1.Oftentimes when working with students with
disabilities our major focus is decoding.How can you develop life long readers when it is such a struggle to just
“break the code”?
I think there are different ways to get students interested in reading, especially those that struggle with decoding. I purchase audio books on iTunes and have students listen as they follow along in the text. I know BookShare has free books, but the machine language is not nearly as pleasant to listen to as the purchased books. I also go to the county library and check out book CDs. On a teacher pass I can keep a book for six weeks without paying a late fine. I put it on an iPod for student to listen while they follow the text. Hearing the books with the variations of tone and inflections along with some background music helps students develop fluency and comprehension. And, when they have an earphone into an iPod, the other students think they’re listening to music as they read. I also have students pick books they really want to read. Through the taking turns reading we do, they pick up some of the words, use their comprehension skills, and guess at the unknown words. When reading with the students, when they try to decode a word, I encourage them to sound it out. It’s also an ‘opportunity to learn/teach’ moment that we can talk about specific rules of decoding. Regardless of the method used to teach reading, I just want the kids to like reading. I want them to enjoy it enough that they will pick up another book and read it also.
I think students at the middle school/high school level would love the idea of an ear bud in listening to a book while following along in the hard copy. As you said, they'd be getting the practice but the other students don't know if that student is listening to a book or music. They aren't singled out as being different or 'stupid'.
I think there are a few ways to get struggling readers interested in reading. Magazines are easy to read and interesting. If the student likes a particular topic, ie sports, the teacher can have them read a sports magazine and then they could talk about them. There are also books on tape/cd. I have a friend that loves these types of books. They keep her entertained on the road or if she is doing mundane tasks like washing the dishes. The student could listen to the tape and follow along in the hard copy of the book. This way the student is 'reading' along and not having to struggle over the words in the book.
My kids at home love magazines and get several subscriptions in the mail. High Five, Highlights, National Geographic for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Boys Life. I think those are my current ones. When my kids are done, I sometimes take them to school. Thanks for reminding me; I need to take another batch to school. It does excite my students, especially those who don't have any kids literature at home. I need to make a point of letting them just take them home for keeps after reading them at school.
Ginger, It is a great idea to take those magazines to school for your students! Libraries sometimes give away magazines after awhile, and this could be a resource as well for the classroom.
High school students also like magazines. The format of a magazine gives them the opportunity to choose the articles they want to read and skip others that don't catch they interest. It is kind of like surfing the web with a hard copy!
At the middle school level teaching a student to decode is very challenging, not impossible though. You are working against years of ingrained reading or non-reading behaviors. Frankly the odds of successfully teaching decoding successfully to older students are not in their favor. To combat this I use audio books. Last semester my 7th graders read "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle". I knew they would really struggle reading the book but would love the story. So to keep comprehension from suffering as a result of decoding they listened to the story on a play-a-away from the library. We are now reading "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief", a book they have asked to read. Again the reading level is a bit challenging (alot of references to Greek Mythology) so we are listening to it on my IPad, I bought the audio book last year. This way students get to read the books they are interested in and comprehension does not suffer due to decoding. The sped department has actually donated our school district budget to the library in the past so our librarian could purchase more audio books! It's a good investment for our sped kids.
That's a great way to integrate the interests of your students. I think more and more audio books are available due to the changes in technology such as the ipad and kindle.
Ditto on the audio books. I like them more and more every time I use them. These really hold students attention and are much more readily understood than painstakingly decoding a book letter by letter.
I agree with using magazines. I have actually heard teachers tell students they have to read a book that magazines do not count! I wonder when was the last time they looked at a magazine? There are words in there to be read!
Don't you think it would be just a matter of holding the student accountable for reading a magazine by an alternative assignment instead of an AR test? It may boil down to not wanting to create additional work for the teacher, or devote class time to doing anything different like a presentation.
This has not been an issue with the students I see, but I am still in favor of using audiobooks. I advocated that my high-level learners use them to help overcome syntax issues with some of the classics like "Tom Sawyer." It promotes the students' comprehension as well as picking up on the nuances of the language. There are free versions on the web for some of the classics, not all requires a purchase.
I like the Scholastic Magazine for middle schoolers called SCOPE because it brings some of the classics back in a more contemporary presentation. One of my students said that comparing and contrasting Tom to Bart Simpson helped him out considerably!
I am fortunate that most of my students are readers who can't seem to get enough. That said I have a few who just don't seem to read, except when it is required. We talk about topics, look at magazines in the library as well as newspapers, but the interest is not there. I have been borrowing and using the Junior Scholastic magazines from another teacher to use with students. They have current articles of interest for kids.
Since doing this book blog, I have started something new. I have gotten very busy behavior issues or phone calls relating to these issues or teacher coming to conference with me. This has happened more than normal this year, so guess what? When those interruptions occur, I have each kid in my room select books and read, read, read. It is amazing how excited they are. Mostly they are "pretending to read." One student picks a book and sits in a chair. The other students are the "audience". It may be a total pretend read, but then everyone claps, and then it is the next person's turn. One or two of those can actually read a little so when they are cheered on it is so empowering and exciting and confidence builder. Now, in addition to doing this during my extended periods of interrupted times, I try to plan this at least once a week where I am in the audience too. The kids make a big performance with easy books and often the books are repeats from last time. I'm not saying it'll save the world but the kids are having fun enjoying books. Isn't that what the author is conveying...that we should facilitate eagerness in reading?
That sounds great and the students are not just sitting doing nothing while waiting. I like that some are being the audience and listening. That is very encouraging to the student who is reading
"Breaking the code" may take some a very long time to master, and others may never break it. But to help students find that desire to read, I think we as teachers must expose our students to a variety of literature. I also think students must be read to as often as possible, and we need to help students focus on their interests by finding other books in a certain genre that they like or find a certain author or series that interests them. Audio books are a great way to help students listen and follow along with a text (and maybe not follow along with a text everyday). Short stories and High Noon books are also helpful. I think short plays are also a good way to introduce literature. Students can practice their lines, learn to follow along, and be able to move around while acting. Since struggling readers have to practice reading in order to become better readers, and they probably won't practice at home, we have to give them time in school to practice reading!
I agree, the author is wanting to convey the joy of reading to students. This year with us being in transition to common core we have to continue to take the old state assessments but they do not count. Knowing this all along I did not teach to the test, the first time ever! We actually read for pleasure for fun! The students chose books and I chose books and my students for the first time ever actually like to read, they look forward to it, and get upset when the bell rings and we are at a good part in a book. My students scores reflect this. All of my 8th graders passed their reading assessment except on and she improved her score by 15 points from the previous year!!!
Wow!!! That is awesome! That demonstrates exactly what the author has been trying to tell us throughout the book. Great job putting it into practice! :)
I think it is important with struggling readers to really focus on material they enjoy. I think it is important for them to listen to the book and follow along in a book so they can see the words. Students will pay more attention if they pick the topic and hopefully that will show them they can be successful and enjoy reading. Presenting reading with many types of material, such as magazines, newspapers, sports section, audio books, and books online, will give students examples of how reading impacts their lives. In school, my brother struggled with reading and was never really a reader. Now he has found he likes mysteries and actually reads some books. It is never too late!
I feel when the students self select the books then the books become more of a value to them. They are able to enjoy the book while not focusing on the struggles they may have with words. They are more likely to try when it was their idea to choose the book. Find books that interest them and choose a variety of selections from non fiction to fiction. If audio is choosen then have the students follow with finger to understand and see the words the audio is reading to them. If the student can make a connection with the spoken words and written words then they will be able to be involved not only with the story but the words with the story. I think making connections is a way to get students interested if the student can see what it has to do with the real life or an experience they might have had then they are not interested in the reading or audio. The connection needs to be there. Sometimes students don't want to step outside of a world they have no idea about but I feel we need to get them more comfortable with the thought of reading and stepping outside of their comfort zone may come with the experience.
I thinking finding the books that interest them is key. Audio books have there place but we have to remember that they also have to read on their own. Reading together is always a good way to encourage kids to read. I tried the audio books and kids would go to sleep or pretend to listen and not follow along.
I think that finding their interest is very important when trying to get students interested in reading. Some of the kids will take years to "break the code." If a book can be found that is interesting, it makes learning to read more fun! I also agree that audio books are great! It is a way for students to hear a fluent reader read, which is incredibly important. I also think that read alouds are important, as well as putting a book on the iPad. My students LOVE it when we get to incorporate technology into our morning reading time.
Working with Kindergarteners of course that is what we work with 100% is just learning to decode CVC words and put sounds together to form words. It is so fun to watch the kids start to find the love of reading at this age and they want to read and write. One thing that I like to do with these kids is model reading by reading stories to them before I start a lesson. Last month I was so excited on Smart Apps it was Reading Awareness Month so each day they had a free book to download and most of the time they were books that would Auto Read to them and the words would highlight as it read the story to them. I feel adding in the technology helps kids to see there are other ways to enjoy reading besides just having a black and white piece of paper in front of them.
As I have offered my students more and more choice in their reading selections over the past few weeks, I see them expanding their search for more books that were way out of their comfort zone earlier in the year. I also see students reading books silently that if they had to read them out loud, would make them very uncomfortable because it would be so hard for them.
I use books on tape with some of my students. A lot of the students I work with really like the Magic Tree House books so I got the tapes for all of those books so that students who have a hard time reading could still enjoy the books. I try to have the students read with me at least one day a week so that they are not listening to the entire book on tape without reading any of it. I have also had some of my students read magazines. I have on boy in particular that loves sports so he even reads the newspaper and reports to the rest of the class what is happening in the world of sports for the week. I tell him he is our sports reporter so we need him to read about it so he can let us know what is going on. I also read to my students. Even my 6th graders still enjoy to be read to.
I think there are different ways to get students interested in reading, especially those that struggle with decoding. I purchase audio books on iTunes and have students listen as they follow along in the text. I know BookShare has free books, but the machine language is not nearly as pleasant to listen to as the purchased books. I also go to the county library and check out book CDs. On a teacher pass I can keep a book for six weeks without paying a late fine. I put it on an iPod for student to listen while they follow the text. Hearing the books with the variations of tone and inflections along with some background music helps students develop fluency and comprehension. And, when they have an earphone into an iPod, the other students think they’re listening to music as they read.
ReplyDeleteI also have students pick books they really want to read. Through the taking turns reading we do, they pick up some of the words, use their comprehension skills, and guess at the unknown words. When reading with the students, when they try to decode a word, I encourage them to sound it out. It’s also an ‘opportunity to learn/teach’ moment that we can talk about specific rules of decoding.
Regardless of the method used to teach reading, I just want the kids to like reading. I want them to enjoy it enough that they will pick up another book and read it also.
I think students at the middle school/high school level would love the idea of an ear bud in listening to a book while following along in the hard copy. As you said, they'd be getting the practice but the other students don't know if that student is listening to a book or music. They aren't singled out as being different or 'stupid'.
DeletePlease Jerri, I really want to know how you put a CD on an Ipod.
DeleteJerri, I think that this is good part of the time. but are the fake following along?
DeleteI think there are a few ways to get struggling readers interested in reading. Magazines are easy to read and interesting. If the student likes a particular topic, ie sports, the teacher can have them read a sports magazine and then they could talk about them. There are also books on tape/cd. I have a friend that loves these types of books. They keep her entertained on the road or if she is doing mundane tasks like washing the dishes. The student could listen to the tape and follow along in the hard copy of the book. This way the student is 'reading' along and not having to struggle over the words in the book.
ReplyDeleteMy kids at home love magazines and get several subscriptions in the mail. High Five, Highlights, National Geographic for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Boys Life. I think those are my current ones. When my kids are done, I sometimes take them to school. Thanks for reminding me; I need to take another batch to school. It does excite my students, especially those who don't have any kids literature at home. I need to make a point of letting them just take them home for keeps after reading them at school.
DeleteGinger,
DeleteIt is a great idea to take those magazines to school for your students! Libraries sometimes give away magazines after awhile, and this could be a resource as well for the classroom.
I like the idea of using magazines. So often that becomes fun for the students rather than traditional ways of teaching.
DeleteHigh school students also like magazines. The format of a magazine gives them the opportunity to choose the articles they want to read and skip others that don't catch they interest. It is kind of like surfing the web with a hard copy!
DeleteAt the middle school level teaching a student to decode is very challenging, not impossible though. You are working against years of ingrained reading or non-reading behaviors. Frankly the odds of successfully teaching decoding successfully to older students are not in their favor. To combat this I use audio books. Last semester my 7th graders read "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle". I knew they would really struggle reading the book but would love the story. So to keep comprehension from suffering as a result of decoding they listened to the story on a play-a-away from the library. We are now reading "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief", a book they have asked to read. Again the reading level is a bit challenging (alot of references to Greek Mythology) so we are listening to it on my IPad, I bought the audio book last year. This way students get to read the books they are interested in and comprehension does not suffer due to decoding.
ReplyDeleteThe sped department has actually donated our school district budget to the library in the past so our librarian could purchase more audio books! It's a good investment for our sped kids.
That's a great way to integrate the interests of your students. I think more and more audio books are available due to the changes in technology such as the ipad and kindle.
DeleteI agree with audio books. There are so many ways to listen to and view books now with all of the technology.
Deleteaudio is a great tool to use. Especailly for struggling readers.
DeleteDitto on the audio books. I like them more and more every time I use them. These really hold students attention and are much more readily understood than painstakingly decoding a book letter by letter.
DeleteReply to Heather;
ReplyDeleteI agree with using magazines. I have actually heard teachers tell students they have to read a book that magazines do not count! I wonder when was the last time they looked at a magazine? There are words in there to be read!
I know Carol! They probably don't allow it cuz there isn't an AR test on it! BOO!!!!!
DeleteDon't you think it would be just a matter of holding the student accountable for reading a magazine by an alternative assignment instead of an AR test?
DeleteIt may boil down to not wanting to create additional work for the teacher, or devote class time to doing anything different like a presentation.
This has not been an issue with the students I see, but I am still in favor of using audiobooks. I advocated that my high-level learners use them to help overcome syntax issues with some of the classics like "Tom Sawyer." It promotes the students' comprehension as well as picking up on the nuances of the language. There are free versions on the web for some of the classics, not all requires a purchase.
ReplyDeleteI like the Scholastic Magazine for middle schoolers called SCOPE because it brings some of the classics back in a more contemporary presentation. One of my students said that comparing and contrasting Tom to Bart Simpson helped him out considerably!
I am fortunate that most of my students are readers who can't seem to get enough. That said I have a few who just don't seem to read, except when it is required. We talk about topics, look at magazines in the library as well as newspapers, but the interest is not there. I have been borrowing and using the Junior Scholastic magazines from another teacher to use with students. They have current articles of interest for kids.
ReplyDeleteSince doing this book blog, I have started something new. I have gotten very busy behavior issues or phone calls relating to these issues or teacher coming to conference with me. This has happened more than normal this year, so guess what? When those interruptions occur, I have each kid in my room select books and read, read, read. It is amazing how excited they are. Mostly they are "pretending to read." One student picks a book and sits in a chair. The other students are the "audience". It may be a total pretend read, but then everyone claps, and then it is the next person's turn. One or two of those can actually read a little so when they are cheered on it is so empowering and exciting and confidence builder. Now, in addition to doing this during my extended periods of interrupted times, I try to plan this at least once a week where I am in the audience too. The kids make a big performance with easy books and often the books are repeats from last time. I'm not saying it'll save the world but the kids are having fun enjoying books. Isn't that what the author is conveying...that we should facilitate eagerness in reading?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great and the students are not just sitting doing nothing while waiting. I like that some are being the audience and listening. That is very encouraging to the student who is reading
DeleteGreat idea!
Delete"Breaking the code" may take some a very long time to master, and others may never break it. But to help students find that desire to read, I think we as teachers must expose our students to a variety of literature. I also think students must be read to as often as possible, and we need to help students focus on their interests by finding other books in a certain genre that they like or find a certain author or series that interests them. Audio books are a great way to help students listen and follow along with a text (and maybe not follow along with a text everyday). Short stories and High Noon books are also helpful. I think short plays are also a good way to introduce literature. Students can practice their lines, learn to follow along, and be able to move around while acting. Since struggling readers have to practice reading in order to become better readers, and they probably won't practice at home, we have to give them time in school to practice reading!
ReplyDeleteoh yes; I also like the High Noon books. I used them with 4th and 5th graders.
DeleteStudents will read at a higher level if the books they are offered are of high interest to them.
DeleteReply to Ginger;
ReplyDeleteI agree, the author is wanting to convey the joy of reading to students. This year with us being in transition to common core we have to continue to take the old state assessments but they do not count. Knowing this all along I did not teach to the test, the first time ever! We actually read for pleasure for fun! The students chose books and I chose books and my students for the first time ever actually like to read, they look forward to it, and get upset when the bell rings and we are at a good part in a book. My students scores reflect this. All of my 8th graders passed their reading assessment except on and she improved her score by 15 points from the previous year!!!
Wow!!! That is awesome! That demonstrates exactly what the author has been trying to tell us throughout the book. Great job putting it into practice! :)
DeleteI think it is important with struggling readers to really focus on material they enjoy. I think it is important for them to listen to the book and follow along in a book so they can see the words. Students will pay more attention if they pick the topic and hopefully that will show them they can be successful and enjoy reading. Presenting reading with many types of material, such as magazines, newspapers, sports section, audio books, and books online, will give students examples of how reading impacts their lives. In school, my brother struggled with reading and was never really a reader. Now he has found he likes mysteries and actually reads some books. It is never too late!
ReplyDeleteI agree Deanna! Using lots of materials is a way to show readers that there are different mediums than just books!
DeleteI feel when the students self select the books then the books become more of a value to them. They are able to enjoy the book while not focusing on the struggles they may have with words. They are more likely to try when it was their idea to choose the book. Find books that interest them and choose a variety of selections from non fiction to fiction. If audio is choosen then have the students follow with finger to understand and see the words the audio is reading to them. If the student can make a connection with the spoken words and written words then they will be able to be involved not only with the story but the words with the story. I think making connections is a way to get students interested if the student can see what it has to do with the real life or an experience they might have had then they are not interested in the reading or audio. The connection needs to be there. Sometimes students don't want to step outside of a world they have no idea about but I feel we need to get them more comfortable with the thought of reading and stepping outside of their comfort zone may come with the experience.
ReplyDeleteI thinking finding the books that interest them is key. Audio books have there place but we have to remember that they also have to read on their own. Reading together is always a good way to encourage kids to read. I tried the audio books and kids would go to sleep or pretend to listen and not follow along.
ReplyDeleteI think that finding their interest is very important when trying to get students interested in reading. Some of the kids will take years to "break the code." If a book can be found that is interesting, it makes learning to read more fun! I also agree that audio books are great! It is a way for students to hear a fluent reader read, which is incredibly important. I also think that read alouds are important, as well as putting a book on the iPad. My students LOVE it when we get to incorporate technology into our morning reading time.
ReplyDeleteWorking with Kindergarteners of course that is what we work with 100% is just learning to decode CVC words and put sounds together to form words. It is so fun to watch the kids start to find the love of reading at this age and they want to read and write. One thing that I like to do with these kids is model reading by reading stories to them before I start a lesson. Last month I was so excited on Smart Apps it was Reading Awareness Month so each day they had a free book to download and most of the time they were books that would Auto Read to them and the words would highlight as it read the story to them. I feel adding in the technology helps kids to see there are other ways to enjoy reading besides just having a black and white piece of paper in front of them.
ReplyDeleteAs I have offered my students more and more choice in their reading selections over the past few weeks, I see them expanding their search for more books that were way out of their comfort zone earlier in the year. I also see students reading books silently that if they had to read them out loud, would make them very uncomfortable because it would be so hard for them.
ReplyDeleteI use books on tape with some of my students. A lot of the students I work with really like the Magic Tree House books so I got the tapes for all of those books so that students who have a hard time reading could still enjoy the books. I try to have the students read with me at least one day a week so that they are not listening to the entire book on tape without reading any of it. I have also had some of my students read magazines. I have on boy in particular that loves sports so he even reads the newspaper and reports to the rest of the class what is happening in the world of sports for the week. I tell him he is our sports reporter so we need him to read about it so he can let us know what is going on. I also read to my students. Even my 6th graders still enjoy to be read to.
ReplyDelete