the book whisperer - donalyn miller

[...]... of the books we checked out each week Mary and I talk about a great many things—our children, our parents, our spouses, politics, what we heard on NPR—but we always make time to talk about our cherished books, too I am a reader, a flashlight-under -the- covers, carries-a -book- everywhere-I-go, don’t-look-at-myAmazon-bill reader I choose purses based on whether I can cram a paperback into them, and my books... about books and then another and another I located some index cards and had students jot down their names and the titles of the books they were checking out My classroom looked like the floor of a bizarre stock exchange, with students excitedly waving cards and calling out book titles Jace, a student from that class, still remembers the experience: “I walked out of there with three books that day, and they... forty books a year is not the chief concern for many students They usually want to know what activities I will ask them to do with the books they are reading, because worksheets, vocabulary tests, and book reports have always been the goal for every book they have ever read in school; never has it been for their pleasure or engagement They have a tough time believing that I have not tied their books... that these excuses have merit, I would allow them to become reasons for my students not to read They pick books on the first day, and they read If the book they chose during that first frenzy does not work for them, they abandon it and choose another Choosing not to read is never discussed It is simply not an option Although I never state it outright to my students, my mandate that they read and the. .. students selecting their own books to read This freedom is not a future, perhaps-by-spring goal for them, but our first accomplishment as a class Why does choice matter? Providing students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers and encourages them It strengthens their self-confidence, rewards their interests, and promotes a positive attitude toward reading by valuing the reader and... attachment to the story arcs in video games and television programs bears this out What students lack are experiences that show them that books have the same magic They have never been given the chance to discover the worlds that books can contain Because so many students’ reading choices are dictated by their teachers, they never learn how to choose books for themselves How can they shape a self-identity... you want?” The children were compliant and did the work, but their hearts were not in it I could tell they were not emotionally or intellectually getting much from the book They were robots, trudging through the unit and completing the assigned activities Reading was work, another job to finish in the daily grind of school I could not wrap my head around what was wrong The book was great The unit was... develop bonds with one another the way her students, the brilliant Souls, did in the book I read the book again and, in the margins of my copy, made careful notes of conversational points to discuss I created extension activities that tied in with the events in the book s plot: we would investigate the migration habits of sea turtles, host tea parties, write calligraphy, and discuss the main characters’... school These students read their assigned books, do their assigned activities, and drop the books when weekends or summers arrive and they don’t have to read anymore Reading is work, not pleasure Without support for their reading interests and role models who inspire them to read, these students never discover that reading is enjoyable The burden of poor reading skills or a disability that impedes their... catalogue, the glut of canned materials for novel units reinforces that this is the best means to teach reading If my students deserved more, they did not expect it For them, reading in school had always looked the same: read the chapters and complete endless activities on each one; take a test on the book when you finally finish it; and start the process over with another book Reading more than a few books . cherished books, too. I am a reader, a flashlight-under -the- covers, carries-a -book- everywhere-I-go, don’t-look-at-my- Amazon-bill reader. I choose purses based on whether I can cram a paperback into them,. contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 80 0-9 5 6-7 739, outside the U.S. at 31 7-5 7 2-3 986, or fax 31 7-5 7 2-4 002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a. look at the readers in their classrooms and the way in which they teach reading and support them.” —Arlyne Skolnik, Reading Teacher, West School, Long Beach NY The Book Whisperer (I love the name!)