This week was a special week in K - it was the first week we got to choose and bring home our own library books!
One of my favorite things in the world since I learned how to read when I was in kindergarten is to read a new (or a new to me) book. I was trying to figure out the best way to explain how reading became such an amazing thing in my life, and I found a pretty awesome blog article by Colin McElwee that explained it! My favorite sections are below...
The Importance of Choice
When I speak at conferences, I sometimes ask the audience to think about a favorite book, a book that changed their lives or that they frequently recommend to others. When I ask how they came upon that book, almost always, the case is that their favorite was not from a set syllabus or something they had to read for school. Rather they themselves chose their favorite book–-it was a choice among many books available and a decision made on that day for whatever reason that struck them at the time.
Think about it! The power to choose a book and the process each individual goes through in selecting a book to read shouldn’t be underestimated. Yes, a single book and the content in it can change an individual’s life. However, the way a book is discovered is key, too. It’s part of what makes that book special to that person.
Engagement
It’s because books don’t equal literacy. Rather books simply present the opportunity to read which leads, only if you are lucky, to engagement which is the rocket fuel that decodes words and as such is the foundation of what we call literacy. No engagement, little chance of literacy!
So K families, I urge you to take advantage of this time your child has to choose a book! Ask them about the book they chose and engage them by diving in and reading and exploring it with them! A new book will be coming home every Wednesday. I always recommend that K families just keep their library book in their book bag. That way they know where it is when they want to read it and it's ready to go back to school when it's time to be returned and exchanged for a new one on Wed
To see the full article, visit: http://www.worldreader.org/blog/mobile-innovation-and-the-power-of-choosing-books/
One of my favorite things in the world since I learned how to read when I was in kindergarten is to read a new (or a new to me) book. I was trying to figure out the best way to explain how reading became such an amazing thing in my life, and I found a pretty awesome blog article by Colin McElwee that explained it! My favorite sections are below...
The Importance of Choice
When I speak at conferences, I sometimes ask the audience to think about a favorite book, a book that changed their lives or that they frequently recommend to others. When I ask how they came upon that book, almost always, the case is that their favorite was not from a set syllabus or something they had to read for school. Rather they themselves chose their favorite book–-it was a choice among many books available and a decision made on that day for whatever reason that struck them at the time.
Think about it! The power to choose a book and the process each individual goes through in selecting a book to read shouldn’t be underestimated. Yes, a single book and the content in it can change an individual’s life. However, the way a book is discovered is key, too. It’s part of what makes that book special to that person.
Engagement
It’s because books don’t equal literacy. Rather books simply present the opportunity to read which leads, only if you are lucky, to engagement which is the rocket fuel that decodes words and as such is the foundation of what we call literacy. No engagement, little chance of literacy!
So K families, I urge you to take advantage of this time your child has to choose a book! Ask them about the book they chose and engage them by diving in and reading and exploring it with them! A new book will be coming home every Wednesday. I always recommend that K families just keep their library book in their book bag. That way they know where it is when they want to read it and it's ready to go back to school when it's time to be returned and exchanged for a new one on Wed
To see the full article, visit: http://www.worldreader.org/blog/mobile-innovation-and-the-power-of-choosing-books/