Reluctant readers

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2017/07/31/what-works-for-getting-kids-to-enjoy-reading/

Passion Projects as a LIteracy Programme

I've been devising a change for my literacy programme for my Year Six class - I don't know why I do this... well, actually, I DO know (it's because I am always trying to fine-tune my class programme to give the pupils the very best possible learning experiences...) but I have come up with (to quote Blackadder) "a cunning plan" to incorporate reading and writing by using the Passion Projects idea in a different way, one that will suit the way I operate...I'll try it out and see how it goes at least!

You can read my overview of intentions and term overview of topics here: click this link!

Basically, the plan is that at the start of the term I will offer up five different topics for literacy sessions - pupils will indicate which topic they are most interested in.  Guided groups will be developed from that, and I intend to incorporate relevant writing tasks alongside the reading tasks eg read an article about animal cruelty, write a letter to the SPCA commending them for their work - pupils may come up with ideas for writing as the unit progresses too (I want them to be guiding the direction of some of their tasks too...)

I need to have some aspect of control over the topics offered to the pupils as if I want to stay sane while building up the resources and lessons for four or five different groups I will need to keep certain limits on what is offered, while still giving pupils choices).  I have broken down some different topics into four terms - topics that twenty years of experience has shown are popular with pupils, while also trying to use topics that have relevant application to their world in 2015 and to have topics that will provide a good range of reading materials and writing contexts.

I have also aimed to cover a range of curriculum areas, with the topics being based on non-fictional themes, but choosing topics for which I will easily be able to find and incorporate fiction texts (ie in School Journal) that fit the theme as well, for instance in the unit about team sports we might read a narrative story about sportsmanship. I have also thought about topical events eg the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli and the Rugby World Cup.

I have thought of a range of EOTC experiences for the pupils to take part in at the end of their unit as incentives for completing a great range of tasks during the term. I have a goal to involve more parents, whanau (family) or community members as part of my class programme, so to have a couple of parents take a group of pupils for a morning fishing or to visit an exhibit at the aircraft museum, will be a good way to increase those connections.

For each unit, once I know which pupils are in that group, I will select the most relevant reading and writing learning outcomes to address, based on pupils' ability and next learning steps - these will be presented to the pupils for their comments and reflections on progress.

Wish me luck! I am off to start building up a class blog-post of online resources for each of Term One's topic units, as well as a Google Drive page for each unit (where the pupils of that group can look to find their independent task list, and I hope to also use the Google Drive for collaborated reflections and other shared tasks for each group/unit).

Reading - Hit for Six task

An idea based on this post by USA teacher SmartChick for ways to make the most of articles in magazines for children; I am sharing it here so I can find it when I want to use it in Term One...can be applied to any informational text...

Image source

I've given it a cricket analogy (the Cricket World Cup is being held in NZ early in 2015). - the pupils I will have in 2015 took part in a cricket skills programme in Term Four of 2014, so the cricketing terms should be familiar to them.

HIT FOR SIX

To hit the ball over the boundary on the full (without bouncing inside the boundary line) is called 'a six' as it earns the batsman six runs for his total and is the ultimate shot a batsman can score.

Here are the steps: (Specific reading skills in brackets)

1. Gear up: before reading the article, look at the title and illustrations then write three questions about it. (Predict/Ask questions/Use prior knowledge)

2. Ready the bat: read the article then write three (or up to five) interesting facts that you learned. (Find information/Retell/Select relevant details)

3. Keep your eyes on the bowler: skim the article to find at least three important vocabulary words. Define what each word means. (Use vocabulary in context)

4. Swing the bat: explain the main idea of the article. (Select key ideas or themes/Evaluate/Identify author purpose)

5. Follow through: write a summary of one section of the article. (Find information/Summarise/Select key ideas or themes)

6. Celebrate the shot: ask two or three questions about this topic you would like to find out more about. 

This week's THINK ABOUT IT quote...

...comes from Tyson Adams...

Link to source of image

READ - PAIR - SHARE

I like this idea for extension of silent reading time - a directed pair activity that involves comprehension skills, fluency and oral language and cooperative skills - and it just takes ten minutes extra above the silent reading time!

From the awesome Jen at http://www.rundesroom.com/2014/09/pair-share-daily-language-activity.html

There are also links to another 100 great tips from other awesome teaching blogs...

abc - Alphabet Book Challenge

alphabet book challenge!

For Term Three I will engage my Year Six pupils in a reading challenge - this year it has an alphabet theme (aiming to fill in each letter of the alphabet with either a title or author or subject of a book they have read).

I have made this booklet on Google Drive and will print it out for the pupils' home learning books so they can keep a record of their reading.

I don't expect all of the pupils to read 26 different books or magazines but there will be a few that can manage it! Prizes will be given when a pupil completes three, eight, or fifteen items read, as well as a SUPER prize for those who can get to 26 (in just the ten weeks of term!)

LEARNZ Virtual Field Trip - Feb 2014 - Geohazards

A resource I love to use to provide content and extend my pupils for reading and/or inquiry, is the NZ website LEARNZ, which provides real-time virtual field trips to various locations or based on various events around NZ.

I love it because the field trips, once you have registered and they have taken place, can be accessed any time - so if it doesn't suit my programme to follow the trip in real time on the dates the trip takes place, my pupils can still make use of the related resources at another time - for instance in 2012 there was a wetlands field trip which we used about two terms later in the year when it fit better in support of our inquiry.

Term One of 2014 - 25-27 Feb - a field trip to the geo-thermal region of the Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand is taking place. We will be using it for our reading programme as I think the non-fiction nature of the content will really motivate my boys and my reluctant readers:
                

Geohazards: 

volcanoes, tsunami, landslide, 

earthquakes and 

hydrothermal activity

The topic of natural disasters is one that many children find fascinating and, as I cannot physically take my southern class to view this North Island area, they will be able to see it via the photos and videos that will take place on the website. They know this is our theme and were excited about what they might find out.

This is a link to the learning resources page I created on our classroom blog for the children to use: 

Geohazards - NZ is full of them!

My guided group lessons will be using material based on the geohazard topics also, and the class bookshelf also has library books about the topics.  Different reading groups, as per ability, will be given guided or independent activities to complete over the next four weeks, some from the field trip and others based on their guided reading material.  These are the independent sheets that I have developed based on the fact sheets in the LEARNZ website.

Supporting materials - guided reading resources: to be used with various groups according to reading ability and interest level of the content...I usually set pre and post tasks for the title, meaning that the group has at least three days of activities with the guided text and one day of an independent activity using other resources (but that is a whole other blog post!)

• Connected 2 2005 - Living on a Lava Flow
• Connected 1 2011 - Ruaumoko Rages; Taupo; Time Capsules; Understanding Volcanoes; Living With a Volcano
• School Journal Part 2 No. 2 2002 -  Make a Volcano
• National Geographic Kids Science Readers Level 2 - Volcanoes!
• School Journal Level 3 Nov 2011 - One City, Two Earthquakes
• School Journal Story Library Level 3 - Quake, Rattle and Roll
• Connected 2 2000 - Jago Descends
• MainSails 2 - The Volcano Awakes!
• MainSails 2 - Tsunami!
• School Journal Part 4 No 3 2004 - A Bit of a Bang
  
• MacMillan Winners - Killer Quakes
• Scholastic Connectors - Extreme Scientists

Book Bingo reading challenge

I want to keep the reading 'pressure' up for the last term of the year with these capable Yr 5 & 6 pupils so am having a reading challenge - it is only a 9 week term so it can't be too big; I have made this Bingo chart to go into their Home Partnership books, and will also put up a 150 book challenge chart in the classroom to see if we can read that many books before the year finishes!

I can already see where I could have fine-tuned a couple of the requirements to be more specific but the key thing is that the children will be reading - I have a handful of reluctant readers so want to motivate them to read a wider range of material.

Through the year I have been collecting cheap chapter books/books at a suitable level through Scholastic Book Club and these will be the big prize for the children who complete the Bingo - they will get to choose first from the selection, then the other children will all get to choose a book too in order of who has completed the most sections of the Bingo.

Thanks to Sparklebox for the template!