I wholeheartedly believe that reading is the key. Finding books that interest kids is a wonderful challenge that exudes excitement. For I have seen what "Good Picks" do to readers. When they find a genre that interests them, they become voracious and excited readers. Reading no longer becomes a chore for them. They begin to read above and beyond the required reading per night.
I am also thoroughly enjoying Keith Schoch's blog. He blogs about teaching through picture books. In his latest entry, he speaks about incorporating nonfiction books that peak student interest. For instance, Does It Really Take 7 Years to Digest Swallowed Gum? or, The Nobel Book of Answers. These books peak the interst of students by incorporating fun and interesting ideas that anyone would love to know the answers to.
Two tremendous presenters that I saw recently are Dr. Rick Du Vall and Tim Rasinski. With their presentations, there is so much to process and blog about...Everything they shared is research-based. They are astounding and motivational!
I hope to blog about some of their ideas and research-based methods soon.
Thanks for the mention of my Teach with Picture Books site at http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com. Glad you find the resources useful!
ReplyDeleteKeith, I love your site. Thanks for inspiring me as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI found you through Google Alerts; it's a simple service provided by Google that sends out alerts when a certain phrase (in this case, Teach with Picture Books) comes up on the web. Since Google owns Blogger, it was simply a matter of time!
ReplyDeleteI love that fact that you reflect upon your teaching. Researchers say that's one of the key attributes of a truly effective teacher.
Best wishes!
Keith