Getting Children to Read

Reading is one of the most important things young children can learn to love. Good reading and comprehension skills start early, so it’s important to lay the foundations and get children interested in reading from an early age

I am going to present 4 tips that we can do to foster a love of reading for our children.

One thing that we can do is to give options.

Give Options

Not all kids are going to like the same books. While you may have some that are a necessary part of the curriculum, you should try to introduce your class to a wide variety of books. There is a book out there for every child. You just have to help them find it. Once kids discover a book they love, they’re often excited to find even more. 

Make It Come to Life

For many students, reading can seem dull, especially when books are difficult or take them a long time to read. Try to find ways to make a story come to life. Have students draw pictures of what’s happening in the story, or make a play about it. Even simply reading aloud in class with different voices for the characters can make it more fun. 

Offer Rewards

When kids are just starting to read, you may want to offer rewards or incentives to get them to read as much as possible. Stickers and small prizes can be enough of a motivator to get kids to open a few books. Chart their progress and the number of books they’ve read to encourage them to read just for the sake of reading. 

Send Reading Home

Students should be reading at home as well as at school. The more practice they get each day the better. You can even send slightly more advanced books home with students to read alongside their parents.

For young children, even hearing adults read more advanced material can help improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills. 

If you want to learn more about this Getting Children Interested in Reading: Go to http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/authors/

There’s a professional paper on “Raising Students Who Want to Read” by Phyllis s. Hunter.

I want to share a segment of what she says on the topic. And I am quoting here: She writes:

What Teachers Can Do Practically speaking, the obvious question is “How do we do that?” How can teachers help their students develop the motivation to become skilled readers who love to read?

Over the years, a lot of research has been conducted in real classrooms with real kids to try to answer these questions (e.g., Gambrell & Marinak, 1997; Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000; Smith & Wilhelm, 2002; Snow, 2002; Turner, 1997).

When you put all of this research together, it points to several concrete things that teachers can do:

1. Match students to “just right” texts on their reading level that they can read without difficulty.

2. Provide a wide variety of texts that are interesting and appropriate for students’ age ranges and personally relevant to individual students.

3. Empower students by allowing them to select their own texts.

4. Let students know what to expect. They can get excited about what’s coming.

5. Encourage students to take an interest in monitoring their own reading progress.

 6. Talk, talk, talk about books—discuss the characters, settings, and plots of stories and the content of nonfiction books.

7. Support students with immediate, continuous feedback and encouragement.

8. Use technology to excite students’ interest.

9. Set expectations for success.

What are some other ways you’ve gotten your students interested in reading? Leave your ideas in the comment section below. Shoot me an email and let me know.

 

 

Ways to Get Your Students' Attention

I know for me personally, one of the biggest challenges I faced was getting the attention of my students. Especially coming out of a brainstorming session, or a task that the kids were really fired up over. Quieting down a class is a required skill that the teacher needs in order to be effective.

Regardless, how long you have been teaching attention-getting techniques can be a necessary addition to the teacher’s toolbox.

 

Here are some suggestions to help you get your students’ attention:

·        Use a signal for zero noise…if I clap once, I want you all to keep silent and pay attention.

·        Wait for several moments until you have every student’s attention.

·        Check for comprehension frequently by asking questions.

·        Walk around the class to monitor the classroom.

·        Teacher proximity helps when you encounter students chatting.

·        Vary your voice…whisper and then raise your voice

·        Set a clear purpose for listening to a lesson by using visual or audio aids.

 

I just want to share a few of the Call-and-Responses that I have used over the years in my classroom that worked really well.

1.   One, two, three…Eyes on me.

2.   Give me five…Students raise their hands.

3.   I say Class…Students would respond Class, class

4.   If you hear my voice, clap once/twice/etc.

5.   Ready to rock?...Ready to roll!

6.   Are you listening?...Yes we are

 

Now just like practicing and modeling your rules and classroom procedures it’s always best to practice your attention signals as well. Explain how your students are supposed to respond to each one and provide ample opportunities for your students to try them out.

Determine which ones they like the best and stick with those. By the same token, you should also practice using nonverbal strategies with your kids, so they learn to pay attention to your visual cues as well. Example: your hand raised…which would be a quiet signal or ringing of a bell/chime or xylophone.

Now, the objective of these signals is obviously to get your students’ attention, but they also provide a means of boosting energy.

 

In order to keep your students’ focus once you have it, here are some strategies for you to try out.

·        I can’t say this enough…Get your students’ up and moving.

·        Vary participation structures and scenery…take class outside/etc.

·        Implement hands on lessons.

·        Use plenty of visuals

·        Spend less time talking...that’s why I love the mini-lesson [10-15 minutes of teacher talk.]

·        Provide opportunities for cooperative learning activities.

·        Provide many opportunities for your students to share out what they think.

·        Play music, videos, and other auditory material whenever possible.

 

If you think about it expecting children to sit quietly for hours every day is really not fair. Even as adults, you need a break every now and then.

An important note here…if you find that your class desperately needs to refocus before you engage them in a lesson or activity, then try a brain break—let them unwind and shake it out before proceeding.

I think you’ll find that the lesson will be much more productive if you let students get “just a little crazy.”

The Teacher's Lounge

I want to take a moment to discuss the teachers’ lounge. Yes, it is one of the few places where you get to socialize with other teachers and where you can get a little private space away from the schoolchildren. It can be a pleasant place to retreat for a quiet lunch or a chat with another friendly teacher over a cup of tea.

 

You can learn a lot about the inner life of the school and the unique school culture from the chitchat in the teachers’ lounge. You may also acquire important information about resources, situations, events, and the people you work with. You may even get some real mentorship and help from other teachers.

 

On the other hand, nothing can be more depressing for a new teacher than to listen to veteran teachers who hang out in the lounge and complain. All too often, you hear complaints about the building, the district policies, or the incompetence of a fellow teacher or administrator. “Office politics” can be dangerous if you find yourself on the wrong side.

I would recommend that the new teacher stay clear of the teachers’ lounge in the early days.

 

Why? Because going there can undermine your confidence. Wait until you feel proficient enough in your teaching duties to hold your own. Go there when you need help but give yourself time to build confidence in your own abilities. You do not want to be vulnerable or negatively influenced by more experienced – and perhaps more cynical – teachers.

 

I have been in the teaching business for 20 years and I can count the times on one hand that I have frequented the lounge. School environments and cultures differ all over the world, but the teachers’ lounges do tend to be a ‘hotbed’ for internal politics and venting of frustrations.

 

My intent is not to scare you away from the lounge – after all, it can be a place to relax and not every teacher complains. However, I think initially your time would be better spent -- and much more productive -- inside your classroom, preparing lessons and procuring the resources you need to teach your children.

 

 

Professionalism counts…

 

Let me ask you something. When you go into the office of a doctor, a dentist, or a lawyer, what do you normally see hanging on the wall? Why, it is a diploma (or several), of course!

 

I often hear teachers complain that they are not treated like professionals. More often than not, these are the same individuals whining about building policies or gossiping about other people. Typically, they duck responsibility, parade around in jeans daily, and do not have their teaching credentials posted.

 

Please hear me out. I am not suggesting that simply because you do not have your teaching diploma(s) on the wall of your classroom or office that you are not a professional. But rather, as a professional, you should want your students and their parents to see your credentials. It is not about ego but about being a member of an honorable profession.

 

Your diploma clearly shows our boys and girls what can be done when you put your mind to it. Display it proudly!

Teaching your students how to select “Just Right” books

Often times during my teaching career I would ask my students what do you have to do to become a good reader. And a lot of times I’d hear responses such as read hard books and big words. I’d end up telling them that what would be the point of reading nothing but hard books if you couldn’t make sense of what you were reading.

After all, the reason we read is to get information. But I’d also tell them that reading nothing, but easy books doesn’t help you either to grow as a reader. Though I will say that easy books are great for developing fluency in beginning readers.

When it came to teaching my 4^th and 5^th grade students how to select a just right book, I outlined some factors for them to consider. And to that point, I prepared an anchor chart of things to consider that I kept posted in a visible place in the class so they could always refer back to it if needed.

So, I told my students that to continue to grow as readers one needs to read “just right” books. And of course, when I told my students this, they would have a puzzled look on their faces. So, I further explained just what I meant.

In the first place a just right book has to be a book that you find interesting and perhaps has a captivating title.

Perhaps you are familiar with the author and enjoy reading their kind of books. For example: Kate Dicamillo  who wrote Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Tiger Rising,and more. Barbara Park: The Juni B. Jones series.

It’s a book that you can read without too much difficulty and more importantly you understand what you are reading.

The print size is not too small or too big.

You understand the plot and can easily predict what may happen.

There are just a few words per page that you don’t know. I would have my students always perform this test when they were about to select a book from either the media center or my classroom library.

I would tell scan over the first few pages – usually about 5 pages or so and if there were

5 words on every page that they didn’t know, then that book would be too hard for them to enjoy and comprehend. But on the other hand, if the student scanned the first 5 pages and found no more than 5 words on any one page that they didn’t know, then that would be considered a just right book.

Conversely, if a student knows every single word on the first 5 pages [providing they can tell you what they’ve read] then the book would be considered too easy.

To be clear, it’s important to challenge children just a bit to keep them growing and learning new vocabulary.   But the key here is that the student must be able to understand what they are reading.

The approach I always took with my students was to explicitly teach how to choose a just right book by thinking out loud, and model just what that looks like. This is something that I practiced with them often until I felt that my students could demonstrate good judgement in selecting just right books.

I feel this point needs mentioning, if a child was really interested in a book that was way to difficult for them to read right now, I would tell the child that perhaps later on in the year that book might be appropriate for you. Another thing that you can do is get with the parent to see if they could read that book to their child.

Now I feel that this point bears repeating:

Let your students choose the books that they want to read in your classroom just as long as it’s appropriate.

That’s why it’s crucial that you have an excellent classroom / school library for students to have lots of choices for selecting books.

I will tell you that providing choice for your students will contribute to their growth as readers.

Reading competence is closely associated with the amount of time that children spend reading. That’s why I feel strongly that students [grades 4 & above] should independently read books of their own choosing for 30 minutes every day – Monday through Friday.

Brain Games for Students

Educators that are well seasoned take advantage of building curiosity and the willingness to perform or being called the smart one from a very early age.

Fun games that keep students' brains engaged and busy do not exist for teachers to catch a breath while the students solve puzzles, but it is an added bonus.

The main reason and importance of having such activities go beyond surface level information we had before.

The brain begins to mature even before birth. Although it continues to mature throughout most of life, the brain does not mature at the same rate in each individual.

This should not be surprising. After all, our bodies grow at different rates, we reach puberty at different ages and our emotional maturity at different times as well. Why should our brains be any different?

Just because you have a classroom full of students who are about the same age doesn't mean they are equally ready to learn a particular topic, concept, skill, or idea. It is important for teachers and parents to understand that maturation of the brain influences learning readiness. For teachers, this is especially important when designing lessons and selecting which strategies to use.

As a teacher, all children need to be challenged and nurtured in order to profit from your instruction. Instruction that is above or below the maturity level of a child's brain is not only inappropriate; it can also lead to behavior problems in your classroom. Inappropriate behaviors such as avoidance, challenging authority and aggression towards other students can be explained by a failure to match instruction to brain maturity of your students.

You should also know that all brain functions do not mature at the same rate. A young child with highly advanced verbal skills may develop gross and fine motor control more slowly and have trouble learning to write clearly. Another child may be advanced physically but not know how to manage his/her social skills. Others may be cognitively advanced but show emotional immaturity.

For all of these reasons, it is important to understand how our brains mature as well as the differences that may be present at each stage of "normal" development.

But let us veer away from the textbook for a minute and gauge the realistic advantages educators and teachers will have if they add challenging brain games into the curriculum without taking away the essence of them being just a game for the children.

Number 1:    They offer opportunities for early learning.

Even simple games help young players identify colors, count spaces, and develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity in moving cards and pieces around the board. Plus, learning to wait your turn and follow the rules are important lessons that serve kids far beyond the living room floor.

Number 2: They get older kids' brains buzzing, too.

Board games are an easy way to encourage healthy brain development in older kids and teens. “Strategy games are useful in helping the frontal lobes of the brain develop,” says Beatrice Tauber Prior, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist, author, and owner of the private practice Harborside Wellbeing. Those frontal lobes are responsible for executive function skills, which include planning, organizing, and making good decisions.

Number 3: They boost their language skills.

Board games can be a sneaky way of helping school-aged kids work on skills they’re struggling with. Have a reluctant reader? A round of BOB Books Happy Hats Beginning Reading Game will help them expand their vocabulary and flex their spelling skills.

Meanwhile, games in which players have to remember several pieces of information at once who did what, and where might help a child who’s having trouble with reading comprehension all while still having fun.

Number 4: They sharpen your child's focus.

Board games, when played without interruptions, can help lengthen a child's attention span. But to reap the benefits, everyone needs to commit to seeing the game through to the end.

If your family sits down for a game of Chinese checkers, be sure to complete a full game without everyone checking their phone, asking Alexa to play a song, or turning on the TV for the latest football scores, adds Prior. Finishing a board game without interruptions will help lengthen the declining attention span of kids in a world filled with digital distractions.

Number 5: They teach the value of teamwork.

Board games often offer kids meta-messages about life: Your luck can change in an instant, for better or for worse. But in addition to teaching them that nothing is guaranteed, board games are a good way to encourage kids of different ages to team up and work together something they'll need to do throughout life. Form teams of older kids working with their younger siblings or choose a game like The Brainiac Game or Race Across the USA, which have questions tailored to grades 1-6, so everyone’s challenged fairly.

Number 6: Board games are an alternative to time out.

The next time you find yourself going through a rough patch with one of your kids, consider playing a board game together instead of sending them to their room. “I often use board games as a mechanism to work on the parent-child relationship,” explains Regine Galanti, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University in New York City. They can also be used to increase frustration tolerance in a child.

In other words, taking turns and practicing patience during a game even when things don't go their way can help little ones practice more respectful responses than stomping off and slamming their bedroom door shut.

Number 7: Board games soothe anxiety.

They may help anxious kids learn how to navigate friendships more easily. “Because they're structured, board games can provide an easier way to build interpersonal relationships with peers, since the child knows what's expected of them, says Galanti. For kids who struggle with striking up conversations with others, Galanti recommends games that promote structured opportunities for chatter, such as guessing games.

Number 8: They show kids how to be a good loser.

If you're playing with a child who has low frustration tolerance, and losing is really difficult for them, allowing them to break the rules at first can make the game more tolerable and fun for them.

But your goal should be to purposely play by the rules and encourage them to use coping skills and promote resilience when things don't go their way.

For instance, you might say: "I'm so proud of you for staying calm even though you picked a card you didn't like. I hope next time you pick a good one!"

Number 9: Board games are a great way to unplug.

The lack of technology required to play board games makes them special. They are a simple way to get quality, screen-free time with the kids and you might be surprised by how much they love playing.

Families are struggling to find the balance between digital and real-life connections, but board games provide a tool for that emotional connection to each other. Order pizza and make it a way to celebrate the start of the weekend together!

Now that we know what the real benefits brain games hold, here is a list of some of the most effective brain games not only for teachers but even parents can try at home.

1: Blocks

Blocks have been the most basic brain games for kids since the beginning of time and have remained a constant in the ‘toy-sphere’ and there’s a good reason why.

Expose your child to blocks of different colors and sizes and that’s it! Let your child explore the blocks and let their imagination run wild.

All aspects of your child’s development are exposed including shape/color recognition, creativity, spatial awareness, and so much more.

2: I spy games

Classic games such as ‘I spy with my little eye…’, ‘Simon Says’ and scavenger hunts are fun brain sharpening games.

These types of brain development games help your children to follow instructions, enhance attention, develop language and increases their spatial awareness. Books like “Where’s Waldo?” are great for children and adults, finding a targeted item in a cluttered environment helps enhance your child’s cognitive systems.

Scavenger hunts can be easily customized and can keep your children occupied for hours!

3:        Brain teasing Puzzles

Puzzles can be fun for the whole family! They are a great way to develop your child’s spatial perception, coordination, problem-solving, cognitive skills and fine motor skills proving puzzles to be awesome games for brain development.

There are many different kinds of puzzles to choose from, tangrams and board puzzles for younger children, and older children and adults can indulge in Scrabble, Sudoku, crosswords, logic puzzles and even Rubik’s cubes! At any age, puzzles are sure-fire brain teasers!

4:        Obstacle Courses — Jump, skip, run and hop!

Obstacle courses are easy to set up and one of the best mind games for kids. You can set one up right in your living room.

Create simple obstacle courses using household supplies, increase the complexity with creative obstacles for older kids.

Obstacle courses help enhance your child’s gross motor, visual perception, motor planning, coordination, problem-solving, critical thinking and language skills.

There are so many versions of obstacle courses! Here are some items you can use to create an obstacle course indoors: pillows, chairs, tables, cushions, sofa, tables, storage boxes, string, paper, balls, hula hoops.

5:        Storytelling – Once upon a time…

Storytelling helps prompt a different brain development compared to what children gain when listening to a story or reading a picture book.

Storytelling requires for your child to pay attention and focus for a long period of time.

They also help their memory, as they have to keep track of the story characters, the sequence of events and what’s going to happen next.

Storytelling also helps develop your child’s language, vocabulary and confidence! Each story requires them to make connections and articulate them.

Children at the age of six are developing self-confidence and independence; stories are a great way for them to express their feelings and emotions in a positive manner.

Community Building Experiences

 I firmly believe that nothing is as powerful or serves better to foster strong bonds within a classroom as building a sense of community. This takes precedence for me over delving right into the textbooks.

 

 I really hit Community Building experiences hard during the first week of school. I also incorporate community building strategies into the curriculum when a new student joins the class later on. Community Building exercises can help make the ‘new kid’ feel welcome and the ‘old kids’ feel the strength to be found in a close-knit community.

 

Resources for Community Building are available through parent-teacher stores and teacher magazines. I would like to share a few of these with you that have proven successful in my classes.

 

 

ACTIVITY: Ice Breaker Introduction Game

 

To ‘break the ice,’ one such activity that I use is a “Name Game.” I will have the students form a circle. I hold a squish ball. I model first by saying my name, and one very exciting thing I did over the summer. When I have finished, I gently toss the ball underhand to a student for him/her to follow suit. We do this until every student has had an opportunity to share! Kids love this!

 

 

ACTIVITY: Round the Clock Buddies

 

Give each student a sheet with a 12-hour clock printed on it. Along the side of each number on the clock, place a line extending horizontally where a student’s name can be written. The assignment is to fill in at least one other student’s name per line.

 

Now here is how this works. Explain to the students:

 

“First, I take my sheet and go to another student. I ask if he or she would like to be my 1:00 buddy. If the answer is yes, then I write their name on my sheet – and they write my name on their sheet. We make sure that we spell each other’s names correctly!”

 

Tell the students how to continue the process. If, for example, someone’s 1:00 buddy line is already filled, they can ask about another time, e.g. “Well, if we cannot be buddies at 1:00, what about 3:00?”

 

Depending on the size of the class, for each of the 12 slots, students should write in one name for a class of 12. They will have two names for a class of 24, and 3 names for larger groups.

 

Future Activities: This “Round the Clock Buddy” exercise can also become the basis for many future activities. It is a great method to organize a “think-pair-share” or brainstorming activity. I then say to my students:

 

“Please make an appointment with your 2:00 buddy and I would like for you to discuss…

 

(whatever it is you as the teacher want the class to discuss at that point).”

 

The children really seem to enjoy this exercise – and it gives you something to vary the normal routine. It’s very important to get kids up and moving throughout the day and to change both the mental and physical state of the student.

 

 

Okay, let’s talk about the Candy Bar Game. Kids really love this.

 

ACTIVITY: Candy Bar Game -- Tell Me About Yourself

  

This is one of my favorite Community Building activities. I usually do this on the first day of school.

 You will need to purchase an assortment of candy bars and place them in a basket somewhere on the floor in the middle of the room. On the black/white board, write the name of each of the candy bars. Each candy bar is to be associated with a question.

 Write the questions. Conceal the questions until later. There are a number of ways to do this. They can be posted on the black/white board and hidden by a piece of paper taped to the board. Alternatively, you can use tagboard or cardboard – write the name of the candy bar on one side and the question on the other side. You could also paste or tie the questions     to the candy bars directly.

 

The children each go to the basket and pick out a favorite candy bar of their choice. Each child then in turn shares with an answer to the question associated with the candy bar.

 

Another variation is to make the candy bars a reward to be earned by answering the question. Here are some that I use:

 

 $100,000 Grand Bar – What would you do with 100,000 dollars? (in our class, in a movie or TV show, in your house, etc.)

3 Musketeers – Who are your favorite friends and why?

Baby Ruth – What is your favorite memory?

Butterfinger – Can you tell us about a regrettable mistake you made?

M & M’s – What would you do with a million dollars?

Nestle’s Crunch – Can you tell us about a difficulty (a crunch) that you have overcome?

Skittles – What is pure enjoyment for you?

Snickers – What is the funniest moment you remember?

Starburst – Can you describe when you have had an “Ah ha!” moment?