Those of you who were
teaching 20 years ago probably recall the name Jim Trelease. He was the Ron Clark of the day, and
his READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK was an inspiration to all of us. I was thrilled to hear that a new
edition was coming out this summer and could hardly wait for my copy to
arrive. It is a “must read” and it
will touch your heart! It might
also frustrate you (as it did me) because there is such a dissonance between
what we should be doing and actual classroom practices. I wish every school administrator and
decision maker would read this book so they would understand that reading is
not all in the head. Reading also touches our hearts and souls! This book should also be required reading for parents.
Want to know Trelease’s
formula for creating proficient readers?
The
more you read, the better you get at it;
the
better you get at it, the more you like it;
and
the more you like it, the more you do it.
All pre-K and kindergarten
children WANT to read and are EXCITED about reading. But, according to research, their interest and reading for
pleasure decrease significantly through the grades. We might be winning the (test score) battle, but we are
losing the (love of reading) war.
Another interesting piece of research emphasized the importance of
teachers reading aloud and giving children time in school for pleasure
reading. Ah, but I’m preaching to
the choir now!
And what am I reading for
pleasure right now? I’ve started
revisiting favorite books from my past like THE GOOD EARTH (Pearl Buck), A TREE
GROWS IN BROOKLYN (Betty Smith), and THE THORN BIRDS (Colleen McCullough). Books really are like good friends that
you want to visit again and again!
Happy reading to all!