#cyberPD: Reading in the Wild - Part 2

This summer a big (really BIG!) group of educators and wild readers are devouring Donalyn Miller's newest book.   I am participating and co-hosting this year's #cyberPD event about cultivating wild readers in our classrooms.  Please join us as we read and discuss online:

Reading in the Wild: 
The Book Whisperer's Keys 
to Cultivating Lifelong 
Reading Habits 

by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley

You can participate in the #cyberPD conversations this week too:

• Share your thinking on your blog about chapters 3 and 4.  Then share your specific url link on Laura's blog at Ruminate and Invigorate 
• No blog?  Leave your thoughts in the host's comment section on the blog.
• Easily read through a compilation of all the #cyberPD posts on the                     Reading in the Wild #cyberPD 2014 Jog the Web

• Read and leave a comment on at least 3 other participant blogs during the week.  This is what makes #cyberPD exponentially grow and we all learn more!
• Share thoughts on Twitter using the #cyberPD hashtag.
• Additional resources:  
• #cyberPD 2014 Reading in the Wild Pinterest board
• K-5 Touchstone Authors and Books to Know! Padlet
• Share and THANK your #EpicenterReaders on Twitter
• Wild Reading Graffiti Quotes - share a quote! (Created by Amy Rudd)

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

My Thoughts and Reflections/Implications in My Classroom and School

"If we want children to read more, we must provide them with classrooms, libraries, and homes where reading is the norm."  (Miller, p.91)

"The most effective reading teachers are teachers who read." (Miller, p.106)

So much rich goodness in these chapters!  I'm book happy!  I'm living the wild reading life (not as wild as you think).  I live with readers, even if they are four years old.  They love to read and have been known to share these wise words at the dinner table, "Mommy, books are like friends."  My mom is a reader.  I encouraged her to start a blog and keep a record of the books she reads and include her thoughts.  My friends are readers.  We read, we talk, we share titles, we read some more, and sometimes we compare the book to the movie for a night out.  I am also thankful for my online epicenter readers. (Click the link to share and thank an #EpicenterReader today on Twitter.)  I am a member of the  #nerdybookclub and share my reading life on Goodreads. I even own silly Elephant & Piggie, Scaredy Squirrel, Very Hungry Caterpillar, and other various READ shirts to express my reading passions. 

I get this wild reading thing.  Now, I need to consistently work on transferring all these wild ideas to my classroom and school.

Donalyn's description of her classroom (p.89) is what I envision and hope for in my classroom.  Creating a community first.  Developing relationships full of trust and support.  Students seeing themselves as learners, readers, and writers because they know that I believe in them.  

My concerns?  My developing readers are struggling with reading.  Period.  There are no deep conversations about writer's craft, breath-taking use of words, or graffiti walls filled with memorable quotes.  There are no impromptu book commercials.  Or planning for future reading.  Any and all book talk is usually coming from me through read alouds, modeling, and sharing my book love.  

In addition, my developing readers' parents, friends, and even teachers are not all wild readers sharing a passion and love for books.  I'm trying to figure out my role and responsibilities as a reading specialist in my little corner of the school.  Thankfully, my students are still so young and impressionable, and the love of NOT reading is not influenced by peers ... yet.

My biggest concern (year after year)? (I'm not trying to be judgmental or point fingers, but rather be honest with what I notice happening -- or not happening -- in my school.)  "Children must receive constant encouragement for reading.  It takes more than one classroom with one teacher for one year" (p.90).  I feel like many teachers that I work with are at the stage of just telling kids to go read "and not that book!" Many depend only on AR levels and reports to determine independent reading.  Many are not nurturing and cultivating readers within a reading community that showers students with reading glory all day long.  

I think we are in dire need of a Reading in the Wild school-wide INTERVENTION book study!  

"What's your bottom line? What do you really want to happen for your students? Now, how does what you do every day serve that bottom line?"  

(Jeff Wilhelm, p.89)

Deep breath.  I can only do so much and I need to remember my bottom line: creating readers that enjoy to read.  I need to remind myself that I am doing a lot for my developing readers by creating a reading community (even if it's a short 40 minutes) and emerging my students in positive, shared reading experiences: reading aloud, sharing book titles, talking about reading, allowing choice when picking books from my classroom library, and begin creating short-term reading plans, like what to read next.  I now realize that I need to share MORE of my reading life with my students to continually show the power and impact of reading on my life.

And then I think again about the school reading community ...  

I am (with my colleagues Chris and Karen) trying to create a school-wide reading community.  We created a bulletin board at the beginning of last year posting a picture of every staff member with their favorite read.  Chris and I started a segment on our morning broadcast called Book Talk Tuesdays (read more HERE, HERE from Chris, and HERE from Lynn).  We shared book titles, medal winners, strategies about reading, but the highlight was the reader interviews.  Students completed an application and we scheduled time to meet with the guest readers to create a script and dig deeper into their reading lives.  This was a HUGE success and created that buzz about reading and books throughout the school.  It was eye opening for me to have conversations with wild readers in my school as my conversations with my developing readers are just, well, different.  We were instant celebrities, and ofter heard students comment: "Hey, I saw you on TV!"  "It's Book Talk Tuesday today!  Yea!" "Why can't it be Book Talk Everyday?"

Before every break, I talk with my students about making reading plans.  But for my developing readers, we can't just talk about it!  Students wrote letters to themselves and their family, like before Spring Break (example of letter), and agreed to post the letter/plan in a visible spot in our homes to remind us to keep reading.  (Remember, as developing readers, that IS our challenge!) We stacked up on books and filled book bags to be sure that everyone had books to read.  Before summer break, we also created detailed reading plans too!  (Considering Who? What? Where? When? and Why do we need (and want!) to keep reading?)  


In addition, our school planned "The Great Summer Reading Book Give Away"!  Every student hand-picked 3-4 books of their choice to take home, read this summer, and add to their personal home library.  Books compliments of Title I funding.

This summer we wanted to also provide additional books for students throughout the summer.  We created a cart full of donated books:  our version of  "Readbox" with crates of books ready to fill the cart back up!  But this has failed due to new flooring in the school vestibule where the books were to be available for families to browse.  The access to books was denied ... and the books are still waiting to find new homes.

For the first time, we are offering Frost Summer Learning 
Nights at our school every Tuesday evening.  We bring crates of books, some blankets, and we sit outside the school for families to join us in an evening of reading.  (Or a play a math game, create a chalk drawing, and write a poem.)  We planned these events for every Tuesday this summer (9 total) and have averaged about 8 to 12 families.  We are always hoping to reach more families to stay connected.  Last year, we invited only our resource students to meet us at the local library that wasn't very local for our families.  We averaged about 4-6 families.  Upon reflection, this is improvement!


So, as much as I struggle with not being able to do enough, I can clearly celebrate!  I'm feeling a little better, but you know I'm always thinking of what is next ...  

Questions to Ponder
1.  Reflection practice/forms for developing primary readers:  Throughout the book, Donalyn recommends wild readers reflect on their reading experiences.  I'm struggling with how this might look at the primary levels, especially with the developing readers who will honestly say, "I didn't read last night."  How do we develop ownership for reading when reluctant and/or developing readers don't read?

2. Parental connection:  Furthermore, many of us realize the importance of informing parents of the importance of reading and setting a reading example at home.  I get it.  Home life is busy.  Parents are working one, maybe two jobs.  We are running kids here and there.  Don't forget the appointment and grocery shopping.  But allowing our children the gift of seeing parents read and spending time together reading is so important.  It is in our realm to empower our parents to help us create wild readers.  Several of the #cyberPD participants connected through the comments and conversations that this is one area that we want to develop parent workshops to help support reading in meaningful ways.  I'm excited about this collaboration!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read and share your voice!

"Focusing on our goals provides clarity of purpose and reduces our willingness to compromise the real work of our classrooms: helping children develop their capacity to have meaningful lives filled with purpose and joy."  (Miller, p.90)

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

#cyberPD 2014: Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller (@donalynbooks)

July 9th   Chapters 1-2 Hosted by Cathy Mere at Reflect and Refine

July 16th  Chapters 3-4 Hosted by Laura Komos at Ruminate and Invigorate

July 23rd  Chapter 5 & Appendices Hosted by me! Michelle Nero at Literacy Learning Zone

July 30th @ 7 PM (CST) Twitter Chat with the author Donalyn Miller

Read.  Reflect.  Share.  Respond to others.  Then repeat.