Reading. Ah, the joy of reading. Ever since I can remember, I have always loved picking up a good book. I loved the library and book shops were far more exciting than a trip to Woolworths! When I got into teaching, I knew there would be children 'disengaged' with reading and who didn't have books at home but my class have put a whole new challenge on finding the perfect reading book...Their last teacher informing me they all 'hated' reading. Guided reading was 'painful.' Their levels? Ah! I'll get onto that later. All I knew was that reading was on the School Improvement Plan, boys reading levels were shocking and beside all the data driven malarkey, I was never going to have a class who didn't love reading.
(To put my class into context. 24 children. 8 girls. 8. And then 18 incredibly challenging boys. Who, in Year 4, went through 8 teachers. 8. Oh and levels? A range... between 1A and 5A.)
Ok. Mission accepted.
Flashback to autumn term...
I'm sitting in a room with my phase group. "We've got 6 lots of new book sets!!" My heart pounds with excitement.
1st one up: The railway children.
Oh god. My heart sinks. Abort mission. Abort mission!
Now, before I get shouted at: I know it's a classic. I know how important it is to read a variety, old and new. But this Class. They'd hide the set quicker than I could say 'Reading time!'
2nd one up: The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Oh good god. Now, again, a classic, I adore that book, but really!? Maybe, just maybe, after all my interventions and a huge push of how amazing reading is with an added emphasis on 'Reading IS cool,' I could attempt this book in the final term but to start a new year? No.
So as the meeting continued, I began to panic. Please, please, have something to introduce them to a life of amazing books. I need a flicker of hope.
Final set. "And the last book is...Holes."
"MINE!"
Seriously, like a stubborn child, I demanded that book. I wasn't taking no for an answer. I knew the class needed a book to relate to; the 'naughty' child, the hatred of the system, the 'all comes good in the end'.
And my god did it work. They begged to continue reading during guided reading sessions. They wanted to go into their own lunchtime to continue guided reading.
And then it came to an end.
And do you know what this class did?
As I finished the last word and shut the book...They clapped and cheered and begged...
"Miss M, please can we read it again?"
Mission completed.
(To put my class into context. 24 children. 8 girls. 8. And then 18 incredibly challenging boys. Who, in Year 4, went through 8 teachers. 8. Oh and levels? A range... between 1A and 5A.)
Ok. Mission accepted.
Flashback to autumn term...
I'm sitting in a room with my phase group. "We've got 6 lots of new book sets!!" My heart pounds with excitement.
1st one up: The railway children.
Oh god. My heart sinks. Abort mission. Abort mission!
Now, before I get shouted at: I know it's a classic. I know how important it is to read a variety, old and new. But this Class. They'd hide the set quicker than I could say 'Reading time!'
2nd one up: The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Oh good god. Now, again, a classic, I adore that book, but really!? Maybe, just maybe, after all my interventions and a huge push of how amazing reading is with an added emphasis on 'Reading IS cool,' I could attempt this book in the final term but to start a new year? No.
So as the meeting continued, I began to panic. Please, please, have something to introduce them to a life of amazing books. I need a flicker of hope.
Final set. "And the last book is...Holes."
"MINE!"
Seriously, like a stubborn child, I demanded that book. I wasn't taking no for an answer. I knew the class needed a book to relate to; the 'naughty' child, the hatred of the system, the 'all comes good in the end'.
And my god did it work. They begged to continue reading during guided reading sessions. They wanted to go into their own lunchtime to continue guided reading.
And then it came to an end.
And do you know what this class did?
As I finished the last word and shut the book...They clapped and cheered and begged...
"Miss M, please can we read it again?"
Mission completed.
The holy grail of books for disengaged pupils.