The American Library Association offers 54 different celebrity READ posters as motivation to become life-long readers (www.ala.org). In 1998, Glenn Nowell, a retired librarian for Gardiner Public Library, began an annual list of what celebrities are reading (www.gpl.lib.me.us) for the same purpose. Celebrities such as Alex Rodriguez, Tiki Barber, and Queen Latifah are writing picture books about the importance of dedication, determination and motivation. However, authentic literacy doesn’t happen by looking at a poster, scanning a list of suggested books or reading a picture book. Authentic literacy is discovered when experienced readers explain the value in what they read, and explain the cognitive process or thoughts they use while interacting with these texts.
The problem? In Reading Reasons, Kelly Gallagher (2003) eloquently writes, “We have become stealth readers in front of a generation of students starving to see these reading reasons modeled” (p. 16). Educators need to go beyond the covers of their reading anthologies and share their own personal reasons for reading.
The challenge? Choose one day week to discuss authentic literacy. For example, every Monday I blog the ways professionals use reading on a daily basis. I call this day, Mentor Mondays because the written testimony will mentor students on the value of reading for professional success. Whether you choose Mentor Monday or Real World Wednesday, when you establish a reading routine to discuss authentic literacy, students build a conscious awareness of the roles reading plays in the world around them.
1. For one week, collect items you read and display the items on a small desk. Coupons, mail, newspapers, magazines, professional books, emails, menus and so on.
2. Create an anchor chart titled, What We Read and hang it beside the items.
3. On your designated authentic literacy day, select one item to discuss. Spend 5 minutes explaining what the item is, why you read it, how often you read it, where and when you read it and, most importantly, HOW YOU READ IT. Do you begin reading at the top of the page? I only read this way with fiction texts. While reading a magazine, I read from the back to the front, skipping articles and advertisements I am not interest in. While reading a professional book I look at the table of contents, choose the chapter I need, and then skim the chapter until I find a section for which I have very little back ground knowledge. I then slow down my reading, highlight key phrases and write my thinking in the margins. This way I can remember what I was thinking when I highlighted the key phrase. While reading online, I read in an “H” pattern. I look down the right side of the website at the menu options and then across the page and down the left side of the page. Depending on the design of the webpage, my reading pattern may change.
4. After sharing the authentic ways you read that item, write the item on the anchor chart and then jot the most important key point beside the item. Each week add another idea to your anchor chart. After four weeks, my anchor chart may look like this:
a) Novel – I start in the beginning of the book and read every page until the book is finished.
b) Magazine – I skip over articles and advertisements I am not interested in reading.
c) Professional information books – I adjust my pace by reading fast and then slow.
d) Website – Depending on the design of the webpage, my reading patters may change.
An educator’s role is more important than covering the content. When we link real world reading strategies with academic literacy, we empower our students to be independent, life-long learners.
Research based on:
Gallagher, Kelly. (2003). Reading Reasons: Motivating Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School. Portland, MA: Stenhouse Publishers.
No comments:
Post a Comment