Page 36 - How to teach reading with heart

Teaching with Picture Books

Having spent my entire 20 year teaching silent read. The comfort and excitement
career in Title I schools, (low socio- they felt when discussing books was eye
economic), struggling readers far opening and inspiring. The teacher knew

outnumbered grade level readers. Every the reading capabilities of every one of her
year, the first week of school I would hear students and the students felt comfortable

the same thing from students, “I hate to at every reading level.
read.” “I heard you are a mean teacher.”
“I’m not going to read.” My translation of It became my goal to instill that same

all this was, “I am afraid you are going to passion for reading in my students and
find out I can’t read.” I quickly learned it was not going to

happen with the state mandated reading
It was fortunate for me; to do my student textbook. My quest was to search for
teaching with a second grade reading what was really working for reading

teacher in a magnet school the classroom teachers throughout the country. It was
was all about reading, nothing but reading. then that I discovered Lucy Calkins and

There was so much excitement about incorporated some of her techniques in
books the students were excited to walk in my teaching. I made the decision to teach
her door. There were no desks in this room, from novels and picture books exclusively,

just reading nooks throughout and an open I never regretted that decision.
area for group reads. It was a space created

with readers in mind. The teacher would Picture Books
read to the class, students would read to Gone are the days where picture books are
the class, read to the teacher, partner read, only for little children. Today they can be

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