Fostering+Literacy+Independence

Our goal is simple: Create independent learners. Even after the lessons of the first twenty days, it is important to keep in mind that practice alone is not sufficient to build the kind of reading and writing competnecies school and work demands. Every decision we make matters!

Consider the following?

**__Quantity Matters__**

How //much// students read makes a difference! They need to process thousands of words within continuous texts each year to accumulate the kind of experiences with texts they need. We can require home reading and do everything possible to make it happen.

**__Time Matters__**

No one becomes a reader without spending a great deal of time doing it. Real readers crave time to read, and they make time for it. To reach that mind-set, students need to have many experiences reading pleasurably for extended periods of time.

**__Variety Matters__**

People become readers by sampling a wide variety of genres, topics, and writing styles, Variety develops flexibility in processing many different types of texts. Variety is also necessary to stretch readers’ powers of comprehension so that they apply systems of strategic actions in different ways and learn to adjust their reading.

**__Choice Matters__**

Real readers choose the books they read. It is important that early in their lives as readers, children learn the power of choice. Only through choice can they develop tastes and preferences, learn that they like some writers better than others, and experience finding a great book that they can recommend to their friends. Many people never have that experience.

**__Fluency Matters__**

Readers need to process a large number of texts at their independent reading level (or even easier) so that they develop fluency. It makes sense that doing something competently over and over creates ease and fluency.

**__Conversation Matters__**

Reading is much more interesting when surrounded by talk. In reading workshop, there are many opportunities for conversation about books – with the teacher during read-aloud and in reading conferences, with other students during sharing, guided reading, and literature discussion.

=Getting Our Hands of Great Books=

Building a Classroom Library Without Breaking Your Budget: [|17 Ways to Get Free Books] [|FullBooks.Com]Thousands of Free Ebooks! [|National Classroom Donation Programs]

[|Read-Alike Sites] Help Keep Kids Reading

Book Swaps and Hunts: [|BookCrossing] [|PaperBackSwap] [|BookMooch]

Please check out this blog post by Angela Maiers: [|Free Books!] =Providing Consistent Time to Read:= [|Summer Reading Lists Around the Web] [|NEA Summer Reading Suggestions] [|D.E.A.R.] = = =Strategies for Helping Them Make Good Choices as Readers:= [|Jennifer Myers on Setting Norms and Rituals] [|Jennifer Myers Opens the Door on Her Workshop](includes GREAT video demos) [|Jennifer Myers Recommended Touchstone Texts] [|Teaching Readers About the Goldilock's Rule]

[|Goodreads] and [|Shelfari] are both social networking sites that allow kids to create their own bookshelves, write reviews, and read those submitted by others. = = =Progress Monitoring Resources:= Weekly Class Progress Log [|Progresslog.doc] Books Vs. Televison Progres Log [|BOOKSTV.doc]

=Resources for Instruction, Discussion, and Conferencing:=

From [|Steve Peha:] [|Read Like a Writer] [|What Can You Say About a Book?]

=Other Fantastic Links to Visit:= [|Mrs. McGowan's Class] [|readersworkshop.org]

Big Thanks to Angela Stockman for sharing these incredible resources. [|WNY Education Associates]

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