Rationale: It is important for children to read voluntarily. The effects of enjoying reading and reading on a voluntary basis are essential to growth in reading skills and fluency. When children get to choose reading materials on things that they are interested in, it encourages this voluntary reading habit.
Materials: classroom collection of books on various topics(the teacher must be familiar with all of these books), a stopwatch, comfortable classroom reading atmosphere(bean bags, mats, etc.)
Procedures:
1. Introduce the reading campaign to students. "We are
going to work on our reading skills. I think it is important to read
on your own very often, and when you read on your own, you will usually
choose to read about things that you like, right?" Now discuss this
and the importance of independent reading with the class.
2. Have each child pick out a book. "Now let's pick out
a book in the quiet orderly way we learned. Choose one that will
help you learn more about something you are interested in."
3. Have the children go to the spot in the classroom that is
most comfortable for them and read silently for 15 minutes. "Go to
your favorite reading place and read until I tell you all to stop."
4. When time is up the students must "teach the class" about
what they learned in their silent reading. This is also the teacher's
opportunity for assessment with a checklist that includes all the aspects
of silent reading intended to cover. "Ok, children, now it is time
for you to "be the teacher," and tell everybody about what you read."
5. Continue with this activity on more than one occasion.
Hopefully, the children will enjoy learning and sharing what they learned,
and want to do it often. Then the enjoyment of voluntary reading
will be in place for the student.
Reference: www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/breakthroughs/kinggf.html
"Spring" Into Step" by Pebbles King
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