There’s something
on my mind that’s been troubling me.
Sometimes we take a book and chew it up, hack it, and TEACH it to
death. Children can’t enjoy the
story for all of the questions about beginning, middle, and end. Not to mention how that book is like
one we read last week….And all the direct vocabulary instruction…Oh, and
punctuation…Don’t forget the main idea, yada yada!
Wouldn’t you hate
to answer questions about every book you read or every movie you watched?
Don’t take me
wrong. I agree that literature is
one of the most effective and powerful ways to develop reading skills. However, I think we need to balance it
with pleasure. Squeeze in at least
one story a day that you and your students can ENJOY together. Read it, savor it, feel it, and then let
it be!