Thank you for enrolling in "Building a Reading Culture". Perhaps you share my concern that our students just aren't reading enough and that we are not providing them with a culture of reading where they see the value and enjoyment that reading can add to our lives. Perhaps you, like me, grew up a lover of all kinds of reading and just don't understand how people do not love books! In my job as Director of Student Improvement it has become one of my missions that we create a culture of literacy in which all students can grow in their life as readers.
Each week I will provide you with excerpts from different authors that share their philosophy on change that is needed in the way we view reading instruction as educators and advise how we might change our practice to grow passionate readers. I do not necessarily agree with all the views of each of these authors but feel they all present valuable food for thought.
Each week I will ask you to reflect on the reading as an opportunity for you to take the opinions and advice of these authors and practitioners and contemplate how you feel about what you have read and how you might integrate some of their ideas into your own practice.
Week 1 - We will be reading Ch. 2 and Ch. 3 from Kelly Gallagher's book entitled Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It. (reading material below) Below are links to two short videos from an interview with Kelly Gallagher discussing why he wrote Readicide:
Write: As you write your reflection, consider the following questions:
What is the reality of how much students in your classes / your school are reading?
How much authentic reading are they doing?
Is there a "dearth of interesting reading materials" in your school?
Is "word poverty" or lack of background knowledge a factor for your students?
Is the curriculum and/or philosophy for ELA instruction a "Readicide" factor for your students?
What factors presented by Kelly Gallagher do you agree or disagree with?
How do you feel you / your school could address the issues that may be causing a "Readicide" effect in your school?
- Teacher: Susan Gorman