March Madness Year #3

If you haven't heard of the book lover's version of March Madness, you and your students are missing out. This is my third year using it in my classroom, and though it might take some prep time to find the perfect 16 books for our tournament, it's well worth the effort. The right books will be the same books the children will then want to read over and over. They'll ignite questions between readers like, "Can I read that when you're done?" If you want to know more about my previous March Madness tournaments, find a free voting sheet that helps us keep track of votes, and get some great book ideas, simply click on topic "March Madness" on the right-hand side of my blog under "Labels."

Here's a picture of this year's poster. Enjoy!

March Madness (Again)

March Madness has officially begun in my room. We read two of our sixteen books today, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the next few weeks. I picked the books very carefully, hoping they would be irresistible and thus reread over and over.

This year I created a results form. Here's a look at a completed example.

Click on the picture for your own copy.

There's still time to get your March Madness started! Grab 16 books and you're practically ready.

Wantability: Book Recommendations

I started the year thinking about reading wantability, and I'm still stuck on that word. Wantability increases the odds that my students will want to use all the skills and strategies we spend so much time practicing. Without wantability I'm simply dragging children through hoops. I do believe I've convinced most of my readers that all this work to become readers is worth it, but I refuse to assume my students have reached wantability satiation. I'm pushing myself to continually give them more reasons to love books, and so I again I'm wondering how to open the door to the literacy club a bit wider. 

Sometimes the answers to our classroom questions lie within our own experiences, which is how I decided on my most recent wantability project. 

I love book recommendations. When I get a good one, I typically can't wait to get my hands on that book. This is the exact feeling of wantability I desire for my students. So I began asking myself how I could use book recommendations with my readers. 

I eventually want my students to recommend books to each other, but first they need to experience what it's like to be on the receiving end. They also need some mentor texts before it's eventually their turn to write them anyway. So I gave this letter to the staff in my building.

Within hours of sharing this letter books starting showing up, and readers in my room fell in love with more great books. 

The story is unfinished. More books are on their way. Wantability is growing. This journey is never ending. I'll keep you posted.

Wantability (Again)

This year I've tried some new strategies for making books irresistible. I think I've decided there's no such thing as too much of this, so I'm determined to continually push myself to expand my repertoire of ideas.

Most recently I took a tip from the public library. I wrapped up some read-aloud books and wrote teasers on the covers. 

I just can't get away from the thought of wantability - a term from Kylene Beers. Wantability can help make up for lack of skill. It won't automatically fix reading deficits, but it sure can make the hard parts worth doing which can then lead to better skills. 

How are we doing at making books something that our kids, from youngest to oldest, want in their lives? I know I can do better.

P.S. Feel free to come see me on Facebook

Moo!

Moo! by David LaRochelle is my new favorite picture book. More importantly, it's a crowd pleaser in my room. Without giving away too many details, because you really must experience the book for yourself, the plot is told so cleverly with one single word: Moo. Who knew one could tell a whole story by repeatedly using the same word? The author pulls it off though. With the help of picture clues, inferencing, and punctuation, the word Moo tells such a clever, engaging, and funny story. And I love that any of my readers can read it, and they do....repeatedly and loudly. In fact, this is the kind of book that readers will read with the kind of enthusiasm that is just a bit distracting, which is a great problem to have. It just begs to be read with a fluent, expressive storyteller's voice. Go check it out. Even better, buy yourself a copy. You'll be glad you did.

Click on the book to see it on Amazon.

Books are Irresistible

This summer I had the privilege of hearing Dave Burgess speak about teaching like a pirate. I'd already read his book and was a fan, but hearing him in person brought his message to life. If you've ever sat in one of his audiences, you know what I mean. It's quite memorable. 

So this year I'm aiming to teach more and more like a pirate as I think of my students and how to bridge the gap between their motivations, interests and the curriculum. At the same time, I want to ramp up my sales pitch for reading. I always say the prevention of the summer slide starts on day one. 

On the first day of school, my students found a large box in my room with an important sign attached.

I actually didn't hear too much about the box throughout the week, but on Friday morning Kellen's first words to me were about that box. I also heard from some parents that it was a topic of conversation and anticipation at home. Score!

I made a big deal of the reveal. It was practically a Christmas morning moment. After the opening, I read a few titles to wet their appetite, like Dinosaur vs. The Potty or Vegetables in Underwear. (I was very intentional about the types of books I chose for the box.) The kids responded just like I'd hoped with squeals and laughter. I've a feeling there were some who might have been slightly disappointed that there wasn't indeed a kitty inside, but I'm hoping that my sales pitch is having an affect, even if I can't tell yet.

Then I tried some book speed dating with them. Although it wasn't a fail, it didn't go as beautifully as I had envisioned in my head. I cut it short but gathered some good information nonetheless. I definitely got a good feel for who my readers are. I also noticed those whose interest and stamina are weak. 

Next week, I'll begin reading those books for read-aloud. I imagine some of them will become future favorites, and even my reluctant little ones will begin to experience the fact that books are irresistible.

March Madness

If you were to ask my first graders about March Madness, they would think you were talking books, not basketball, which I think is actually pretty cool. We just finished voting on the madness today, and We Are in a Book by Mo Willems was the clear winner. (I didn't tell my kids this, but I predicted and hoped for this outcome. My kids and I love all things Mo.)

This was my first try at March Madness, and I'm so glad that I   took the time to make it happen. It for sure ramped up the book energy in my class. Those 16 books were the most popular items in my room this month, even to the point of causing a few conflicts and requiring some i-messages between readers.

I actually chose 16 books that I hadn't read to my class before, which was good for both them and me. The kids fell in love with reading even more, and I found some great titles that I should definitely incorporate into my permanent library. (I'm aware that I must do a better job of knowing the latest and greatest picture books out there.)

Anyway, if you've been like me and vacillated about whether to give this March Madness thing a try, please make a note to do it next year. You and your readers will be glad you did.

And of course there are additional benefits, such as:

* practicing good sportsmanship
* learning concepts and words like: voting, ballots, secret ballots, tallying, etc.
* graphing results