I still utilize the “Book Circle” with my Level 3 and Level  students, but I really wanted to up the ante with them and get them reading the short novels on their own.    By the time they are in Level 3 they have read between 3 and 5 novels ( ie Pobre Ana, Casi Se Muere,  El Primer Trabajo de Roberto, Viva el Toro!,El Viaje de Su Vida) in class.   But they have done very little novel reading independently….only an occasional exercise in class.  

So, with the goal of developing successful independent “novel” readers,  I experimented with a new  “free reading” time in my Level 3 and Level 4 classes.    Here is an explanation:

I created a “pile” of books to choose from:  5-8 copies of each of the following: 

Berto y sus Buenas Ideas ,  Pobre Ana Bailó Tango, El Viaje Perdido  (Blaine Ray)

Las Aventuras de Miguelito,  Cartas a Susana, Roberto Cumple Diez y Seis, El Sueño de Linda (Teacher’s Discovery)

I have others, but I kept them aside to use later in the year!!!

Then, I explained how reading would make acquiring language so much easier and faster (citing Krashen) and I asked students to look through them and pick one that they felt that they could read without assistance.     I gave each student an index card and asked them to record their name, the title and author of the book.   Then they had 10 minutes, in silence, to read.

At the end of the 10 minutes, I asked them record the following on the card:  3 sentences in Spanish summarizing from the book, copying straight from the book if desired, the page where they stopped and the last sentence read.   Then I asked them to write one, just one, word or phrase that they wished that they had known. 

Finally, if they wanted to continue reading that book that they should circle the title.   If not, draw a line with through the title and give me a quick reason why:  boring/easy/hard etc.   I collected the cards in an envelope and they piled up the books.

It was quick and easy to glance over the cards and write in the meanings of words they requested.    If they requested a change of books, I offered a suggestion.

The next day the students picked up their cards, looked them over, and made their book choice for the day.    They read for 10 minutes; this timefor 5 minutes in silence and 5 minutes with music playing (a new song I wanted to do with them later in the period.)  When time was up they again recorded the page and line where they ended.   I asked  for two sentences summarizing new developments in the story, in Spanish.   I asked them to answer two questions:  1.   Was it easier to read in silence or with music?   2.   Was the reading easier or harder today?   

Today, we used another 10 minutes.   Again, I used 5 minutes in silence and 5 minutes with music.   I was ASTONISHED at how quickly and easily they fell back into reading their novels!!!!    At the end of the reading I asked them to again record where they had stopped and to list three characters in the story…and one adjective/noun to identify or describe that character.

My observations:

• THE MOST POPULAR BOOK WAS THE EASIEST BOOK.   By far, Berto was the book of choice and it is listed as a middle school reading on Blaine’s site.  It is about a soccer-playing mouse.  Those reading it, loved it.  Those who didn’t, wanted it.    One senior boy came back in later in the day to borrow it to read during senior study hall!!!   It was a huge confidence builder.  Even some of my brightest, fastest readers chose it.     Of course, they finished all  21  pages and then went on to another more challenging book.   But I am convinced that the 20 minutes they invested in that “too easy” reader were exactly what they needed.
• Re-reading was very helpful.   I did not give the questions for the cards until AFTER the 10 minute readings were completed.   I did not want them reading for the answers.   This way, they all went back and re-read in order to answer the questions.   Two for one!!!  Whooo hooo!!!!
• This was the right time to start.   My Level 3’s  were not ready last year and my Level  4’s had the skills last year but not the confidence.
• They needed to make their own choices.    I cringed at first when my best readers  grabbed up the easiest reader, on purpose.   But as I said, it was a good choice.   Other students chose books that I would have labeled as far above their reading level…..but they loved the challenge.   
• They feel so empowered to be able to read and comprehend these novels on their own.
• Some liked music playing, others didn’t.    Some only liked it if it was music they didn’t know so that they didn’t get distracted by the song.
• It was important to begin with three days in a row so that they could get used to the idea.   Next week we’ll read for 10-15 minutes every other day.   
• They were eating up the new verb patterns that they came across.

My 9^th period class has about 5 really reluctant readers.     The first day was not much of a success with this group of kids.    The second day was better.    I also added some of our embedded reading packets as a reading choice and that helped.   Today I offered them a  different option.   I played the songs via music video on the smartboard, using videos that showed only the lyrics (not  scenes or pictures).    Students could choose to read a novel and face away from the screen, or read the lyrics on the screen.  Lyric readers had to write 5 known and 5 unknown words/phrases for each songs.   I played four songs, alternating songs they knew with songs that they didn’t know.   ONLY my reluctant readers chose the lyric reading. …and they really attended well.     Not the same level of independent reading, but it was a start.

With love,

Laurie