tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39172319427804800722024-03-13T17:18:19.452+10:00A Reader's CommunityA Reader's Workshop BlogA Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-71215654912587013872011-01-28T07:12:00.000+10:002011-01-28T07:12:59.355+10:00The battle between 'the rules' and 'what's right'The district is focusing on reading.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFe4CB5iKrPLbZx-lR5yRiEqham0ceS1GVcuWbSpsU59_cIEtBImuSIYSOetJHDetMbo18Qt8UCx89kCbqFKv0U-tk7hzLoBpKKCpMlF9CUzYw3FoEK42sW4q4xvVHG10fFy8_nvT_Xkr/s1600/4111997601_5f201b9f7c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFe4CB5iKrPLbZx-lR5yRiEqham0ceS1GVcuWbSpsU59_cIEtBImuSIYSOetJHDetMbo18Qt8UCx89kCbqFKv0U-tk7hzLoBpKKCpMlF9CUzYw3FoEK42sW4q4xvVHG10fFy8_nvT_Xkr/s400/4111997601_5f201b9f7c_z.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
I thought that was kind of nice, when I heard it. I mean, it would have been good if they'd started promoting reading a while ago, but better late than never.<br />
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Of course, it's all very nice to say we're focusing on reading at the top level. But then it filters down to the school level. And at my school, that means compulsory guided reading. More specifically, every child must participate in a guided reading group, every week, in every classroom across the school.<br />
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When I first heard this, I was uneasy. Guided reading can be great when you want to focus on a particular book/topic/skill (it worked wonderfully with The Arrival), but I tend to use it as a 'some of the time' part of my Reader's Workshop - applying it when I think it will be most useful. Other times I focus on one on one conferences, slightly longer mini lessons, or getting through the endless reading testing they also insist we complete. Also, I was worried that the need to get through every child, every week would lead to surface reading, not the deep reading I desperately want the students to reach.<br />
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Since I first heard about this last year, I've continued to read about reading. One of my recent books was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Guided-Reading-Cathy/dp/1571103880?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">More Than Guided Reading</a> by Cathy Mere. Althought this was aimed at the younger grades, a lot of her findings rang true with me. In her experience, just focusing on guided reading meant students were more dependant on the teacher, lessons tended to be teacher focused and the students were actually doing less reading. Guided reading was one tool, not the main tool.<br />
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And there lies my problem. Reader's Workshop has been working in my classroom over the last year and a half. I can see the results in the way students read, in their responses to text, in the way they write. And their test results are backing this up. But in the service of 'being consistent', I'm expected to drop or change this to follow their 'rules'.<br />
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How do we fight the battles of right and rules when those in charge don't read the research, or worse, the local research is so badly done? (I no longer trust any research coming from the University I went to). How do we teach for our students and our administrations? And when will administrations realise that teachers are individuals with their own individual strengths as well?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40066970@N08/4111997601/sizes/z/in/photostream/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Picture from flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-29085736771524681242011-01-26T07:46:00.001+10:002011-01-26T07:46:33.085+10:002011: Fresh start, new classWe've now completed two days of the new school year here in Queensland. For a lot of children, there's almost a sense of relief associated with coming back to school - it was a holiday of rain and images of floods for most of them.<br /><br />I've started the year with a half new, half old class. One group of children moved up with me (some of those students will have a third year with me), while another (two grades younger) joined me. So far it seems to be working really well.<br /><br />One thing I'm enjoying is re-introducing Reader's Workshop. It's only been two days, so all we've done is talk about what good reading feels like and about Holiday, Challenge and Just Right books. We've also looked at new books that I bought over the holidays. The joy of keeping some old students is that they have experience; they describe reading as almost magical, as slipping away into new worlds. With older kids doing that, I really don't have to sell reading at all to the younger students. <br /><br />I anticipate some challenges to the way I teach reading this year. This saddens me, but I'm ready for the fight. The students had excellent results last year, and I'm continuing to do lots of professional reading so I'm ready. <br /><br />I'm feeling more enthusiastic about teaching at the moment, and really hoping that momentum holds through to blogging. I think I still have things to say and share about creating a reading community, and every now and then I can even indulge in a good old fashioned rant. For now, I'm going to enjoy my middle of the week holiday (it's Australia Day here) and think about where I'm headed next. Should be fun!<br />A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-78517475366430511292010-12-05T07:25:00.000+10:002010-12-05T07:25:48.509+10:00The Teaching Funk<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXZz_oD3x8k1eRNJsG6vxkH-PdXWD2gy555EB_FqjUAfjDPVQkavCUDZKGBkJsFF76FNCxkDkb5b-Quw2mIN7ffPGtA-vDE28R-vU3tKOFRP1fJBbshW60QQb-OUWmu4PKDOrKNu-oKZP/s1600/2489481576_f46243cb6e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXZz_oD3x8k1eRNJsG6vxkH-PdXWD2gy555EB_FqjUAfjDPVQkavCUDZKGBkJsFF76FNCxkDkb5b-Quw2mIN7ffPGtA-vDE28R-vU3tKOFRP1fJBbshW60QQb-OUWmu4PKDOrKNu-oKZP/s200/2489481576_f46243cb6e.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was a little scary to come back here and realise that I haven't posted anything since September.<br />
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Quite frankly, I'm in a teaching funk.<br />
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It's strange, because all in all I have a wonderful class, with brilliant parents. We've completed some really cool stuff this year. And there's only a week left of school. Yet I just can't get myself excited - really excited - about school at the moment.<br />
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I talked it over with a trusted collegue on Friday and came to some realisations:<br />
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<b>I'm at the 5 year point</b><br />
I am told that this is the point where teachers get dissatisfied. I've been in this teaching business long enough to know something about it, but I'm also at the point where I'm staring down another 30 odd years (give or take) of the same job.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> I have an opinion</b><br />
Oh boy, do I have opinions. And there are times where I'm beginning to say them. Except the admin seems so far away, on a lofty perch somewhere ('that's the way it is, there's no discussion, it's mandated') that there's no way to express those opinions. And I'm not the only one with these problems.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> I haven't learned anything new this year</b><br />
Well I have - I've learned about science teaching and I've learned about curriculum audits and I've done a LOT of professional reading and I took on a practical student and you always learn from them . . . but for the last two years I actually did something - ICT in 2008, gifted and talented and indigenous in 2009 - where I had to complete and hand something in. My study and hard work felt valued. This year, all the reading I've done hasn't felt valued.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> I'm not happy with the direction we're heading</b><br />
A month ago I applied for a job in a prestigeous private school. Although I didn't get the job, I got an interview and an insight into how things could be different. And it saddens me that the public system that I went through and I used to believe in, has strayed so far far away.<br />
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I can't count how many meetings I've been to this year where our students have been regarded as pieces of data. They're being judged by their NAPLAN results. We've stopped talking about how to reach the individual child, and instead we're being told what works in 'successful schools'. Next year we're going to have to 'do' certain lessons, even if what we've already been doing has worked. No one is an idividual anymore - not teachers and not students. We're supposed to teach the same way, at the same time, to identical students.<br />
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While this may make things easy for the administration (and it looks good to curriculum auditors), it's completely draining if you don't - as teacher or student - meet their definition of the middle ground. If you want to try new ideas, if you want to explore a topic in depth, if you want to give open ended options, if you want to read your own books . . . you won't be right.<br />
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<b>How do I pull myself from the 'funk'</b><br />
This is where it gets hard. I know I'm not at my most effective when I'm feeling like this. I'm more irritable and cranky - and the kids cop it. I'm less motivated to plan interesting lesssons (particularly when I'm spending so much time 'inputting' data) which leads to more disruptive behaviour. I need to do something myself, because that's the only way it'll be effective.<br />
<b> </b><br />
Some thoughts:<br />
<ul><li>Renegade teaching - I teach how I teach.<br />
The joy of often being forgotten in the school is that I could probably get away with this</li>
<li>Find the joy in what's happening<br />
I need to find and celebrate the good parts of each day</li>
<li>Keep in contact<br />
As I got more tied up in what was wrong, I stopped watching twitter or posting - I stepped away from the enthusiastic and experiences PLN I'd built. </li>
</ul>So hopefully, this means I'll be back to posting on a regular basis. I still have plenty to say about reading, and probably some really good rants up my sleeve too :-) <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisrobertshaw/2489481576/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-65816040186932690182010-09-27T19:06:00.000+10:002010-09-27T19:06:33.877+10:00Reader's Refect: Returning to an old favourite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-6xaXcLOtNHIL373WkYzSwkpF_kI9pLduSH4pSw3TRA-tvI3frhWca2tvDKbFMaCJYjJcfj_PdKQNjD2ES42TdQ7z7644w7dX3X1ZBi5ZBz2V2BbA6uqtHcx7Ac4cGQ5JEsh6CyCr5Mw/s1600/tandia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-6xaXcLOtNHIL373WkYzSwkpF_kI9pLduSH4pSw3TRA-tvI3frhWca2tvDKbFMaCJYjJcfj_PdKQNjD2ES42TdQ7z7644w7dX3X1ZBi5ZBz2V2BbA6uqtHcx7Ac4cGQ5JEsh6CyCr5Mw/s200/tandia.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The other night I began rereading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tandia-Bryce-Courtenay/dp/0140272925?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tandia </a>by Bryce Courtenay. I first read this book as a ten-year old, with great portions of it going a long way over my head. In fact, even now on the I-don't-know-how-many reread, there's still nuances that strike me for the very first time. (I'm still annoyed, however, about this re-edited version which misses some of the colour and detail of the original I read back in 1992)<br />
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What I still notice about Tandia is how Bryce Courtenay is first and foremost a story teller. He weaves words like we're all sitting in front of a campfire. Sometimes they're tall tales, completely beyond the limitations of reality. Sometimes there's inside jokes, just lying in wait for the sharp eared and quick witted. But always there's a grand story, something to hold on to and follow to its ultimate conclusion.<br />
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On my last reading of Tandia, I actually skipped over the initial chapters dealing with Tandia and only read the Peekay chapters. I think there was a hint of self-preservation there - I really, really hate seeing characters I like who are hurting. This time I read both of the character's stories, developing a richer appreciation for all the characters, both from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Power-One-Bryce-Courtenay/dp/0140272917?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Power of One</a> and new.<br />
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What did I learn about myself as a reader from this reread? That I really enjoy rereading, that my quick reading style lends itself to a reread, because inevitably I miss something on the first read through. I also like seeing characters that I thought I knew well, in completely new lights. I also adore a good story, even if sometimes the story goes off in completely implausible directions.<br />
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How can I apply this in the classroom? Well, it points out that it's okay to encourage rereading in the classroom, and that in some cases rereading is essential. Also the importance of having a good range of story stories available, something with a good plot that keeps the reader reading. Sometimes these stories are looked down on, we're told that they shouldn't be present in the classroom when there are 'real' books to read. It's up to teachers and librarians to make sure these engaging stories are available for all students to enjoy.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-18236794288953336982010-09-19T20:19:00.000+10:002010-09-19T20:19:52.538+10:00Where to now?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZhsK1AyECI2JW0NSSl2bzmk4im9_ExbqhNvzfxtuW2TcXml7mJXaftdUzQRNBMMlT186gVV6_1WesDuUCS4Bu5YeLOp4JtPtyc_8JuhaM41bo-MfK9vIjm7L6bFNEQsS96M7CxoC7JKs/s1600/soloreader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZhsK1AyECI2JW0NSSl2bzmk4im9_ExbqhNvzfxtuW2TcXml7mJXaftdUzQRNBMMlT186gVV6_1WesDuUCS4Bu5YeLOp4JtPtyc_8JuhaM41bo-MfK9vIjm7L6bFNEQsS96M7CxoC7JKs/s200/soloreader.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, I've posted 100 entries, but my last one was a month ago. And it's been sporadic for the last few months. The problem was, I wasn't sure where I was going with this blog. There's only so much ranting I can do (sorry, I know some of you adore the ranting) and only so many things I can give advice on. Afterall, I'm still learning too.<br />
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*light bulb flash* First realisation - that it's ok to change the focus of the blog if it isn't really working. Today I bought myself a paper journal and just started writing about reading - I was still going 5 pages later. I have a lot to read, and reflect on and think about reading.<br />
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That's where I want to keep going at the moment. Talking about what reading means to me, and how this effects my teaching of it. A lot will come from paper journals, and hopefully it will be thoughtful and interesting. And a good reminder that I don't know everything, that it's okay to keep learning about myself as a reader.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-373832344983685612010-08-17T06:25:00.000+10:002010-08-17T06:25:45.377+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Unfair and Unrealistic AssessmentEach year in Queensland, our Year 4, 6 and 9 students are required to complete QCATS, Queensland Comparable Assessment Tasks in English, Maths and Science. These are supposed to be more 'realistic' tasks, similar to assessment we complete in the classroom. An alternative to the standardised testing that is NAPLAN. But . . .<br />
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Well, to be honest, I'd rather have my students doing NAPLAN at the moment (and I do both, so I know what they're both like!). Standardised tests are unfair, but a smart student can do well at them. This year, the English Year 6 QCAT is all about celebrating mediocrity.<br />
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There's three parts to the English task - 2 reading and 1 writing. (So far we've spent 5 and a half hours on this task and some are still going) The first part requires students to identify textual features (mostly) of a stimulus text. The stimulus text, two persuasive forum responses are quite poorly written. Students are asked to identify adjectives and adverbs in those texts, but one of them contains no simple adverbs (the types that are obviously describing a verb) even though the marking grid requires students to be able to list an adverb to get a D mark. Just to add insult to injury (we had tears on this section) we got an email over the weekend saying that the adverbs on the 'sample A response' were incorrect . . . . even the writers of the task couldn't accurately complete it.<br />
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Part two compares a visual text to the stimulus. Here, like in the first part, the questions want them to find examples, to prove their point. However the space provided is minimal, one or two lines. It's an interesting mix of wanting a lot (justify your answers -expecting more than one response - using examples from the text) and expecting little (but you only have 2 lines to answer this question - better not have big handwriting).<br />
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There has been an emphasis in the standardised testing world to ensure that tests at least try to be relevant to most of the students taking it. However, in a state with a huge number of indigenous and rural communities a long way away from owning many of the technological goods that clutter urban life, a task which requires them to discuss those goods is clearly unfair.<br />
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Part three is the writing part. Students are given a good topic, nice planning space (though written on the back on the writing part, so kids have to keep flipping back and forward) and reminders of what they are required to do. But the killer is that this 5 paragraph essay needs to fit under 200 words.<br />
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40 words a paragraph? Really? A persuasive argument with a topic sentence and supporting evidence? With adjectives and adverbs?<br />
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As teachers who give and support this task and then have to mark it, where are we supposed to go? Do we simply disregard the word limit and potentially have our hands smacked at moderation? Or do we insist that students give us substandard work, not the best they can do, with limited supporting evidence?<br />
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Although I admire those who move into renegade teaching, I've never really thought of myself as a renegade teacher before. Sure, I refuse to join in on 'highlighter reading' or 'whole class novels', but I've never wanted to deliberately 'break the rules.' Yesterday I did. When my best writer was forced to write a one sentence conclusion and was despondent about her writing, I broke them. I told her to remove the word limit, to aim for 250 words, to just simply write the best persuasive text she can. Sure there might be repurcussions, but I'll wear them myself. There are things worth fighting for, and requiring our students to complete the best possible work is one of them.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-59377386441880195422010-08-10T06:32:00.000+10:002010-08-10T06:32:18.098+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Camp and the Problem with Standardisation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabN0ctt6xYE7MtVjAxCdlAyk7u_aCYtH17DT7IBu-8AlTbardGroreh0UZbXSNuC7nVnhVzW_xQjOMmpFE-eGGCda6dFhGYl0axaSg3L1CgFBuPOogBvloDlUYJYzigdjTC5fzLeXiGcR/s1600/3724478797_db85cfaf7d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabN0ctt6xYE7MtVjAxCdlAyk7u_aCYtH17DT7IBu-8AlTbardGroreh0UZbXSNuC7nVnhVzW_xQjOMmpFE-eGGCda6dFhGYl0axaSg3L1CgFBuPOogBvloDlUYJYzigdjTC5fzLeXiGcR/s320/3724478797_db85cfaf7d.jpg" width="320" /></a>So, once again I'm coming back from a short break. This has become a bad habit, one which I really should endeavour to break. Though, part of it is completely explanatory.<br />
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Each year, our Year 7s go on a week long camp. It's near the beach, and there's a tonne of fun activities which students would have no chance of doing in their regular lives. (Yes, we go to the beach in the middle of winter) I wasn't supposed to go, but two weeks before the camp, got the call up. I was so glad I did go. When you get the students outside their regular environment, you get to see them in a totally different light. You get to interact with them differently and build a trust with them that you might not otherwise build.<br />
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How will this translate back into the classroom? I'm hoping that the relationships they've built with each other will continue to hold strong. I hope it means they'll trust me when I say 'you'll really like this book'!<br />
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Unfortunately coming back has meant that it's time for QCATS. This is another form of standardised assessment, except this one requires us to give the students (Grades 4,6 and 9 do QCATS) a booklet full of 'classroom like' assessment.<br />
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The English one this year is a mixture of reading and writing, and as with all standardised testing, it's trying to be all things to all people. What you end up with is something that is rather uninspiring and frankly quite depressing. (Rinse, lather and repeat in maths and science). What bothers me most is that to get an A, you don't have to think deeply or creatively about the text you've been reading. You don't have a chance to talk and think through what you are reading, to develop a shared consensus. You just have to tick all their boxes.<br />
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And there is my problem with standardised testing. It's been developed to fit students into the little boxes or else they've failed. That's not going to develop the critical, thoughtful readers we need going into the future. Just people who like filling in boxes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/3724478797/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-84664717423380907252010-07-22T05:46:00.000+10:002010-07-22T05:46:24.953+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Making Books Accessible<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMtF6nQZS9b54PMb7IdDfBXqJz_OPHVmbeaLSTi6ARUFg_KIR-n2LlYmAK_Y0_Io9yCAtlJKpFQAhFXP-yJ2z86PkmZyTJlCwkVz_LTtVefVMxe1MLapK7elPtRls9XopXNti6XLdH8el/s1600/497374910_9ae0f0adfa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMtF6nQZS9b54PMb7IdDfBXqJz_OPHVmbeaLSTi6ARUFg_KIR-n2LlYmAK_Y0_Io9yCAtlJKpFQAhFXP-yJ2z86PkmZyTJlCwkVz_LTtVefVMxe1MLapK7elPtRls9XopXNti6XLdH8el/s320/497374910_9ae0f0adfa.jpg" width="320" /></a>When I was writing my post about the reading habits of my students, one of the things I thought about was how my students were going about procuring their books. They all borrow books off me, of course. Many of them now use their local libraries (now that the councils are amalgamated there's a pretty huge choice), are common visitors to their local bookshops and even get brothers and sisters to get them books from the high school libraries.<br />
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But very few of them borrow from our own school library.<br />
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Why was this? I mean, there's a big resource there in the school library, they have access to it before school, during lunch breaks and after school, plus we go as a class once a week - so why aren't more of them borrowing?<br />
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It could be the time. During our borrowing time we only have fifteen minutes to look, choose and borrow. If we're running a little late, the class before us is late or the class after us is early, our time is cut down. Books in a library can be quite overwhelming, and most of these are spine out, so they take more time to look at. Do the students need more time to take in the books, to make plans about what they want to read, like they do in the classroom?<br />
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It could be the collection of books. Money to buy books in the library is always tight, and our librarian has to make some really hard choices about what books to buy and which ones not to. There's also less books for the 11-12 year olds, though that has improved over the last couple of years. But because the librarian is buying for 600 students, compared with me buying for 27, there will always be less books 'meant' for my students.<br />
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One thing that really struck me was accessibility. Our students are not allowed to borrow unless they have a library bag. I understand the theory here. Library bags keep library books together, they protect them in school bags, they let parents of younger children know that the children have borrowed. But when the students reach grade 6 and 7, they seem to be less comfortable with carrying a bag for library books around. I think it also makes them feel like they can't be trusted, and since they can be trusted with classroom books, which they can just throw in their school bag, or carry in their arms, they'd rather borrow those.<br />
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So, how can I make the books in the school library more accessible? I can't change the library policy on library bags, but maybe there's some way we can make the library more interesting, or more open to the students. What are the borrowing habits of your students?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umjanedoan/497374910/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-49832251813408516522010-07-19T05:47:00.000+10:002010-07-19T05:47:32.153+10:00Reader's Workshop Weekly Roundup: Week Twenty-TwoSo, we returned back to school for term three last week. Unfortunately, it looks to be shaping up as a very chaotic term. Year 7s have camp, Year 6s have QCATs (more testing) and the school has been turned into a construction zone!<br />
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We began the term off with a huge book talk, where I introduced the books I'd read over the holidays. We also tallied up our books - nearly 100 read over the holidays between the whole class. <br />
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We began small group work last week. We're going to be focusing a lot on mysteries this term, so we completed a short mystery comprehension, looking at what the elements of a mystery were and retelling the story. The students enjoy working in the smaller groups, and we're working hard not to let those small lessons eat too much into reading time.<br />
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Popular books: well Alex Rider and CHERUB remain popular, as does the Battle Boy books. There's an air of anticipation for the final Hunger Games book. A lot of students were also eager to read Tomorrow When the War Began and Chasers. And they begged me to bring in the Dance Academy books I bought for myself, thinking no one would want to read them!A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-54943952270694681022010-07-15T06:16:00.000+10:002010-07-15T06:16:43.924+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Talking- The Problem with Why?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XsaPUSkNjAIAs1EiXIrwZtHiceKZpVEy1nSi5UZ2KyEgbFdHaKXMt666jCqIL-6MYcAuB6g1bm-WH6FkDAvBXp4rV50iXpArdpeaRfuXlwGdcKHrruLp3uftk8WzmPhvj5a3MA8U2mHS/s1600/3718789722_8800a8f2a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XsaPUSkNjAIAs1EiXIrwZtHiceKZpVEy1nSi5UZ2KyEgbFdHaKXMt666jCqIL-6MYcAuB6g1bm-WH6FkDAvBXp4rV50iXpArdpeaRfuXlwGdcKHrruLp3uftk8WzmPhvj5a3MA8U2mHS/s200/3718789722_8800a8f2a3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I've been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Me-Children-Reading-Talk/dp/157110030X?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tell Me</a> by Aidan Chambers as I talked about <a href="http://areaderscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/06/about-readers-workshop-talk-and-reading.html">here</a>. A lot of the things that Chambers writes about is how teachers can use talk and language to enable readers to come to deeper understandings. <br />
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Chambers points out that one of the worst phases to use when talking about reading is 'Why?' as in 'Why did this happen' or 'Why did you like it'. I know from experience that this question often leaves students grasping for an answer that they think I want to hear - it really places the teacher in the position of power, rather than creating a real community. Chambers suggests that 'why' also encourages students to give questions that don't have a tonne of meaning. Instead he suggests that teachers should provide a starting point, a detail that gives readers a place to move from.<br />
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Developing understanding from texts should be developed organically, Chambers points out. If we want to build up understanding from students, we should do it by asking them to tell us what they like or dislike from the text and then move through what puzzles them. Often by talking it out, students are able to see what they know as well as moving on to new understandings.<br />
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How does this apply in a reader's workshop classroom? Well I had a couple of thoughts about how I would be able to use it . . .<br />
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<ul><li>This approach provides an angle/language for conferring with students. I sometimes have problems with conferring, when students come to a dead end and you're not sure where to take them next. By starting with 'tell you what you like/dislike' you give the students a really comfortable place to begin - as their confidence builds, they are able to build their understanding.</li>
<li>This approach could also be used in small group lessons. As a group, students would be able to contribute to and build on an understanding together, contributing to their shared understanding. The questioning could be changed/adjusted to the aspects you want to discuss with the students.</li>
<li>You could also use this when working with read alouds. In my experience, talk is the best way to assess student understanding of read alouds, and this provides a good way for students to talk about a book, without feeling like it is assessment. </li>
<li>Students could be taught to use this language with each other. Book/reading buddies can be a really powerful way of sharing knowledge, and if this approach is modelled and taught, students could use it before writing book letters, or completing tasks. Alternatively, it could be used as the students are finishing their individual reading, to help them clarify their opinions and understandings right after they have read.</li>
</ul>I'm definately going to be spending more time thinking about the use of language when talking about reading. Chambers has made some good points about language which halts conversation or prevents students from really coming to better understandings. I like the idea of letting understanding build organically, it makes a lot of sense to work that way. Hopefully this change in language will allow that to happen a lot easier<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1095272394"><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/openpad/3718789722/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-74078063765352574662010-07-13T05:45:00.000+10:002010-07-13T05:45:54.702+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Creating a Reader's Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWChUEVZVFXD12AsAHUfya8Fd6cXdJdij4FTacBXMZfiWjqGW58mVqMCl_VIwRBwz3wGondUSwTvhl732BZE6bpigZGFXVjJuQ40wO05xiJ7wgO3IGSVNNIxuOtjrcXd389U1NHiL0oKE/s1600/2896336385_735df49112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWChUEVZVFXD12AsAHUfya8Fd6cXdJdij4FTacBXMZfiWjqGW58mVqMCl_VIwRBwz3wGondUSwTvhl732BZE6bpigZGFXVjJuQ40wO05xiJ7wgO3IGSVNNIxuOtjrcXd389U1NHiL0oKE/s320/2896336385_735df49112.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>One of my goals this year has been to develop skills that will allow students to become life long readers. Interestingly, I've discovered that the students in my class, some of them non-readers before this year, have been teaching themselves their own skills or learning them from family and friends. They've taken on the life of readers. Here's some of the things I've noticed:<br />
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<b>Students are becoming more creative at getting books</b><br />
I have a tonne of books in my classroom. However, I usually only have one copy of each book, or there's certain books I don't have, or they don't have access to books on weekends or holidays. I have noticed students are moving outside of the classroom, and indeed the school to get their books. One tells me how he goes out with his sister and father to the book shop each week, even if they don't buy anything.<b> </b> A lot of them have gone back to visiting the local libraries to stock up on books. Some of them have even managed to convince older siblings to procure them books from the high school libraries.<br />
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<b>Students are getting more creative at finding time to read books</b><br />
<b> </b>One of the things I've taught this year is sneaky reading. Basically students are encouraged to read when they get a spare moment - when they are waiting for a teacher or have finished something early. We take our books with us to assemblies, and read while we wait for the assembly to begin (I collect the books before it starts, though). A lot of students tell me about their reading habits at home - a few of them have snuck in reading by flashlights under the blankets at night :) - but most have taken to finding other moments where they are able to read.<br />
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<b>Students are beginning to set reading goals</b><br />
A lot of the students are beginning to set goals of what they'd like to read. Particularly with the holidays, students are organising what they want to read, how many things they want to read. I also noticed that students were organising meetings on the holidays to swap books over with each other.<br />
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<b>Students are becoming more confident about talking about their reading</b><br />
Students are talking about their reading more and more. They talk about what they like, what they want to read. They write blogs reviewing books, and mention books in conversation. They're also beginning to make connections between books in their conversations.<br />
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All these things - selecting books, making time to read, setting goals, talking about books are all things that confident adults readers do. It's really nice to see the students beginning to take on these habits, starting to create reading lives.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/2896336385/">Photo from flickr </a></span>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-9265963189832965532010-07-11T09:13:00.000+10:002010-07-11T09:13:59.402+10:00Book Talk: It's the End of the World As We Know It . . . (Part Two)In the last blog post, <a href="http://areaderscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-talk-its-end-of-world-as-we-know.html">I talked about the rising popularity of post-apocolyptic and dystopian books</a>. Some of the books I talked about included <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0439023483?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-When-War-Began/dp/0439829100?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tomorrow When the War Began</a>. In this post I'm going to look at some of the other traditional books from this genre, as well as some books which have similar qualities.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimonFubN-ImYbZTLmSuFEtNTf8upz5bhTyVsWh1JxEhsZSD8NmJbmyS6VrY-wuf53hSmE6OeN6iiALfdcgR98on8OwDHfkEq5Dl2sw47ErdAFAtRq15MVQjq2mvx4Vy9v1bnijt_9h7eqc/s1600/uglies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimonFubN-ImYbZTLmSuFEtNTf8upz5bhTyVsWh1JxEhsZSD8NmJbmyS6VrY-wuf53hSmE6OeN6iiALfdcgR98on8OwDHfkEq5Dl2sw47ErdAFAtRq15MVQjq2mvx4Vy9v1bnijt_9h7eqc/s200/uglies.jpg" width="143" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Uglies-Boxed-Set-Pretties-Specials/dp/1416936408?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Uglies</a> series by Scott Westerfeld<br />
It's been a while since I read this series, and it's one I haven't yet introduced to my students. However, some of my older students would probably be interested in reading them, so I'll probably talk them up this term. Uglies tells the story of a world where everyone goes through a procedure at 16 to make them 'pretty' - basically identical. These pretties are kept separate from younger teenagers who have not yet had the procedure. Tally, the main character, begins the story looking forward to being a pretty, but soon discovers that there's another option. The books follow Tally's attempts to negotiate the strict regulations of the government.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvuxaVXegbWwFgfYLq7jY-YNxtpIC4QrqhXjJcEwX5XLBEF8pnZMmpH9J_3nbxP_vSVd5W2ENMkzwpk8DF_Zrg3l18O5BwOmufQPOcoJpOCCZBFkTr2jc7UnibzDKZuHd500csJFA7S7O/s1600/obernewtyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvuxaVXegbWwFgfYLq7jY-YNxtpIC4QrqhXjJcEwX5XLBEF8pnZMmpH9J_3nbxP_vSVd5W2ENMkzwpk8DF_Zrg3l18O5BwOmufQPOcoJpOCCZBFkTr2jc7UnibzDKZuHd500csJFA7S7O/s200/obernewtyn.jpg" width="121" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Obernewtyn-Chronicles-1-Isobelle-Carmody/dp/0375857672?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Obernewtyn</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=areascom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0375857672" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Isobelle Carmody<br />
This book moves out in a different direction from others which tend to be pretty action based. Obernewtyn on the other hand is more fantasy based, with a main character, Elspeth, who can talk with animals, and magic present throughout the whole book. Obernewtyn is set in a world which has been destroyed by a nuclear holocaust, with a controlling council which condemns those with mental powers of any kind. I've only read the first book and part of the second, but the world building in the book is just brilliant.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU-Tyv1PadHuG2LjFKBsXDDECzaCzEofwrcAyw_tcsbEo0jtaKkbFjYSfhzPjX0l3uEmJ_Akuqzc58njkY13QtkWdm4X0yyB8LEtHCWldCV7Tr0anik6hAhaGhM85TsiIdczj-m_cHNDm/s1600/chasers_thumb_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU-Tyv1PadHuG2LjFKBsXDDECzaCzEofwrcAyw_tcsbEo0jtaKkbFjYSfhzPjX0l3uEmJ_Akuqzc58njkY13QtkWdm4X0yyB8LEtHCWldCV7Tr0anik6hAhaGhM85TsiIdczj-m_cHNDm/s200/chasers_thumb_small.jpg" width="133" /></a>Chasers by James Phelan<br />
This is a new series, and I've only read the first one (Alone) but there's a really interesting premise behind it. Jesse is an Australian boy on a UN camp in New York, when there's what seems like a terrorist attack while Jesse's in the subway with some friends. Strangely, the survivors who were outside when it happened seem to have a virus of some sort, also making them dangerous to Jesse and his friends. It's not the best of books, but the twist at the end is pretty amazing.<br />
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When I was thinking about these books, I realised that there's a lot of other books that share similarities. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Deathly-Hallows-Book/dp/0545139708?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</a> is one that jumps to mind, as Harry, Ron and Hermione deal with a world where a authoritarian government have changed the rules. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/TimeRiders-Alex-Scarrow/dp/0802721729?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Time Riders</a> by Alex Scarrow is a time-travel book, but some of the possible time zones are scarily post-apocalyptic.<br />
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One of the things I really like about the books I've looked at, are the number of female main characters. Tally, Katniss, Ellie, Elspeth are all incredibly strong characters, with flaws and problems, but who go out and get things done. Better still is how many of these books, with strong female characters, are popular with boys.<br />
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What are your favourite post-apocalyptic / dystopian books?A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-65348139783946516022010-07-09T06:06:00.000+10:002010-07-09T06:06:52.689+10:00Book Talk: It's the End of the World As We Know It . . . (Part One)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJSYPbeCg-Ji0hCWHzFTkAsd5odiGf-iOUmaXYc8oYo2EksreLGAw3tt9xrTw4Ao0Wvvmg9Cq3OHILH7wE-L6o8EDTltx-mHHV1IYTUXxZRqlSsIA9q48_6A03f3xgnSvZSB0Zb4J9Ra7/s1600/hunger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJSYPbeCg-Ji0hCWHzFTkAsd5odiGf-iOUmaXYc8oYo2EksreLGAw3tt9xrTw4Ao0Wvvmg9Cq3OHILH7wE-L6o8EDTltx-mHHV1IYTUXxZRqlSsIA9q48_6A03f3xgnSvZSB0Zb4J9Ra7/s200/hunger.jpg" width="200" /></a>For some reason my students, and probably many like them, like to read about the end of the world. Or if not the end of the world, the end of the world as the characters knew it. There's definitely been a rise in post-apocalyptic, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">dystopian</span> future books over the last few years. Interestingly enough, it's a type of book that I love too, so here's some examples of my favourites:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0439023483?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-Second-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023491?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Catching Fire</a> by Suzanne Collins<br />
What, you mean you haven't heard of these books? Well you need to get out from under that rock you've been under! The Hunger Games tells us the story of Katniss, whose family struggles to get by in their post-war life. But, the most horrific part of Katniss' world is The Hunger Games, an annual kill or be killed reality television show in which tributes are forced to participate. Mockingjay, which is coming out soon, is one of the most highly anticipated books in our classroom (and there's a few lately).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMT37o0cSsyijCTixMxu30qNINLOcZkOWmbQUmh0BWMjpElEz0pHWvEfBJDBTKOZCQmdVn3oSKCT-xnVelJEe_azSO2K__OGfNowRjq3ihnxtIxPUy3SqED5iTPayLljndnbULReR8tYY/s1600/n265374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMT37o0cSsyijCTixMxu30qNINLOcZkOWmbQUmh0BWMjpElEz0pHWvEfBJDBTKOZCQmdVn3oSKCT-xnVelJEe_azSO2K__OGfNowRjq3ihnxtIxPUy3SqED5iTPayLljndnbULReR8tYY/s200/n265374.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knife-Never-Letting-Go-Walking/dp/0763645761?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Knife of Never Letting Go</a> by Patrick Ness<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"></span><br />
I only finished this one last week, but I cannot wait to introduce it to my older students. Perfect for those who have finished The Hunger Games, and want a similar book to move on to, this book is the first of a trilogy (the second one is waiting for me to read it). It's the story of Todd, who lives in a different world, and indeed planet to ours. In his world, you can hear the thoughts of men, the noise. Todd, still a boy in his world, struggles to understand what it means to be a member of his community, his town and indeed his world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjI9hFihoMe5EUA2dG1ZjCdMT8Zz4vnjbtUivZzyCntX2iFYPhbKWnAMbk8yRPpC0TTF1gZvNyhDTW7XvfZZ_mtC2FrM-Uv9WPZRWhM8yTu1e51PXqjubyt38t9BehuzOCAqQoOMJFDglX/s1600/tomorrow_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjI9hFihoMe5EUA2dG1ZjCdMT8Zz4vnjbtUivZzyCntX2iFYPhbKWnAMbk8yRPpC0TTF1gZvNyhDTW7XvfZZ_mtC2FrM-Uv9WPZRWhM8yTu1e51PXqjubyt38t9BehuzOCAqQoOMJFDglX/s200/tomorrow_pic.jpg" width="122" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-When-War-Began/dp/0439829100?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tomorrow When the War Began</a> by John Marsden<br />
I have a confession to make. Despite being an Australian teenager when these were first published, and a rabid fan of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Much-Tell-You-John-Marsden/dp/0449703746?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">So Much to Tell You</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Take-My-Word-John-Marsden/dp/0330273949?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Take My Word for It</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Inside-John-Marsden/dp/0440219515?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Letters from the Inside</a>, I had never read, nor even wanted to read Tomorrow When the War Began. My sisters tried to get me to read it, but no go. And this holidays I brought home the whole series from my classroom determined to read them before the movie comes out in September - and I don't know what took me so long! (I can hear my sisters saying 'I told you so' from here).<br />
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Tomorrow When the War Began is the first book of a seven book series about Ellie and her friends who were camping in thick bush when their town, and their country was invaded. The group of teenagers set out to see what they can find out, destroy what they can, and evade capture from the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">inv</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">aders</span>. Where this series is strongest (and I'm only up to the fifth book) is in how they haven't aged particularly. They were written with enough differences from Australia of today (public holidays we've never had for example) that you could still see this happening in the future or now. Again, a perfect series for the Hunger Games readers, showing teenagers taking on real, adult responsibilities, although for different reasons.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giver-Lois-Lowry/dp/0385732554?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Giver</a> by Lois Lowry<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDz_p0t2wgmKFv3YdbVr5OFR7WD37DwH4fp4OrKSt4swxGVIn0N6NvRNyShll5oaYlSTM5QMHKXzt0qKZFIMQvv19HEx4gOiSSxzFUmM-l9qQgRjTdiFKZiPaAjifTKJsO943lZWfGli1/s1600/giver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDz_p0t2wgmKFv3YdbVr5OFR7WD37DwH4fp4OrKSt4swxGVIn0N6NvRNyShll5oaYlSTM5QMHKXzt0qKZFIMQvv19HEx4gOiSSxzFUmM-l9qQgRjTdiFKZiPaAjifTKJsO943lZWfGli1/s200/giver.jpg" width="129" /></a>This is a deceptively thin book. It tells the story of Jonas, who seems to be living in a great world. Except, slowly you realise that things aren't as nice as they seem in Jonas' world, and that there's a lot bubbling below the surface. This book, like all these books, raises so many interesting questions - rich fodder for book talking and debate. This book has been a bit hit and miss with students, a lot see it as too easy for them because of the thinness of the book. Another one to try to sell this term!<br />
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Next blog post, I'll look at Obernewtyn, Uglies, Chasers and a few others that squeeze under the same bannerA Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-26805396965599991412010-07-08T06:43:00.004+10:002010-07-08T06:56:08.218+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Flat-Earth Readers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAj7xbwVDM160xA6OeruXP6UY9EY4IWpYXlCbqGYrNqG_BF_Z3Hp0a9kYy7FDHeUltJoWIP6SQylKoeSqWzQ1_qR5TX10OdSsZtcZe8mYLtjf4Y3dhsggfScDsLgzCLRwiQlzkdg_QOTWe/s1600/4709943236_de2d8602c9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAj7xbwVDM160xA6OeruXP6UY9EY4IWpYXlCbqGYrNqG_BF_Z3Hp0a9kYy7FDHeUltJoWIP6SQylKoeSqWzQ1_qR5TX10OdSsZtcZe8mYLtjf4Y3dhsggfScDsLgzCLRwiQlzkdg_QOTWe/s200/4709943236_de2d8602c9.jpg" width="200" /></a>As I have been reading Aidan Chambers' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Me-Children-Reading-Talk/dp/157110030X?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tell Me: Children, reading and talk</a>, I came across the best term- flat-earth readers. We all know them (in fact, you may, like me, have been one of them.) They are the readers who only ever read one style, or one author. They are the students who won't move past Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or move away from the Star Wars novelisations. In my case, it was Baby-Sitters Club books or later, Sweet Valley High. They see the reading world as flat, with dragons or other <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">nasties</span> at the edges.<br />
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What prevents the students from creating a more rounded world of reading? Chambers suggests three things in particular: the danger of boredom - other books might be boring compared to the books the reader is used to; difficulty - other books might be harder than the books the reader is used to, and the reader lacks the self-efficacy to read harder books; and the fear of exhaustion - that the other side of the reading world may never end (the I'll never read enough of the world's books fear)!<br />
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Obviously we don't want students to remain flat world readers - after all, we want the students to become better readers, readers who are willing to take risks and explore a range of books. But how can we assist students to experience a more rounded world of books?<br />
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One place to start is the classroom environment, and even little things can make such a difference. I never had a huge amount of success with getting students to read until I was able to turn my books around so the covers faced outwards. Placing them in baskets for different categories, allowed students who were interested in one type of book (for example, my Star Wars fanatic was interested in other science fictions books and ended up extending to new authors and harder books). Having an extra rack of books also allows me to display new books.<br />
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Also successful is read <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: rgb(243, 243, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">alouds</span>. I've talked about read-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">alouds</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>before (<a href="http://areaderscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/02/readers-workshop-importance-of-read.html">here</a> and <a href="http://areaderscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/02/about-readers-workshop-mechanics-of.html">here</a>) and why I think they're important, and I have found they're great for moving flat-earth readers. A lot of students go on to read the books when you're finished, or search for similar books. The read-aloud has assured them that there are other good books out there and that they may not be too difficult or overwhelming.<br />
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Incidental book talk - or what Chambers calls book gossip - is another powerful tool. Earlier this year, the younger boys in my class went through a massive <a href="http://www.amazon.com/39-Clues-Book-Library-Special/dp/0545090547?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">39 Clues</a> phase, talking about the books before school, in class, at home online. A lot of them have moved on from these books to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Recruit-Cherub-Robert-Muchamore/dp/141699940X?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">CHERUB</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Rider-Collection-Adventure/dp/0142412511?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Alex Rider</a> books. They want to share in the world the other boys are sharing in. I'm particularly lucky in this aspect as I have a multi-age classroom and a lot of the time, the younger students want to follow the older students in their reading. This definitely led to the success of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0439023483?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a>.<br />
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We also have formal books talks. These can be a little hit and miss. Coming from me, they're generally pretty solid. I'm lucky again, in that I've taught some of these students since 2007 and they trust me to find good books that they'll enjoy. Especially if I'm really enthusiastic (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Percy-Jackson-Olympians-Paperback-Boxed/dp/1423113497?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Percy Jackson</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Mind-Sharon-Draper/dp/141697170X?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Out of my Mind</a>) a simple book talk from me can have the whole class buzzing. When the students book talk, it often depends on the student. Some have a great pull in the class, others less so. Some give great book talks that make you want to go out and buy ten copies of the book, others are still developing their public speaking skills.<br />
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Recently we've had a new place to talk about books, through the use of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">kidblogs</span><span style="background-color: white;">.or</span>g. A lot of students use their blogs to talk about what they're reading and what others should read, which means we've had to have lessons on spoiler warnings and other reviewing niceties. :-) <br />
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Despite pressure from other sources, the least success I've had in expanding the world of readers is in set books, or even 'choose from this list' books. Often students approach the books with a certain amount of resentment, especially if they'd prefer to spend reading time reading 'their' book. They take little ownership in the book, and it's difficult to get them to read 'similar' books. I have had some success, particularly when nominating books to small groups, but all in all, it's not a particularly useful way to expand the world of readers.<br />
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Of course, if you want to know more about moving readers through different types of books, you can't go past Teri <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Lesesne's</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Ladders-Leading-Students-Where/dp/0325017263?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white;">Readin</span>g Ladders</a>, and if you can get your hands on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Me-Children-Reading-Talk/dp/157110030X?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tell Me</a>, I recommend it too - so far, a really great thoughtful read.<br />
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What stories of flat-earth readers do you have? Were you one yourself? What made you move on? How do you approach flat-earth readers in your classroom?A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-38164762793979294432010-06-30T12:35:00.000+10:002010-06-30T12:35:18.372+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Talk and Reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQuqItGi5Cw1od4wAbqGXwcZEllQDgYAUNvvzldDV_bGyD5nGZ7Xn_IdfwMcpOwpZdzUcOOR21yuNKTfDSeVdRo-dvW902h9Ykppx1XcsqQKTxtUqmJFn876LLEUvlqZCEPgQO43LuQZI/s1600/talk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQuqItGi5Cw1od4wAbqGXwcZEllQDgYAUNvvzldDV_bGyD5nGZ7Xn_IdfwMcpOwpZdzUcOOR21yuNKTfDSeVdRo-dvW902h9Ykppx1XcsqQKTxtUqmJFn876LLEUvlqZCEPgQO43LuQZI/s200/talk.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, I'm three days into my winter holidays and I was getting slightly bored so I picked up a book from my massive pile of 'teaching books to be read'. This one, Tell Me by Aidan Chambers, was picked up at the Lifeline Bookfest, so is a little older (published in 1993). However, it highlights the importance of talk in reading.<br />
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I'm finding this particularly useful for a number of reasons. First of all, how important is talk in reading? Can we develop any kind of successful reader, let along life-long readers without emphasising the place of talk? Secondly, how do we use talk throughout the school life of a child - what talk are we successfully using with Preps? How do we translate this into Grade 7s or Grade 12s? Thirdly, how can we use books to help talk? We have growing numbers of children arriving at school with speech difficulties. Can books/reading be used to work with these children?<br />
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The other thing Chambers points out is that without a 'reading environment' (a topic he's written another book on) it is very hard to cultivate successful talk about reading. It's interesting to think about how one piece fits in with another.<br />
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I'm only just into the book, but no doubt I'll be posting some of my ideas here as I go through it. So let me know if you have any thoughts, questions, musing on talk and reading and how they go together.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anyalogic/2315310261/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-60340461312864523182010-06-14T08:23:00.000+10:002010-06-14T08:23:32.069+10:00About Reader's Workshop: The Lifeline Bookfest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-DuLnvvIymO_oBypaFUczLGywotCjT5yKktmG3XqXE7RHEB3xc6ddCNTFMDsy9vribowKynTMsyK5L_vZmPsHfxpMI65SzhxW8laV9SrSn2Q7zLNPFKFGudJGcak5MbPQtolK1dRMXEY/s1600/Image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-DuLnvvIymO_oBypaFUczLGywotCjT5yKktmG3XqXE7RHEB3xc6ddCNTFMDsy9vribowKynTMsyK5L_vZmPsHfxpMI65SzhxW8laV9SrSn2Q7zLNPFKFGudJGcak5MbPQtolK1dRMXEY/s200/Image2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Books, books and more books, as far as the eye can see.<br />
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That's the scene that greats you at Brisbane's twice a year <a href="http://www.lifelinebookfest.com/">Lifeline Bookfest,</a> which I attended on Saturday. If you're there at opening time, and you're lucky enough to be one of the first people though the front door . . . well there's nothing better than two massive halls full of books.<br />
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I've been attending the bookfest for a number of years now. It has two benefits. Cheap books for the people of Brisbane, and money raised for Lifeline, a charity which provides counseling services. In fact,<a href="http://areaderscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/01/visiting-lifeline-book-fest.html"> I attended earlier this year</a>. Unfortunately, then, I was only four days out of surgery, which made the whole experience pretty hard, so I was looking forward to this event.<br />
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The anticipation that builds up around this event is pretty huge, and you'll see so many different types of people there. Parents, children, grandparents, students, people seaching for the one elusive book, people trying to get as many as possible. And teachers. In fact, so many teachers go each year, that they even give a special shout out over the loudspeaker.<br />
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But it's no surprise they go. Where else can you pick up good quality books for you classroom library, and teacher resources and textbooks, all under $5 each? What surprises me (and saddens me) is that I'm the only teacher at my school who regularly goes. I did run into one of my old students though, who very proudly told me that he'd moved on to really thick books now.<br />
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We're really lucky to have this event in Brisbane. The whole thing holds together on the good will of volunteers, but it's an event which allows everyone to be a reader, to leave clutching a book of their very own.<br />
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As for me, I was actually a bit more conservative this time. I had a time limit, so I had to choose well and choose fast. Still, I managed a number of excellent bargains, including Cathy Cassidy's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dizzy-Cathy-Cassidy/dp/0142404748?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dizzy</a> (completes our classroo collection), Jerry Spinelli's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loser-Jerry-Spinelli/dp/0060540745?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Loser</a>, Morris Gleitzman and Gary Paulsen books and some excellent looking books on reading.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-85586276129309269522010-06-03T06:26:00.000+10:002010-06-03T06:26:35.494+10:00Book Talk: The Danger Zone Books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70xINpPu8N0B-GTMfMu9kbDyWEGHb9v-eMF6ja2hZSZPQkFHi6ebnpApOiL7xoG-yenqZzeKqqhXL4YD9Ds6NiDjF4dOnYOeGeZ0T6G2kC3YXIKTmyltpKsPGHHDheVVEGRdcDNwxSXin/s1600/514ZQ9W820L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70xINpPu8N0B-GTMfMu9kbDyWEGHb9v-eMF6ja2hZSZPQkFHi6ebnpApOiL7xoG-yenqZzeKqqhXL4YD9Ds6NiDjF4dOnYOeGeZ0T6G2kC3YXIKTmyltpKsPGHHDheVVEGRdcDNwxSXin/s200/514ZQ9W820L.jpg" width="177" /></a><i>This week I'm going to be focusing on books, series and authors that are HUGE in my classroom.</i><br />
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One of the things I've done this year is improved the number and range of informational texts in the classroom. A lot of my students are right into history, and one series has been incredibly popular with students exploring different eras and times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7c8AhFg7WTQFoDUcjMX42FJfU4a_Sb_dJk4ybhq_olOcj-HbGfPBBpVnxIvZkwb9NVWFL_2V-n_SOYPj6I-SGk5UwIaILTWIZv0u57dD52JKwTWRIJ2QQiPzpNhyOEEtD7GryvfT1wWtn/s1600/faminebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7c8AhFg7WTQFoDUcjMX42FJfU4a_Sb_dJk4ybhq_olOcj-HbGfPBBpVnxIvZkwb9NVWFL_2V-n_SOYPj6I-SGk5UwIaILTWIZv0u57dD52JKwTWRIJ2QQiPzpNhyOEEtD7GryvfT1wWtn/s200/faminebook.jpg" width="174" /></a>The Danger Zone books are colourful books, filled with lots of comic-style pictures. They're quite busy, your eye is drawn from one part of the page to the other, but each book has a similar format, so they're easy to follow. Like the Horrible Histories, they tend to focus on the blood and guts aspects of life in history, but unlike the horrible histories, the text that connects things is a little easier to read, and therefore more likely to actually be read.<br />
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And with names like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Being-Medieval-Castle-Danger/dp/1906370257?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Avoid Being in a Medieval Castle</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Sailing-Titanic-Danger-Zone/dp/1904194168?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Avoid Sailing on the Titanic</a>, you've immediately captured attention.<br />
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One thing that I really, really liked was the broad scope of the books. Although I still have a tonne to collect, you can get books that range from ancient history to European history, to American history and even some Australian history (Yay!) It's really good for opening up the world a little for the students and feeds nicely into other history books and historical fiction.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-54639245266763764512010-06-02T05:56:00.000+10:002010-06-02T05:56:48.962+10:00Book Talk: Verse Novels<i>This week I'm going to be focusing on books, series and authors that are HUGE in my classroom.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6mTC2tGJxvYH-KXKBWyxV43_eBb2HU2z5nQVswvgjEahBXo_6QqP6scCwd9ejLLg0kJQ4e9BcfVYw603hDkur6vLvMVpyLuTmnmvO5E0U56pxlmG7GrjAeqIsiyDvMZHObuvd_DNSekq/s1600/love-that.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6mTC2tGJxvYH-KXKBWyxV43_eBb2HU2z5nQVswvgjEahBXo_6QqP6scCwd9ejLLg0kJQ4e9BcfVYw603hDkur6vLvMVpyLuTmnmvO5E0U56pxlmG7GrjAeqIsiyDvMZHObuvd_DNSekq/s200/love-that.jpg" width="134" /></a>It was honestly a surprise when it took off. I'd had <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-That-Dog-Sharon-Creech/dp/0064409597?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Love that Dog</a> sitting on my desk for a while, but I kind of put off reading it and recommending it in favour of other books. After all, there were two verse novels in my class, and neither of them had really taken off.<br />
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But then I finally read it. Wow! So I took it in, book talked it, and watched it take off. The boys couldn't wait to read it once one of them raved about it. They begged me to buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hate-That-Cat-Sharon-Creech/dp/B001T8SX2E?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hate that Cat</a> and just about took it straight out of my hands when it got to the classroom. More and more began reading <a href="http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Books/Pearl-Verses-the-World-9781921150937">Pearl Verses the World</a> (which is up for a couple of Australian book awards!). Then I bought Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, which went straight into another pair of hands, and already has a line up.<br />
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Poetry is big. Which means that students are choosing to write it too. Which is a Good Thing, since that's what we'll be concentrating on early next term. And their poetry has become more thoughtful, more realistic, more personal. Just like the books they read.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-83182945608985937812010-06-01T05:00:00.000+10:002010-06-01T05:00:18.932+10:00Book Talk: The Who Was Series<i>This week I'm going to be focusing on books, series and authors that are HUGE in my classroom.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRT89QHITbQJ5C-e2e5aaBFmuMWdKDwYfTJYL-m7hdslsADFO89Ft7YXDRBE_ZzDj2RDhyIxfD17e2SVTh53kXWJpHGz-Dq1R2kFUpURLxHf-_Jw-XGGcuxZ57lVF04a_bWSz_6pLaO1W/s1600/anne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRT89QHITbQJ5C-e2e5aaBFmuMWdKDwYfTJYL-m7hdslsADFO89Ft7YXDRBE_ZzDj2RDhyIxfD17e2SVTh53kXWJpHGz-Dq1R2kFUpURLxHf-_Jw-XGGcuxZ57lVF04a_bWSz_6pLaO1W/s200/anne.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>One of the types of books I try to promote in my classroom is biographical texts. This has been largely hit and miss, unfortunately. So I went out in search of some new biographical material. This brought me to the Who Was . . . series of books. These books are fairly short, the better readers get through them in about a day, and are all biographies of famous people. The range covers scientists, pioneers, presidents and people who were just amazing in their field.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I4bWX_sJWmQy0_gRjF9D0eC0mpradNMqXLumi2uAenO19SBG-kNQHOkfd7zGQwlxgcGSWy10qhtAg852teoEk7fLGV5N2ERRl7FBIwhhQibsJNFGPHW9JkpKva8HEKO_y5UTOWAo8S79/s1600/9780448448862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I4bWX_sJWmQy0_gRjF9D0eC0mpradNMqXLumi2uAenO19SBG-kNQHOkfd7zGQwlxgcGSWy10qhtAg852teoEk7fLGV5N2ERRl7FBIwhhQibsJNFGPHW9JkpKva8HEKO_y5UTOWAo8S79/s320/9780448448862.jpg" /></a>What I particularly like about them is their structure. The text doesn't dominate the page, there's line drawings throughout to add to the book, and there's also little information boxes which give you more information about the time or the place, helping the students place the books into a wider context. My goal is to really push the other biographical material in the room now, to make the connections between the books they've already read, and all those still out there.<br />
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Some of the favourites in the class:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Were-Beatles-Was/dp/0448439069?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Who were the Beatles?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Barack-Obama-Was/dp/0448453304?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Who is Barack Obama?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Was-Amelia-Earhart-Was/dp/0448428563?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Who was Amelia Earhart?</a><br />
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<a href="http://areaderscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-talk-conspiracy-365.html">Miss yesterday? Read about Conspiracy 365 books here!</a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-41514124027484028952010-05-31T05:40:00.000+10:002010-05-31T05:40:44.565+10:00Book Talk: Conspiracy 365<i>This week I'm going to be focusing on books, series and authors that are HUGE in my classroom.</i><br />
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It seems a little strange to be book talking <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-365-January-Gabrielle-Lord/dp/1935279491?ie=UTF8&tag=areascom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Conspiracy 365</a>, by Gabrielle Lord. Why? Well I haven't actually been able to read them myself. In fact, I can't keep my hands on them long enough to read myself. They are so popular in my classroom, the students have created virtual line ups to read them when the person currently reading them finishes.<br />
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What's the fuss about? Well it's the story of Cal who is chased down a street on New Years Eve and told that someone, the person who killed his father, is trying to kill him. He must survive the next 365 Days. What follows is pretty much standard thriller fare - except that a new book is released each month, so you feel like you're following him through the year. (I also love that the pages are numbered backwards, to assist with the whole countdown idea).<br />
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Who loves them in my classroom. Everyone. The girls, boys. Grade 5s, 6s and 7s. I have the sixth book, June, to take into school today -there may be a riot for it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W6b-bw3D84IhyphenhyphencP3Gt16IDRkNEyqQEMpxYwe0VlyAnQ_MgV84j7VhdK676jlKEImurUbJNwckNz_SRo9SZevC5G40RQY9VsCaNlFjynEYG747JJzgqPk1pBs2ihcAhDm_tUA9BDMc-UF/s1600/899923.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W6b-bw3D84IhyphenhyphencP3Gt16IDRkNEyqQEMpxYwe0VlyAnQ_MgV84j7VhdK676jlKEImurUbJNwckNz_SRo9SZevC5G40RQY9VsCaNlFjynEYG747JJzgqPk1pBs2ihcAhDm_tUA9BDMc-UF/s320/899923.png" width="320" /></a></div>What would this book connect to? Alex Rider, CHERUB, Margaret Peterson Haddix books<br />
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<a href="http://www.conspiracy365.com/">The website for Conspiracy 365 is over here.</a> Apparently there's an associated online club, but I haven't had any students get into that.<br />
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Tomorrow I'll look at the Who Was . . . series of booksA Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-44861258681192829422010-05-30T10:34:00.000+10:002010-05-30T10:34:37.708+10:00Book Talk: Coming up in Book Talks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-R-QcGKCBVMLTRqGiN30RmH7Ne8x6_jWQhkqfIwWRD_NK-tegXJPZJPNlpuzNju_Jkc_2UsD9R2d4sTwWaVBSbMBv3sJSqtdQQYgqXjX6wW72FfpGufu6dC-2Ss42jXyaBv1JsnjgSSNI/s1600/4637866490_56580e5948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-R-QcGKCBVMLTRqGiN30RmH7Ne8x6_jWQhkqfIwWRD_NK-tegXJPZJPNlpuzNju_Jkc_2UsD9R2d4sTwWaVBSbMBv3sJSqtdQQYgqXjX6wW72FfpGufu6dC-2Ss42jXyaBv1JsnjgSSNI/s200/4637866490_56580e5948.jpg" width="200" /></a>I've been dreadfully slack at blogging this term, which really boils down to problems keeping it all together. So I have a plan. Once a day blogging for the next week. And what will I blog about? Book talks!<br />
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Every day this coming week, I'll blog about the books, series and authors which are making a splash in my classroom at this very moment. And as I've taken to making 'connections' between different books in my 'real live' book talks, I'll endeavour to do the same here.<br />
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So look out for a week of biographical, historical, verse-filled, adventurous and just down right awesome books.<br />
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<b>In the mean time - what books are grabbing the attention of you, your children, or your students at this moment? </b><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lipstickproject/4637866490/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from flickr</span></a>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-85997957841127586032010-05-24T06:06:00.000+10:002010-05-24T06:06:14.086+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Fostering EnthusiasmThere's nothing quite like enthusiasm in the classroom. I like the way it bubbles up and completely dominates a room. You can't help but be swept away from it, and you know you're going to learn something on your journey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJJ-KGeNbZekTYGYwVAXt3GScSb9HzBO7Hs4ZumBR1l3W530f0MhyphenhyphenWQFynBO8Slc3soJPf1vfDiU6oe8a9ca8AHzr9tRHUDsYoD3rSqnYtFrYMR4_MFoeZLXwsVPutKBB-4SiQDCIrjy_/s1600/495036954_80e84a9eab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJJ-KGeNbZekTYGYwVAXt3GScSb9HzBO7Hs4ZumBR1l3W530f0MhyphenhyphenWQFynBO8Slc3soJPf1vfDiU6oe8a9ca8AHzr9tRHUDsYoD3rSqnYtFrYMR4_MFoeZLXwsVPutKBB-4SiQDCIrjy_/s200/495036954_80e84a9eab.jpg" width="200" /></a>Yesterday, I went out to help with a school fundraiser, primarily because a lot of my students helped to organise it. As I got there, one of my students ran up to me, and before either of us even said hello, she blurted out "The book is soooo good!"<br />
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Her enthusiasm was catching. I felt my spirits rising a bit as I asked her which book she was talking about, and she told me which bit she was up to. We went to our respective jobs, but she kept returning to it the whole time I was there. Her enthusiasm for reading, and for this book, was definately dominating her day.<br />
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How do you foster this enthusiasm when you're getting kids to read? Well from my own experience, there's a few things you can do . . .<br />
<ul><li>Be enthusiastic yourself. If the kids' enthusiasm is infectious, what about the teacher's? If you come in and are excited about the book you're reading, they'll cotton on to that and realise that there are books out there worth being excited about</li>
<li>Have a range of books available. I had a student last year who was mad about Star Wars books. It was so easy to move him on to harder science fiction books from there. But if I'd had no science fiction, if I couldn't lay my hands on it immediately, the enthusiasm may have died down a little. As I always say, the classroom library is the most important part of the class.</li>
<li>Harness the student's enthusiasm. If they're excited about a book, they'll do more to sell it than you can. Let them! Let them talk about the books, create book buddies who share referrals, have occasional activities where they get to express which books they love, create favourite book lists.</li>
</ul><b>What do you do to foster enthusiasm for reading? </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/polandeze/495036954/">Photo from flickr</a></span>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-29781218458807405912010-05-19T06:09:00.000+10:002010-05-19T06:09:09.906+10:00About Reader's Workshop: AssessmentHot on the heels of national assessment week, we now have classroom assessment in the lead up to report cards. One of my struggled has been balancing the school demands for assessment with the students I teach (getting them to read out loud to me doesn't tell me a lot when they never make a mistake!) and the demands of Reader's Workshop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Ce-dOjnT8glAo1WEaj5OyY6LS1jlnIJnZUziTXVitAJkjI9_5Akqp9rE6EotPKZyc-CFUTwPwQ6w05V-iF0KTvB6lqEXg7YKTjIN2LaZby2jq8WRZwnsAPql6sBln2KCtbormiHz90H/s1600/4005631298_50241b41ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-Ce-dOjnT8glAo1WEaj5OyY6LS1jlnIJnZUziTXVitAJkjI9_5Akqp9rE6EotPKZyc-CFUTwPwQ6w05V-iF0KTvB6lqEXg7YKTjIN2LaZby2jq8WRZwnsAPql6sBln2KCtbormiHz90H/s200/4005631298_50241b41ab.jpg" width="200" /></a>One thing I reularly ask the students to write is a book letter. Sometimes they're really short things, which keep me up to date with their latest reading and their thoughts on character or main idea. Other times they're much longer. The one we're working on at the moment, covers character, main idea and connections, although the students can choose which one they'd prefer to concentrate on more.<br />
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In terms of formative assessment, I often use discussion and book talks to see where the students are at, where I can move them forward, where they might be missing something etc. Unfortunately, we've moved to an entirely task based assessment system this year, so I have to disregard these when it comes to writing report cards. Which leaves you falling back on the old standbys - comprehension tests and reading miscues.<br />
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I have some ideas for more creative assessment - I'd love to do a Post Secret style activity with the class - but would love to hear how you balance the needs of assessment and reporting with the philosophies of reader's workshop and reading programs. Let me know!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4005631298/">Photo from Flickr</a></span>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-73781718122991652982010-05-13T06:33:00.000+10:002010-05-13T06:33:14.158+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Balancing the Elements<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouBpue-m0oAbIlTx7qsTkQawbTXrwBcApTKSfEQc4UslRQOOOP3eoVn3X3O-15oUkOtzBvN4XK9R9ZUUvLArAqHh-7i_2DUscn1dY55YH7U4KthrLN3BHcSSO51ZOAVLSi-a37t74_S6w/s1600/Image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouBpue-m0oAbIlTx7qsTkQawbTXrwBcApTKSfEQc4UslRQOOOP3eoVn3X3O-15oUkOtzBvN4XK9R9ZUUvLArAqHh-7i_2DUscn1dY55YH7U4KthrLN3BHcSSO51ZOAVLSi-a37t74_S6w/s200/Image2.jpg" width="168" /></a>I've been obsessed with ballet for as long as I can remember. Throughout my school years I took lessons, moving through into fairly high levels. When I finished school, I taught ballet for ten years. Then when I was finished with that, I took up adult ballet classes.<br />
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They really are a blast. The regular teacher, a former ballet dancer, puts together fabulous exercises, and works us pretty hard, but there's a lot of focus on making it lyrical and beautiful and really dancing it. We work hard and we laugh a lot.<br />
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Last night we had a guest teacher, also a former dancer. His class was fantastic and technical. It encouraged lots of delicate footwork, making us work those basic we started learning when we were five or six years old. Despite my sore feet this morning, it was amazing. But I don't think I could manage it every week - once every now and again is just fine!<br />
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This morning I was thinking about it, and I realised how well it correlates with Reader's Workshop. We focus on the technical, those skills which made us readers, and will make us better readers in small doses. Then we get to move to the lyrical - the reading - the stuff that makes your heart sing. When we focus too much on the technical, we get bogged down in instructions and corrections and never get to really move. When we focus entirely on the lyrical, we never really get better. It's all about finding the balance.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">That photo is me dancing my first ballet solo in our school christmas concert - I was the sugar plum fairy . . .</span>A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3917231942780480072.post-77390620442090060692010-05-12T17:32:00.000+10:002010-05-12T17:32:05.533+10:00About Reader's Workshop: Replacement . . .Well, it finally happened.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyPiAItMeEFcjzIAfaGYVpWQYpfo1k0NGgEkov7_fivNY29WMr-RW8vF76GEfwC9S-iU3ZcmaBUzsgjhvpV9BvKQ92DL0yktEG27ldILzmHadtzgsb45tCECFhAlCyuXwJQ5nzgHjan-H/s1600/Image24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyPiAItMeEFcjzIAfaGYVpWQYpfo1k0NGgEkov7_fivNY29WMr-RW8vF76GEfwC9S-iU3ZcmaBUzsgjhvpV9BvKQ92DL0yktEG27ldILzmHadtzgsb45tCECFhAlCyuXwJQ5nzgHjan-H/s200/Image24.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
The classroom library copy of The Recruit, the first book in the marvellous CHERUB series broke. Completely fell into two different pieces (part one and part two, a student informed me)<br />
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While I hate to see any book in this state, a part of my rejoiced to see it. I've had that book in the classroom for 2 and a half years now. It's survived around 40 different pairs of hands, seen the insides of 40 school bags, chair bags, library bags or tidy trays. It's been rushed through and devoured by some, and lingered over and savoured by others. It's been read by girls and boys (and a few parents too). It's had a very good life.<br />
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And I bought a new copy yesterday to replace it - there's a line up waiting to read it next.A Reader's Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176678946451197236noreply@blogger.com1