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| D. Davis |
Bonjour! That is "hello" in French. I am a French teacher who is studying to be a library media specialist. I believe in the importance of being a good reader in order to be a good student. In addition, reading helps us to have a better understanding of all of the different cultures in this world. Reading can take you places that you may not be able to visit right away. In fantasy literature, it takes us to places that don't exist. Reading teaches students to think critically. It can be a great escape or the best way to learn history and science. Reading may well be the most important life skill we can learn for succeeding in life.
In this technological world, students can learn science and history by watching videos. This is only one way to learn. It cannot replace the ability to read well. For some students, reading is becoming a "lost art." Students do not see the value in it, and some do not know the joy of curling up with a good book. Parents are often working one or two jobs and do not have the time to devote to reading to their children every night. Even when children are old enough to read themselves, they still enjoy being read to. Another problem is having someone to help them find the right book. The search engines are helpful, but first students must have a love of reading to want to use the search engines. So, my question is "how do we motivate students who are not good readers or who do not want to read for fun?" First, how do we convince them to want to read and to want to go to the library media center to spend some time there? The next step is to entice to start reading for fun! This is our job as educators! All teachers must be teaching the joy of reading because it is so important. Here are some questions for my fellow library media specialists:
1. As classroom teachers, how do we motivate students to read?
2. As library media specialists, how do we motivate students by making the library a place they want to go?
3. Would you share any websites that would help us to be better teachers and library media specialists?
4. Do you have a favorite quote about reading?
My answers:
1. One way to motivate students to read is by reading to them. Read an excerpt from favorite books at the beginning of class. Have students bring in their favorite books, and read a paragraph or tell why they like it. Have a classroom collection of books for them to check out. Allow them to leave your class to check out books or schedule a time to bring the entire class to the library. Make book reports fun!
2. One key part of a library collection is a well-stocked library with appropriate magazines and sports magazines. Struggling readers can read short articles and enjoy the color photographs. Also, hard back comic strip books are entertaining and have lots of scaffolding for readers. Since they are often written for adults, the vocabulary is challenging, and they will stretch their reading skills by reading Calvin and Hobbes and FoxTrot. Another option for reading is on the many computers available in the media center.s to books to read on the computer as well as reading games can both entice students to come to the library and help develop their reading skills.
3. Websites: Click on these websites:
Why Raising Readers Matters Adventure stories - great for motivating boys to read
FAVORITE QUOTES on importance of reading
4. My favorite quote about reading is from C.S. Lewis in the movie, Shadowlands, about his life. He said, "We read to know that we are not alone." I think a good book can be a good companion and that many children can find joy and friendship by reading good books!
1. I feel the same way you do about reading to students. Even my 6th graders loved when I read to them. Build up suspense when reading. I would stop right in the middle of a big part to keep them interested. Also, give the students choices when it comes to reading. Even if it's just comic books, students need to enjoy what they read to keep doing it.
ReplyDelete2. Make the library fun! It shouldn't be a place that you have to tip-toe around. Make the library colorful with fun decorations. I liked the picture on our Sakai of the library with a huge book hanging from the ceiling. This attracts students to the library. It would help to have a special reading area they could enjoy with comfortable chairs, blankets, etc. Also, the LMS must be gentle, kind, and helpful. This will keep students coming back.
3. Speaking of blogs... these are 100 blogs for school libraries. http://edudemic.com/2012/07/librarian-blogs/
Being a better teacher with technology-
http://edudemic.com/2012/08/50-education-technology-tools-every-teacher-should-know-about/
4. I'm a sucker for Dr. Seuss. This is my favorite quote. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” This will be in vinyl on my classroom wall!
Thank you for your great ideas!!! I liked your addition of the qualities of the LMS: gentle, kind and helpful.
DeleteYou are right, There are many blogs for librarians. This is so exciting.
1. Motivating students to read I believe is a must. One has to make it fun for the students. I am currently doing my first internship this semester. At the school they have AR, which is a big deal. They have a flexible schedule where students come in and out all day. Once they read a book, they will come back to take the AR test and then get another book. The library is constantly busy. The teacher do not use the AR test as grades. They use the test to give out prizes. If you reach certain points you are allowed to get a prize. This motivates the students because they get a positive reward. So in the end both the student and teachers are happy.
ReplyDelete2. As media specialist the library must be inviting for students. You want them to come back. Each student needs to be greeted as they come in, and helped to find the right book. The student needs to have a positive experience so they can come back. I also believe the library needs to be bright and color to catch the students eyes. Last semester I went to observe a library, and the media specialist had book displays for new books. She said the books will always have a waiting list for students wanting to read that particular book.
3.Websites
http://www.starfall.com/
http://www.jumpstart.com/
4. "The greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination." by Elizabeth Hardwick "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends, they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers" by Charles W. Elliot
I like your ideas for motivating the students to come to the library with a friendly, helpful librarian and bright colors. I love the ideas for book displays. It reminds of the what they do at book stores.
DeleteA library club could meet to discuss books. They could also have a bulletin board promoting reading by listing their favorite books each month. Other students could use it as a guide for books that they may want to read. The librarian could get several copies of the most popular books.
Entice the students to come in and then, find them a good book based on their interests.
I also LOVE to read to my students. I try to take a few minutes after lunch every day to read a chapter from a book we are reading and discussing together.
ReplyDelete1) I also believe motivating students is very important and you can do this many different ways, in my classroom I do several different things. We have reading logs that are required every week; students read 10 minutes each night and record the number of pages they read nightly and total the number of pages for the week. Students receive a monthly reward for turning these in each week. We have classroom competitions for students with the most AR point and the student with the highest AR average; I give these awards out twice a year and the students with the most receive a trophy at Christmas break and the points are started fresh for the 2nd half of the year. I also help the students set personal goals. We meet monthly and set an AR points and average goal; the students earn classroom coupons to use inside the classroom for meeting these goals.
2) I think the key to getting students in the library is to make it as inviting as possible. Make the students feel welcome and valuable in the library. Guide them to areas of their interest and showing them the library is far more than just shelves filled with books.
3) A few websites I use in my classroom are
www.internet4classrooms.com
www.ABCYA.com
www.primarygames.com
www.mathplayground.com
4) Here are a few favorite quotes
"If you can read this, thank a teacher." - Anonymous teacher
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." - Frederick Douglass
"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." - Harry S. Truman
I like the way you reward students for reading each night and hold them accountable by signing a reading log. Then, giving them trophies is an awesome idea. Twice a year is a wonderful idea, so they have two chances and a fresh start in January.
DeleteDoes your school library have awards for reading,too?
1. As classroom teachers, how do we motivate students to read?
ReplyDeleteI would have a scavenger hung when I wanted my students to ready their textbooks. I would split them up into teams and allow them the first few minutes of class to fill out a worksheet that highlighted the chapter.
2. As library media specialists, how do we motivate students by making the library a place they want to go?
One way to motivate students to want to visit the library is to instruct them on how to use the library and what's available to them. As a high school teacher, many of students had no idea as to what resources were available to them.
3. Would you share any websites that would help us to be better teachers and library media specialists?
www.pbs.org
www.globalclassroom.org
www.discoveryeducation.com
4. Do you have a favorite quote about reading?
"A book is like a garden carried in a pocket" - Chinese Proverb
I like the idea of a Scavenger Hunt on the book. The students use their critical thinking skills and get to discover the chapter in a new way.
DeleteI agree that it is important to have instruction on what is available to each student in the library with all of the classes at the beginning of the year, and then, have classes come and use the library on a weekly basis or have students come several at a time throughout the day.
Your quote has beautiful imagery.