:00A Funny Thing Happened As I Spied on My Students . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3GnriQaP-GEBwgrIExit0pL7hux4K0KXOXeH3iDj5O9cbBYAPS0fm6bmXK14jCELlG9j0X3kdRl0n_7dK5ZklEq9OzFqT0D6ZOA09E3y_I-jZwEINTsJ_dNMtaWIgiFFdsOvT15rqGOb/s1600/blinds2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3GnriQaP-GEBwgrIExit0pL7hux4K0KXOXeH3iDj5O9cbBYAPS0fm6bmXK14jCELlG9j0X3kdRl0n_7dK5ZklEq9OzFqT0D6ZOA09E3y_I-jZwEINTsJ_dNMtaWIgiFFdsOvT15rqGOb/s1600/blinds2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know I'm supposed to monitor my students' technology use, but outside the occasional thrill of ejecting a kid from his personal email, using <i>Hapara -</i>- Chromebook's version of <i>Teacher</i> <i>Dashboard</i> -- has always made me feel kind of creepy. In my mind, I'm that grumpy battleaxe from Jef Mallett's <i>Frazz</i>, wandering up and down the aisles of my digital classroom, rapping the knuckles of all who stray from the virtual straight and narrow.</div>
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"FUN? We'll have none of that here!"</div>
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Then something unexpected happened.</div>
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One of my objectives this year is to teach my students how to find what they want on the Internet. I want them to accumulate a number of reliable websites and master the art of crafting the perfect search phrase. In my opinion, the best -- the only? -- way to achieve this is by providing opportunities to develop the knack.</div>
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Brainstorming for a pros and cons essay on "Keeping Animals in Captivity," the students had just finished summarizing a news article on Siberian tigers who'd starved to death in a struggling Chinese zoo. Their next task was to find an online news article to support institutions like zoos and aquariums.</div>
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After the initial round of "Is she or isn't she looking?" -- EJECT! EJECT! EJECT! -- the students began bumbling their way around the Web. Except -- this time, some weren't bumbling. One student consulted a classroom poster for the web address to our local newspaper. Hearkening back to our fall research paper, another went straight to <a href="http://procon.org./">ProCon.org.</a></div>
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While I do have an aversion to spying, I can never resist the urge to butt in on my students' thinking. I <i>know</i> . . . but this moment was too good to pass up:<br />
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"Hey! I see someone remembered ProCon.org!"</div>
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Voice from the back of the room: "Yeah, but there wasn't anything good there."</div>
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"Oh. Well, what about <a href="http://nieonline.com/">nieonline.com</a>/austin? Has anybody thought about going to the newspaper archive?"<br />
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(Of course, someone has, you dissembler -- you see it right there on the screen!)<br />
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The students' screen choices started to take direction. Kids began calling out search ideas. Other kids listened. Wait a minute! Was this that "educational dialogue" thing I keep hearing about?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4rJORvHSswApR179r_UGvtxZrRPtl-LHUj82vmgur8OXQDXK-8d8g88bm6N6TiZcU5wfV25voLKa87RHQVrrTyMhfRnmw3pKQlNJwoCs8BHqRFyFGrz8M5sS5KACZz1MRhnbmB-Kpe82/s1600/students+using+chromebooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4rJORvHSswApR179r_UGvtxZrRPtl-LHUj82vmgur8OXQDXK-8d8g88bm6N6TiZcU5wfV25voLKa87RHQVrrTyMhfRnmw3pKQlNJwoCs8BHqRFyFGrz8M5sS5KACZz1MRhnbmB-Kpe82/s1600/students+using+chromebooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, Grace struck gold. She'd stumbled across a webpage for a large urban zoo:<br />
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"Hey, Everybody! I bet all the big zoos have news articles about how they've helped animals!"<br />
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"Yeah! They're not gonna print any <i>bad </i>stuff; that's for sure! - ha-ha!"<br />
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I relaxed at my desk. No longer an odious online operative, I'd become a "guide on the side," shepherding my students along the path of responsible digital citizenship --<br />
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"SQUEEEEEE! Y'all! The San Diego Zoo has an <b><i>animal cam!</i>"</b><br />
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<b> EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-67uy21kuMxZH4v_f7FMZjCLssN5dLHxzP_ZsSOhqRn9_zxZ-Lts5ueyScnaHna-pAYBmyT6gW_fmdsxm3OuZ3AQejA5IhGntub7AGhOidW2_gYyTsMl9JOX-iFBu18hEsbR-HX_0CBm/s1600/Frazz1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-67uy21kuMxZH4v_f7FMZjCLssN5dLHxzP_ZsSOhqRn9_zxZ-Lts5ueyScnaHna-pAYBmyT6gW_fmdsxm3OuZ3AQejA5IhGntub7AGhOidW2_gYyTsMl9JOX-iFBu18hEsbR-HX_0CBm/s1600/Frazz1.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sigh. </div>
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<b>Get ready to explore that time-worm admonition: <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2015/01/judging-book-by-its-cover.html">Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover!</a></b></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-31614449580652670222014-08-13T08:38:00.000-07:002018-01-21T18:14:33.196-08:00Boy vs. Book: The Joseph Evans Story<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-cca1-0fdc-d807-e82fac3f0ab7" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joseph Evans’ childhood in Cardiff, South Wales, was typical of most boys: video games, anime -- and reading? Noooot so much. Like most adolescent boys, reading languished near the bottom of Joseph’s “To Do” list -- </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">if</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">it made the list at all. No big deal, right? Well, at last check, guys like Joseph are scoring increasingly worse than girls every year on standardized reading tests. They’re more likely to be held back and/or placed in special education classes, and they’re less likely than girls to go to college.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="joe_young.jpg" height="137" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UiiUmpPwrCHMktA19dal4_FQ1Jne3ASULp--W-WudpVU9sJKM9CXtKRazOSMDfMpQZtYFe8k6UNBFzpX91TknfkADxkiaCHHaNWQAr9Trq7Ko2SetNDIpYlrUn3N1ggW2Q" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: currentColor; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="200" /></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-cca3-5c7f-3440-6d30e8bdc11a" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how, exactly, did Joseph go from statistically predictable “adolescent male non-reader” to published author of two well-received science fiction novels? What sparked the metamorphosis? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sustained Reader </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">decided to hop online and make a virtual pest of herself at Waterstones, the Cardiff bookstore where our hero toils to support his reading and writing habit.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="me_mum1.jpg" height="267" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Wh8fZXlrMkezGM5zIHZFOwpMXdaHzv0ugjU8HVwx_v4YRTY85vhKse1kSKgobrXnm49ue0sKyS9wxXwEOw35ZuyobKFDIzAWtVpj7fw3aBQq87q79F-revXv4RbuOQoyLg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: currentColor; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joseph and his proud mum<br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sustained Reader (TSR): </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joseph, once the school year begins, Language Arts teachers will face their yearly struggle with non-reading boys. We need help! Can you recall a particular event that sparked your change from reluctant reader to lifelong reader, novelist, and purveyor of books for young people?</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joseph Evans (JE): </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, I can pinpoint a very specific event! As you mentioned, most of my childhood was spent addicted to videogames and anime. Books just didn’t keep my attention. My mum, our school librarian at the time, was constantly on the lookout for something to interest me. </span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day, she saw a YA series called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Broken Sky</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Chris Wooding, and immediately bought me the first book. Why? Because the cover illustrations were in a manga style.</span></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This definitely got my interest. Books I’d previously attempted to read had just felt old-fashioned, outdated, and irrelevant to me. The authors always seemed to be preaching or teaching -- way too much like school!</span></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Broken Sky</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> blew me away: immediate action, fast-paced plot, and characters I could relate to. It felt so much like watching anime, I forgot I was reading a book! For the first time, a book entertained rather than lectured, and I really appreciated that. I wanted to be immersed in another world, and that’s exactly what happened.</span></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book Two of the series was the first book I ever bought with my own money. In just a few weeks, I plowed through seven available books and found myself waiting impatiently for the release of books eight and nine.</span></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After that, I was officially bitten by the reading bug and began devouring all of the popular children’s and teen books of the time: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His Dark Materials, The Wind on Fire, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Artemis Fow</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">l. You name it, and if I hadn’t read it, I was about to.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It only takes that one book to show reluctant readers the light. My lifelong love of books began with that initial experience.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccaa-9b69-48c0-a9d7ea0fbfe5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TSR: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what advice do you have for the parents and teachers of reluctant readers? What can WE do to light their fire for literacy?</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">JE: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My advice, from the perspective of a once reluctant boy, is to encourage them to read non-literary, non-classic books. While working in the bookstore, I constantly see parents telling their kids off for picking up the latest </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beast Quest</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minecraft</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> book because they consider them to be trash. This is the single most effective way of killing a child’s interest in reading. Just yesterday, in Waterstones, a young girl picked up the biography of Markus Persson, the inventor of Minecraft, and was thoroughly interested in it until her mother ripped it out of her hands and, much to the girl’s dismay, dragged her to our children’s classics table. This parental</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hatred of “trash” destroys a passion for reading in many boys </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> girls. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parents, if your son is riveted by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, please encourage him to read the entire series, illustrations and all. And whatever you do, don’t take it out of his hands and replace it with a copy of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Railway Children</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wind in the Willows</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If your child wants to read the biography of Markus Persson, please let her!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TSR: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although many boys eventually grow into avid readers, very few can lay claim to the title of published author as well. But in 2011, Joseph Evans published his first book, a science fiction novel titled </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of the Falling Sky, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">which was followed in 2013 with </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Trinity Awakening, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the second in what is now called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Seckry Sequence</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Both books were written </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Joseph for kids </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">like</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Joseph, boys who just need to find that one book that hooks ‘em! Maybe they're just the bait <em>you</em> need to reel in a few resistant readers this year.</span><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccab-d297-8dde-18b8908d4618" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://viewbook.at/cityfallingsky" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="city_of_the_falling_sky_cover_medium.jpg" height="350" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a5atZMVeNRNXYXRcuvUGmF5-PW5972R_PRBf6t5hfReiy2n8fAcJ7IqYRqNEe2CqBXsiWjkaAQTQpiMTmhF8zgXU7RNR2LBOR496q4kuWQbLvq2dAnGXSjWLct2an-gUyQ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: currentColor; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="232" /></span></a></b> <b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccac-464a-2514-a2405c4496a8" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://viewbook.at/thetrinityawakening" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="the_trinity_awakening_nook.jpg" height="349" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uU11q8oRNrMldKGOYr4dTIR_VT2UCBiRZSdSE7vBUycBKsOWzMBlQ3FA0JUqP8nbAIAAUZM3tUUvU1oqC5Ua1cpY8eHpoUWgxgc-kqc6Mn0XT6i4wFGLMCsTcCpVn_D6hg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: currentColor; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="231" /></span></a></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccac-cb92-870b-5e8fa2a2d628" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">City of the Falling Sky: </span><a href="http://viewbook.at/cityfallingsky" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://viewbook.at/cityfallingsky</span></a></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8ae904a-ccac-cb92-870b-5e8fa2a2d628" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Trinity Awakening: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://viewbook.at/thetrinityawakening" style="text-decoration: none;">http://viewbook.at/thetrinityawakening</a></span></b><br />
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<b>Don't miss <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-funny-thing-happened-as-i-spied-on-my.html">A Funny Think Happened as I Spied on my Students</a> .</b></div>
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The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6992437242171872377.post-55532468728910667052014-07-17T15:04:00.001-07:002018-02-26T10:11:56.691-08:00Using Book Trailers in Your Language Arts Classroom Students LOVE to watch book trailers! And when students LOVE something as much as they LOVE watching book trailers, a grinchy little section of this teacher's soul wonders: Is watching them actually worthwhile? <br />
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After two years of using book trailers in my Language Arts classroom, not only can I assert, "Yes, they're great!", I can also offer reasons <i>why</i> you should use them.<br />
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I first began using book trailers after realizing that they serve, for books, the same purpose that previews serve for movies: <b>They whet the appetite for a story</b>. How many movies have <i>you</i> seen after viewing an intriguing preview? Does it work the same way with students and books?<br />
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It does. <br />
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Each week before heading to the library, my classes watched one or two book trailers -- more when the book fair was on campus. Invariably, this caused a stampede for the featured books, a race that was always won by the kids in my first period class. For the sake of fairness, I began to have each interested student fill out a chit with his name, class period, and title of the desired book. The chits then went into a goldfish bowl for a drawing at the end of the day.<br />
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The next day, the coveted book sits on the marker tray at the front of the room, waiting to be claimed by the lucky student whose name is written on the whiteboard. Jealous groans are emitted in every class, further ramping up the desirability quotient of the featured text. Fortunately, all students are required to maintain a "Books I Want to Read" list throughout the year. It will remind them to look for that featured book during future library visits. More than once, though, students got so tired of waiting for the book to be returned, they instead hounded their parents into taking a trip to the neighborhood bookstore!<br />
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<b> </b>Book trailers can also be used to <b>harvest new vocabulary</b>! [For more info on this topic, see<i> <a href="http://bit.ly/TSRaVH">Harvesting Vocabulary from Self-Selected Reading</a></i>.] Since trailers aim to promote readership of a book, they often feature description from reviews written to promote the book as well. Take, for example, this promotion for <i>Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie </i>by Jordan Sonnenblick:<br />
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By the end of the video, many students have added a great new title to their "Books I Want to Read" list. A post-viewing discussion also leads to adding the adverb "totally" as well as six new adjectives to the "Words to Discuss Books" list kept in their writing journals: "hilarious," "touching," "remarkable," "inspiring," "believable," and "uplifting." I'm sure you noticed, too, near the end of the video, that Sonnenblick offers some great advice about writing to which you can refer in future writing lessons. Show the video again if necessary!<br />
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After the class has learned characteristics of some literary genres, book trailers can offer on-going informal opportunities to infer genres of books based on the details provided. Here's the trailer for a historical fiction novel titled <i>Wheels of Change</i> by Darlene Beck Jacobson:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qtGXALonq4w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Pausing the trailer before it reveals the "historical fiction" genre, you would pose a series of questions:</div>
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<li>So, into what <b>literary genre</b> would this book fall?</li>
<li>What are your clues?</li>
<li>Who is the <b>main character</b> of this book?</li>
<li>What does her <b>conflict</b> seem to be?</li>
<li>How do you think she will try to <b>resolve the conflict</b>?</li>
<li>Who saw two <b>adjectives</b> you could use to describe this book?</li>
<li>Did anybody see a <b>noun</b> you could use to replace the word "book"?</li>
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Do you see the <b>academic vocabulary</b> this discussion would reinforce -- not to mention the higher-level thinking involved in <b>drawing conclusions</b> and <b>making predictions</b>? If any of the questions go unanswered when they are first asked, watch the video again with the purpose of finding those answers.</div>
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The best part of interacting with book trailers is that the students think you're "just" talking about the video instead of delivering a substantive lesson! It's kind of like slipping Fido's heart worm pill into a ball of hamburger meat: Fido gets his treat. You deliver what's needed. Everyone goes home happy!</div>
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<b>Next Up</b>: <a href="http://thesustainedreader.blogspot.com/2014/08/boy-vs-books-joseph-evans-story.html"> Boy vs. Books: The Joseph Evans Story</a><br />
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<br />The Sustained Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08474778954953204845noreply@blogger.com