Ongoing Classroom Activities
I. The Activity: Outside/Silent Sustained Reading
Purpose: In order to develop fluency, vocabulary, stamina, and comprehension, students must read on their own both in class and outside of class. We will dedicate 15 minutes of each class period to read silently. Students will determine their pacing and the type of book they read.
Student Expectations:- You must read a book. Magazines, newspapers, and comic books don’t have the chunks of text you need to develop fluency, and they won’t help you discover who you are as a reader of literature.
- You can read short story collections, poetry collections, and news article collections as well as novels.
- Don’t read a book you don’t like. Don’t waste time with a book you don’t love when there are so many great ones out there waiting for you.
- After 20 pages of trying, if you don’t like a book, find another one. Browse, ask me, ask a friend, or check the library and bookstores for ideas.
- It’s alright to reread a book you love. That’s what good readers do!
- It’s ok to skim or skip parts if you get bored or stuck; good readers do this too.
- We will keep a record sheet of our books. When you finish, abandon, or a start a new book, fill in the form. This is a great way to collect data about yourself as a reader, look for patterns, and take satisfaction in your accomplishments over time.
- Understand that reading is thinking. Do nothing to distract other readers (yourself included) during silent reading time. Don’t put your words into our brains—we’re all trying to escape into the worlds created by the authors of our books.
- When we confer please whisper.
- Read the whole time. Read as well and as much as you can.
The Outcome: Students will receive a 100% on a quiz grade for participating in silent reading. Students must maintain this grade throughout the six weeks. Students can lose up to five points each for engaging in the following activities: sleeping, disturbing others, talking, working on outside class work, working on homework, reading material that does not fit the criteria stated above. Silent reading grades are updated weekly.
Students will be required to read at least 2 books in the first semester. Students can read more than 2 books! Students will be assigned two book projects. Book projects are designed to engage the students as they share their experience with the novel, thus creating an atmosphere of readers, as well as to allow students to practice both their comprehension skills and analytical skills.