Creating+Readers+For+Life

HISD Leadership Institute, August 7, 2008**
 * Danny Brassell

[|www.lazyreaders.com] - monthly book recommendations (10 books a month)

Six Blocks Reading Program
 * Talk with your student
 * Book Talk
 * Picture Reading
 * Read Aloud
 * Partner Reading
 * Writing/Games

Every kid is different - adapt reading strategies based on the kid

Be aware of the 5 components of reading

The Reading Wars - Phonics vs. Whole Language - no one program is the solution - phonics works for some kids but not others, whole language works for some but not all, etc....

good books + good strategies = good readers

Enthusiasm (in students) can be misinterpreted by some teachers as behavior problems

Two types of teachers - problem solvers vs. excuse makers

Live longer - read good kids' books every night :)

Book reports stink - we should talk about books the way Oprah talks about books on her show - she DOESN'T talk about theme, plot, etc.

Let kids read where they want, when they want with whomever they want. (Danny Brassell)

Pro-Choice - let kids read whatever they want to read. The research shows that it doesn't matter what you read - it matters HOW MUCH you read!

Give kids TIME to read in class! Even 10 minutes could considerably improve literacy levels.

The most important thing I can do to help my students succeed is to remember the 3 Rs: Read, READ, READ!

Best standardized reading program - the Open Book Reading Program. Instructions: Open the book then read it. :)

Picture Reading - shows LOTS of figure/ground reversal images and logos (optical illusions)

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease trelease-on-reading.com

Giving a kid a passion for reading is like giving a kid a cold... You can't give it if you don't have it! We must have a passion for reading if we hope to inspire the same passion in kids.

World's greatest discipline plan - cliff hangers (What happens next?! We'll find out AFTER recess! - How many kids will come back in on time?)

FEAST on three a day - Favorite, EASy, and Tough

Listening ability exceeds reading ability until about 8th grade (Harvard study) - Read-Alouds very important for these grade level groups

Interactive, Sound Effects, Student Names, Movement - keys to making read-alouds more engaging

Repetition is very important

Dull to Rich vocab strategy - 1. Create blank five-panel strip 2.


 * good || great ||  ||   ||   ||

Mary Poppins was right - for every job that must be done, there is always an element that is fun!

Games are GOOD.

Don't assign "homework" - assign "homegames"