EngEd 370 – Week 10 Part 1 – Chapter 12 – Nicole Kavajecz
There are many factors which influence the type of texts which are ‘appropriate’ for teachers to use for instruction (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 344). Social concerns, technology changes, and rigorous standards implementation are just a few of the pressures on teachers to put certain books into the hands of children and not others. There are many benefits to pairing students with as many books as appropriately possible, such as expanding their experiential knowledge base through reading visualization and enjoyment of reading itself.
“Children who read more, read better” [International Reading Association, 2002b, p 6 from (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 346)]. This simple statement is very powerful, and can be altered to apply to all ages of readers. Creating a community of readers within a classroom likely will continue to motivate people to read into adulthood. The collaboration with one another, including the teacher (expert), is something that unites us. A teacher sharing enthusiasm about books and reading is a great way to model a positive reading attitude. “Classroom environments where reading is valued and encouraged are motivating for all students” (p 347). Classrooms should contain both literature and informational texts for the most varied literature-based reading program. The books do not all have to be in the classroom library, but can come from a variety of sources such as a school or community library, public library, or book club. When a teacher is choosing these books they should enjoy them themselves, read them with a sense of involvement, provide a nice variety of subjects and ability levels, respond and discuss with the students, and use the resources at their disposal for searching/purchasing new books.
When determining a good text set, the teacher should consider these five criteria (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 349). 1: Modern, realistic literature as well as traditional to provide a variety of context support. 2: Different ethnic and minority groups and nontraditional families must be presented so ALL people are honored and respected. 3: Variety in themes and difficulty within those themes. 4: Must include nonfiction. 5: Should include e-books for 21st century skill development.
“There are fundamental social and educational reasons why multicultural literature should be woven into the fabric of children’s home and school experiences. . . utilizing multicultural literature broadens the students’ perspectives of themselves and their culture. Understanding of oneself helps to create an awareness of diversity and acceptance of others” (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 350). In today’s world, with the vast resources available at every teacher’s fingertips through the internet, there is no excuse for conveying biased information in the classroom. However, for a new educator it can be a tricky situation to be faced with if their mentors or school community is still stuck in their ‘old ways’. Starting with their own classroom library and influencing small changes is the best place to start, and do their best to engage each child they teach with open-minded and acceptance ideals.
Designing and organizing a classroom library can take years to master (Scholastic, 2013). There are three typical ways to organize the books in your classroom library: alphabetically, level, or topic. Many educators choose a combination of these that suits their style. The area should be highly visible for students, physically reachable for all students, and hold multiple copies of favorite books so children can read at the same time (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 352).
While listening to a text read aloud is a source of comfort and pleasure for most children, it is also a vital part of the instructional process (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 352). Teachers may use it as transitional time filler or calming down technique, but reading aloud must also be integrated into every part of the day so students internalize the importance of reading. Choosing texts to read aloud to students should include preparation of the text, setting the mood, introducing the story, and at least one activity after the read aloud. There are a few things to keep in mind when a teacher selects a good-fit book, such as purpose, comprehension level, and interest (TanyaReads, 2013). They can also encourage their students to think about these things, as well as what they want to know about, when self-selecting books to read.
A set of core books is often at the center of a text-based reading program (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 357). Core books are used within the curriculum across the classes, and focus the studies across disciplines. Students have little or no choice about these books, but teachers can offer variety and choice for the activities surrounding them. Literature units, sometimes known as thematic instruction and integrated instruction, have a unifying element. Literature circles are groups of students who share reactions to, reflections on, and complete activities for a text together. These circles had traditionally been grouped by ability, but modern research and practice show that grouping across ability levels raises the ability of all involved. In Rick’s Mini Lesson, the teacher explicitly teaches how to stay present with their reading (CFISD LA 2-5, 2014). This explicit instruction will increase the metacognitive processes of all students in all ability levels.
The reader-response theory is centered around the belief that the way a reader responds to the text both internally and externally is essential to the literacy experience itself (Vacca, Vacca, Gove, Burkey, Lenhart, & McKoen, 2010, p 362). Every time a reader reads a text it changes their viewpoint and perspective. These transactions effect the reader in profound ways which we cannot completely comprehend nor understand because it is very personal. “In any reading event, the reader adopts one of two stances: the efferent stance or the aesthetic stance. . . the interaction between text and the reader’s mind and heart” (p 363). Teachers can influence this stance by showing enthusiasm and involvement with reading, both as the educator and on a personal level. Encouraging students to respond through literature journals, book-talks, and free response are all positive ways the teacher can help students deepen their love of reading.
Resources
Vacca, J., Vacca, R., Gove, M., Burkey, L., Lenhart, L., & McKoen. (2010). Reading and learning to read. (Tenth Edition). Pearson.
Scholastic. (23 September 2013). How to organize your classroom, from Instructor Magazine. Retrieved on 28 July 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdmI4K5wJu4.
TanyaReads. (14 September 2013). How to choose a good-fit book. Retrieved on 28 July 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwtHGh0PVHo.
CFISD LA 2-5. (17 December 2014). Rick’s Reading Workshop mini-lesson. Retrieved on July 28 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPHVmIOcFbg.
Carly Walter. (15 July 2016). 1 Rick’s Reading Workshop overview. Retrieved on July 28 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSfJBAhFNXA.
