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Sue Oliver wrote:
>
> There was some discussion about reading aloud in class or giving class time for
> students to read. I heartily agree that both should be allowed. I teach 8th
> grade and most of my students enjoy being read to. Many of them are slow
> readers and find it helpful to hear the first page or so before I turn them
> loose to read on their own. It gives them a purpose for reading and I usually
> leave off in a place where they want to keep reading. They keep at it until the
> end of the story or chapter. This also helps slow readers to follow along with
> the words. They can see and hear pronunciation and listen to how a sentence
> should be read.
>
> I also agree that kids need time in class to read. They do have hectic
> schedules and appreciate (usually) what time they are given. If they misuse the
> time, they don't get it in the near future.
>
> One other idea. I just started a unit where I'm combining the reading of the
> novel with their research. I gave them a list of 12 novels from which they
> could choose. We have 10 of them as class sets, which I've taught before. They
> must choose a novel that 3 other people in class are also reading. That way
> they have a discussion group formed and we will meet in small groups along the
> way. Also they must base a research topic on that novel. For example: No
> Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt. They could research teen runaways, gangs,
> circus professions, the Great Depression, hobos and Hoovervilles, etc. They can
> choose any of the 12 novels and then select what topic they'll research based on
> that novel. The other titles include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Iceberg Hermit
> (Roth), Words by Heart (Sebestyen), Woodsong (Paulsen), Call of the Wild
> (London), Hound of the Baskervilles (Doyle), Eva (Dickinson), Beardance (Hobbs),
> Summer of My German Soldier (Greene), The Last Silk Dress (Rinaldi), and Z for
> Zachariah (O'Brien). This gives the students a feeling that they have chosen
> the novel and the topic and it's not being pushed down their throats. It will
> also (hopefully) give a chance for quieter students to voice an opinion in a
> small group that they wouldn't offer in front of the whole class. We'll see.
> Any comments/suggestions?
>
> Sue Oliver
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> Academy School District Twenty 20Mail
Sue, I do something similar with in class reading. Currently, my
sophomores are working on a three segment nonfiction unit. Segment One-
20 minute in class silent reading of an autobiography/biography of
choice (composition topic - recognizing objective or subjective point
and view). Segment Two - a research paper on topic of choice. We are
working on this through the research process in which each of six parts
have due dates. Segment Three - selected readings from our textbook
with one to two page, word processed summaries of related happenings.
These will be turned in as a portfolio. We started this unit last week
and will finish all segments May 5th. My juniors also read three
contemporary novels written by American authors and do each of three
activities - oral report/analysis, written review based on New York In
Short, and a detailed creative project. I also give class time for
silent, sustained reading. Diana.

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• Maybe in reply to: Sue Oliver: "Reading in class"
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