Books Will Change Your Heart

Have you read this book?  It's been one of my favorites for several years now.  (It's not even written by Regie Routman.  Go figure.)  This post only deals with about two pages from it, so find yourself a copy and read the rest.  You'll be glad you did.

During our school's Read Week, I borrowed a brilliant suggestion from Growing Readers.  I invited five reading mentors to our room, one per day, to share their reading lives with us.  They brought in a collection of the things they were currently reading (novels, recipes, magazines, cards, nooks, picture books, bills, craft books, and the list goes on).  They told us a little about each item and why they were reading them.  Some of the mentors read a favorite picture book as well.  Here's a picture of one of our reading mentors (my best friend who works in the office) sharing some of the things she reads.  

After each mentor left, we took a few minutes to document the highlights of what we learned.  Take a look.  

Didn't the mentors do an amazing job of teaching us what's at the heart of being a reader forever?  Their real life stories are priceless!

Lastly, I asked the kids to think about the reading mentors within their own homes.  We brainstormed questions they'd like to ask that person.  I did a bit of editing as far as which questions were the most beneficial, typed up an interview sheet, and after practicing the interview process on each other, the kids took it home in search of that special reading mentor.

As Mrs. Peck told us, "Books will change your heart."  I hope that's exactly what happened this week for my young readers as they learned more about what reading really is.

A Nice Distraction

I wouldn't typically post on a Sunday night, but I'm officially on spring break so I can post whenever I want, right?  (While you're here, would you mind taking a look at my new button?)  Okay, so on to more important things.  


We just finished celebrating Read Week.  Our school has traditionally celebrated it the week before spring break.  It makes for a nice distraction for kids and adults alike who might possibly otherwise be thinking about those future days off.  (Not that I would know anything about that.)  This is the letter that I send home to parents about how their child can get involved.

I saw the idea for Read My Shirt Day from Lori at Chickadee Jubilee.  I left her a comment saying she inspired me to make a class book.  Here's a snippet of the finished product.

A Most Brilliant Idea

This could be the most brilliant thing I've ever blogged about, and I can say that because it's not my idea to claim.  Before reading on, I wouldn't feel right unless you first look here to see the original, but then please do come back.  Thanks to Lori at Conversations in Literacy for sharing such a fantastic project.  When Kim from our third grade crew saw that I pinned it, she got the ball rolling, we put some creativity to use, and voila. 

Staff members brought in childhood pictures.  We copied them in black and white.

They told us their favorite childhood book.  That's me in kindergarten.  I'm sorry to say I don't really remember my favorite book back then, but I do remember pink curlers.

To make it interactive, the staff member's name is under their picture.

It's been a favorite with the adults and the kids at our school.  I think we might have stumbled across a new tradition.