Chapter 14 "When Kids Can't Read"

"If we can't use ourselves as guides for what makes a good book, then we're left with using what students tell us."

This chapter is mainly about using students as a guide to what we as teachers should have the students read. A good guideline to engage the students who hate reading is, think short, straightforward and chose a title with few characters. A few other tips on choosing a book that might appeal to many students is fiction books that have a lot of white space, some illustrations and thin books with short chapters. Many students seem to also enjoy books that have a plot with a lot of action that begins right away. I think listening to students and getting plenty of feedback when trying to engage non-readers in literature is to find out exactly what interests them. There are so many students that have different preferences and by understanding what appeals to the students we as teachers can better introduce literature to non-readers.

"Connecting students to Culturally relevant Texts" reaction

"When teachers use culturally relevant books, students understand the books more fully, and as a result, become more engaged in their reading." "Culturally relevant books connect to student's lives, not just to their cultural heritage."

These statements could really change the way a teacher views books chosen if it could be fully grasped. Many students know what their heritage is, but some do not. By being culturally relevant it might include relating to the main character in a book because of age or relating to a character because they live in the same vicinity as themselves. Each book chosen needs to be pertinent to students lives, and not just because they are from a certain country or have a certain hair color. Many students may have the same background and prior knowledge as another student with different hair color. Understanding that heritage is important and relevant and can make an extreme difference in what a student is interested in reading, but it may not be the heritage that grasps their interest it might be there experiences and their real life dilemmas.

Chapter 1 "Building a knowledge base in reading"

Children understand reading through writing. There is close connections between reading and writing. Children build an oral language and knowledge as they learn to read and write.

These things stuck out the most to me in chapter one, mainly because so many times reading and writing are taught as two separate things. Sure they are taught by the same teacher and often times more than not in the same class. I think until we understand that children understand reading through writing that we cannot properly teach them how to dissect and understand the text they are reading. This chapter had many great points and I think by better understanding these key concepts we can help students understand how to read and write better in connection with one another.

Literature Circles

In most literature circles:
1. Students choose their own reading materials
2. Small temporary groups are formed, based upon book choice
3. Different groups read different books
4. Groups meet on a regular, predictable schedule to discuss their reading
5. Kids use written or drawn notes to guide both their reading and discussion
6. Discussion topics come from the students
7. Group meetings aim to be open, natural conversations about books, so personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions are welcome
8. In newly-forming groups, students may play a rotating assortment of task roles
9. The teacher serves as a facilitator, not a group member or instructor

I think this is a great idea because it lets students chose their own topic and books. This involved the students in their own education and allows for cooperative learning to evolve. It also allows students to formulate their own topics and discuss their understanding of the topic chosen. I think this is a great way to get students involved in their own education and helps them create thier own desires and interests.