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| Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash. |
Reading matters because it helps students make sense of the world! We can learn about the ideas of others or get lost in a fictional universe when we read effectively. If you couldn't read, you wouldn't be able to understand this blog post.
Reading is one of the four strands in the Ontario Language Curriculum (2006); it should be the goal of educators to develop effective readers. According to the curriculum, an effective reader "grasps the ideas communicated in a text" and is "able to apply them in new contexts" (p. 10). Teachers have an important job: to develop the next generation of readers.
Sharing reading resources is one way that educators can support each other and the literacy of their students. The following are examples of resources that educators can use to promote reading in their classrooms.
Students can learn to make strong inferences by using graphic organizers. Below is an example of the graphic organizer "It says, I say, and so", taken from the LiteracyGains article Make Room for Inferencing During Reading. I believe that graphic organizers are beneficial to students, as it gives them prompts to guide their thinking. To use this graphic organizer, teachers need to create appropriate questions for the question column.
The "It says, I say, and so" graphic organizer can be used to accompany various texts, but the teacher must choose those texts wisely. Teachers should choose texts that are interesting and relevant to their students.
It can be challenging for educators to choose texts that will both interest their students and meet curriculum expectations.
According to the Ontario curriculum, teachers must include "a wide variety of literary, informational and graphic texts" in reading instruction (p. 11). To do so, teachers must have access to many texts for their students.
Having a small library of physical books is one way that teachers give their students access to texts. This is an excellent way for teachers to share some of their favourite books with students. Teachers can look for books at thrift stores, yard sales or warehouse stores to curate a classroom library at a low cost. This library will grow with a teacher's career.
Teachers can also use online database resources, such as ReadWorks and Storia to choose texts for students to read. Both of these resources require students to have an electronic device and access to the internet, so teachers should use caution when assigning reading for homework. Not all students will have equal access to technology outside of school. Both of these resources can be implemented during in-class reading time.
ReadWorks is a free online resource that teachers can use to choose texts. Once teachers create an account on ReadWorks, they gain access to a large library of passages that they can use in their classrooms. These articles include comprehension questions, text to speech capabilities, and various other teacher tools. Check out the video below for a quick overview of the website.
Another resource that could be helpful for teachers is Storia School Edition. Storia requires a paid subscription (school-wide or for one classroom) and has a library of thousands of e-books for K-8 students. Teachers can use this tool to assign readings and track student reading progress. Watch this short video below for a more detailed look at Storia.
Most importantly, students should be given some choice in what they are reading. Students are both empowered and engaged in learning (and in reading) when they are given choice. As a teacher, I would both create a physical library and use at least one of these online databases to help my students choose readings that interest them. When students have a genuine interest, they will be excited about reading!
Reading is one of the four strands in the Ontario Language Curriculum (2006); it should be the goal of educators to develop effective readers. According to the curriculum, an effective reader "grasps the ideas communicated in a text" and is "able to apply them in new contexts" (p. 10). Teachers have an important job: to develop the next generation of readers.
Sharing reading resources is one way that educators can support each other and the literacy of their students. The following are examples of resources that educators can use to promote reading in their classrooms.
Inferencing using Graphic Organizers
Reading is about more than just understanding the words written on a page. Reading is also about making connections beyond the text. Students must learn to infer. Specific expectation 1.5 (of the Reading Strand) "Making Inferences/Interpreting Texts" is present in the curriculum from grades one to eight.Students can learn to make strong inferences by using graphic organizers. Below is an example of the graphic organizer "It says, I say, and so", taken from the LiteracyGains article Make Room for Inferencing During Reading. I believe that graphic organizers are beneficial to students, as it gives them prompts to guide their thinking. To use this graphic organizer, teachers need to create appropriate questions for the question column.
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| LiteracyGains (2015). |
The "It says, I say, and so" graphic organizer can be used to accompany various texts, but the teacher must choose those texts wisely. Teachers should choose texts that are interesting and relevant to their students.
Choosing Texts
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| Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash. |
According to the Ontario curriculum, teachers must include "a wide variety of literary, informational and graphic texts" in reading instruction (p. 11). To do so, teachers must have access to many texts for their students.
Having a small library of physical books is one way that teachers give their students access to texts. This is an excellent way for teachers to share some of their favourite books with students. Teachers can look for books at thrift stores, yard sales or warehouse stores to curate a classroom library at a low cost. This library will grow with a teacher's career.
Teachers can also use online database resources, such as ReadWorks and Storia to choose texts for students to read. Both of these resources require students to have an electronic device and access to the internet, so teachers should use caution when assigning reading for homework. Not all students will have equal access to technology outside of school. Both of these resources can be implemented during in-class reading time.
ReadWorks is a free online resource that teachers can use to choose texts. Once teachers create an account on ReadWorks, they gain access to a large library of passages that they can use in their classrooms. These articles include comprehension questions, text to speech capabilities, and various other teacher tools. Check out the video below for a quick overview of the website.
Another resource that could be helpful for teachers is Storia School Edition. Storia requires a paid subscription (school-wide or for one classroom) and has a library of thousands of e-books for K-8 students. Teachers can use this tool to assign readings and track student reading progress. Watch this short video below for a more detailed look at Storia.
Most importantly, students should be given some choice in what they are reading. Students are both empowered and engaged in learning (and in reading) when they are given choice. As a teacher, I would both create a physical library and use at least one of these online databases to help my students choose readings that interest them. When students have a genuine interest, they will be excited about reading!
Until next time!
Miss Amanda Maier
Miss Amanda Maier
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