Leading to Reading:

Helping Readers Grow and Develop

The good news?Teens are reading!

Not-so-good news?

Lots of the reading is IN school.

So, we are building school-time readers

What about LIFELONG readers?

Growing Real Readers

Community

Environment

Routines

Community

Environment

Environment

Routine

Developing a Reader’s Heart

1. Someone with the heart of a reader is already a reader, enjoys reading, and turns to reading on a regular basis as an activity they prefer.

2. Someone with the heart of a reader does not need extrinsic motivation. No points, pizza, or other incentives are needed.

3. Someone with the heart of a reader tends to have friends who have reader hearts, too. They enjoy taking about books they have read, comparing notes.

4. Someone with the heart of a reader reads up and down and sideways. Sometimes they turn to books that are easy reads, and occasionally they challenge themselves, too. While they have comfort books, they read widely as well.

5. Someone with the heart of a reader recognizes that books entertain, inform, provoke, and touch them deep in those hearts. They know books can elicit laughter, tears, rage, and the full range of emotions.

Developing a Reader’s Mind

I ended my speech at the ALAN workshop (#alan12) with a revised reader bill of rights.  It is based on the wonderful book,  Better than Life by Daniel Pennac.  Here it is:

1. Right to read YAL at any age2. Right to read extensively instead of intensively3. Right to CREATE NEW CANON4. Right to read with their ears5. RIGHT TO READ TRANSMEDIALLY6. Right to read FREELY7. Right to READ WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING8. Right to read BELOW YOUR LEXILE9. Right to READ BEYOND YOUR ATOS SCORE10. RIGHT TO REDEFINE READING

Some book recommendations

Nonfiction

Narrative Nonfiction

GN

GN

Audio (classic)

Audio (six traits)

Mentor Texts

Mentor Texts