This week’s module focuses on guided reading and the act of selecting leveled texts for students.

As a third grade teacher I have a lot to say about this.

Throughout the early elementary years, students’ reading materials are chosen for them. They are informed of their “just right” reading level and must select texts specifically from color-coded bins depending on their reading ability.

In third grade, however, all of this ends.

The teacher does not limit students to choose texts from specific bins and we do not tell our students that the texts they read must be at the “just right level.”

Many parents of my third graders are appalled by this concept at the beginning of the school year.

“You mean you’re not going to help my child choose what books to read!?”

This is not the case. I will still assist my students in choosing reading material, the process will just look a lot different than what these students and their families are used to.

I will not select specific books for each student, but rather, I will teach students the appropriate ways in which they can select their OWN books. Imagine that!?

My students learn strategies for choosing their own books, and there are many different steps to this that must be mastered. Believe me, it takes practice!

First, students are taught to select a book that is appealing to them. Does the topic grab their attention; is the book about something that they are interested in?

Next, flip through the pages. Is the text big or small? Is there too much text, or not enough?

If you approve of the size and amount of text, flip to the first page. Read it. Do you make 5 or more errors and have a hard time understanding the page? Then this book is probably too difficult for you right now. If you don’t make any mistakes, maybe you need more of a challenge!

This takes a lot of time and practice and it can be difficult for kids to select their own reading material successfully at first. However, it is absolutely crucial that our kids learn these skills so that they can choose their own material in years to come. After all, finding amazing books to indulge in is half the fun of reading!

This week really has me thinking. Diversity will always be present in the classroom and as educators we must become experts at anti-racist teaching. As a teacher in a predominantly white school in a suburban town, I don’t have many opportunities to celebrate diversity in the classroom.. or so I thought. This week I learned that diversity does not have to center around race or ethnicity. I can celebrate diversity amongst students by allowing them to share stories about family background and core values. I celebrate diversity by having conversations about the traditions that my Jewish students have during certain holidays, and ask my Chinese student to share his family traditions for the Chinese New Year. My student from Norway shares his language and we work together to learn Norwegian while teaching him English. This type of diversity is present in our every day lives in the classroom, and it wasn’t until this week that I realized how powerful this type of classroom community can be.

Parents and educators play such a huge role in teaching children to read. We introduce the various letters, sounds, words and phrases that work together to compose interesting and engaging pieces of literature. But what do we do when the child’s love of reading is not there? This is one concept that we simply cannot teach.

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, or a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” – Kate DiCamillo

Although I can’t take credit for my literacy mantra, it is a statement made by one of my most favorite authors, and an author that single-handedly helps foster of a love of reading amongst my third graders year after year. Authors like Kate DiCamillo draw children in by creating lovable characters and relatable plots. When the opportunities arise to get lost in a book, only then will children develop an absolute love of reading, and only then will reading truly be seen as a gift.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
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The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

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You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

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