Kids Love A Good Read Aloud!!!

So, yesterday morning before school, I was reminded of something I learned from Regie Routman. "Children learn best from people they love." David Brooks,(conservative analyst) on tv, was talking about a book he has written and he mentioned this same idea as a possible focus for improving schools. In the afternoon, I was reading the most exciting and dramatic chapter in The Castle In The Attic to my 6, 7 and 8 year olds as they quietly drew the castle, the dragon that guards it and William who took it all on! I must admit I was using my most dramatic voice! They were all really hanging on every word, as kids always do when I read this book. Then, it was time to stop for P.E. As the kids got up to clean up and line up, Xander walked over to me, put his arms around me and said one of my favorite lines, "You're the best teacher!" Well, maybe not, but one thing is for sure, Xander will remember that I took him into that castle with William as he defeated that fire-breathing dragon and took on Alistor, the evil wizard! This is another commercial for Read Aloud...they will love you for it and if they love you, they will learn more, too!!! It is a great job! But, I think it's more too! My hope for these kids is that they experience this kind of pleasure from books with teachers, with parents, alone and with friends time and time again FOREVER! I'll take Xander's praise, but I know the book deserves the praise. The book is the magic!! And kids deserve to experience it! It is what school should be about!

Mary Ann

A 4-YEAR OLD BECOMES A READER

This is the story of a little girl in preprimary who became a believer/reader in a few minutes while reading with her primary buddy and the primary teacher. Lydia had finished reading two easy picture books to her preprimary buddy! I happened to be standing next to her getting ready to call a halt to the reading as most kids were finishing. I looked at the book in Lydia's hands and realized that it was very predictable with only a couple of lines per page and repeating words on most. I asked Lydia to read the page again which she did. I asked the four year old if she could point at the words as Lydia read. She gave me a blank stare so I pointed at the words while Lydia read. Then when Lydia read it again, I held the little girl's finger and we pointed together at the words as Lydia spoke them. The next time Lydia read I had told her to leave out "you" when she came to it. I said it as we pointed at it. The next time Lydia read it, I did not say it, her buddy said it as we pointed at it. I turned back to another page and asked her to find that word, "you" again which she did. I stopped everything in the room, and announced to the group that this 4 year old had become a reader. Everybody cheered. Also, I noticed as I was "performing" this reading lesson that the dad with the class had turned to watch me do it. I am predicting that this dad will do the same that evening at home. For those who think phonics and phonemic awareness and reading readiness lessons are necessary before a kid is ready to begin learning how to read, I say NOT SO!!! THIS IS HOW KIDS LEARN TO READ!!! Of course the fact that every time the preprimary kids come, I stop at the end to have them show us the beginning of the story, the end of the story, who the story is about...I ask them this time of the year to find a letter, and ask what is it, I have my kids show them a word and tell them what it is. I ask the preprimary kids to find something "green" and ask, what is it?, etc. We do this every time, so maybe this is the reading readiness part!??? and whatever Kelly and Florine do, which I doubt is flash cards and phonics pages. At least I hope not! Mary Ann