Teaching Children to Make Good Book Choices: Book of the Week GIVEAWAY

Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus

Why we love this book:

Leo is a late bloomer and this concerns his father; however, his mother is confident that Leo will bloom. “Then one day, in his own good time, Leo bloomed!” And that is an important message for both adults and children. All children are different and all children bloom in their own good time!

Reading Response Journals

mini-lesson 3: How to Make a Good Book Choice

How to introduce children to Reading Response Journals:

mini-lesson 1: How to write the date, title of book and draw an illustration.

mini-lesson 2: How to write a reading response.

mini-lesson 3: How to make a good book choice.

supplies

• Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
• inexpensive spiral or reading response paper.
  • Print paper FREE: Reading Response Paper
• pencils, colored pencils, crayons or markers
• books, books, books
• reading response strip: My book was easy, just right or a challenge.
  • Print Reading Responses FREE: Reading Response Prompts

mini-lesson response: My book was easy, just right or a challenge.

In the classroom, I began every year with a read-aloud from Leo the Late Bloomer. Then we’d start a big discussion. . .

Me: “Tell me some of the fun and interesting things you’ve already ‘bloomed’ into? What are some of the things you are really good at?”

Children: “I can tie my shoes. I can count to 100. I can read. I can run really fast! I know how to tell time. My Mom taught me how to bake a cake. . . .”

Me: “Just like Leo, we all bloom at different times. Some of us can run really fast and some of us already know how to read. We are all different.”

Me: “What are some of the things you’d like to ‘bloom-into’ or learn how to do this year?”

Children: “I want to read a great big thick book. I want to learn how to multiply. I want to learn how to make a goal in soccer. . . .”

• Introduce easy, just right and challenge books.
  • Be prepared, you’ll need to do some acting!
• easy book: I select a very easy book. I read it really fast and even close my eyes following the pattern of the book, “Look I can even read this book with my eyes closed! I have the words memorized.”
  • Do you think this book will last all of our quiet reading time?
  • Do you think it is a good choice for me?
  • This book is too easy for me. I call this an easy book.
• challenge book: I select a very hard book. I struggle through the words, making the book hard to read and even harder to understand.
  • Does this book make any sense to me?
  • Do you think this book is a good choice for me?
  • This book is a challenge book.
  • I will “bloom” into this book later. I’ll save this book for later.
• just right book: I select a book and read it fluently. I stop on a few words pretending to sound them out.
  • This book has a few tricky words in it but I figured them out.
  • Does this book make sense to me?
  • Would this book be a good choice for me?
  • A just right book has a few tricky words but I can still figure them out.
  • A just right book makes sense when I read it.
  • A just right book will last the entire 15 minutes of quiet reading time.
  • A just right book sounds like talking when I read it.

Independent reading time and reading response journal:

• Each day the children select a just right book to read for quiet reading time. It usually takes only reading one page of a book to determine if it is just right.
• Each day the children read independently for 15 minutes (longer for older students).
• Each day I review the assigned reading response.

• Each day the children write and illustrate the assigned reading response prompt.
• Today’s assignment: My book was easy, just right or a challenge book.

Reading Response Journal, MacGyver, age 8

If you’re thinking this reading response looks easy, you’re right. It is easy. When reading response journals are first introduced, I’m focusing on reading for enjoyment, routines, procedures and setting expectations. The students’ will grow in their responses throughout the year(s).

We’re GIVING AWAY one copy of  Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus.

To enter this contest, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post.

What is something new you’d like to learn or “bloom into” this year? (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)

The Rules:

One entry per person, please.

No entries after 8:00 pm Central Time, Thursday, August 25, 2011

The winner must be a resident of The United States.

The winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, August 26, 2011. Check back to claim your prize. It might be you!