The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy February 6, 2010 Age-Appropriate Books for Precocious Readers


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The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
February 6, 2010
Age-Appropriate Books for Precocious Readers

Yes, No. . .and Not Yet

"Part of the issue of achievement is to be able to set realistic goals, but that's one of the hardest things to do because you don't always know exactly where you're going, and you shouldn't."
                                                                         George Lucas

This week I received a nearly panicked phone call from a friend. I've been helping her with a book proposal. She's a wonderful thinker, and writing a book about her teaching has been on her "Things to Do Before I Die" list forever.   Linda is the kind of person who sets a goal, breaks it down in chunks, and then meets it. Always - whether it's running a marathon or launching an after-school reading program. It would be irritating if she wasn't such a nice person. (Okay, it's still a little irritating when we're together and she's disciplined enough to get up and run at 5:30 a.m. - honestly!)

I listened to Linda talk through why she couldn't do the book right now (her work days were already too long, her children in elementary school needed more of her time, the project was frazzling her relationship with a colleague).   I realized that every successful person I know has a corollary to their "Things to Do Before I Die" list - the items on the list that also fall under the "Things I Can't Do Right Now Because They Just Might Kill Me" category.   I know Linda will get her book written and checked off her list, but it will likely be in 2012 or 2015 - not 2010.

Teachers and literacy leaders spend a lot of time thinking about when to say yes, and when to say no. The more experience you have, the more important the invisible third category becomes - not yet. "I can't put this off, or it will never get done!" is a rallying cry we give ourselves to stay on task and meet targets. But how can you know if a timeline for a goal is realistic until you're well on the journey (or slog) of trying to reach it? Never saying "not yet" can leave you feeling exhausted, overcommitted, and discouraged. It takes discipline, confidence in yourself and the way you work, and respect for colleagues to defer a goal or adjust a timeline without giving it up.

This week we've highlighted some resources for another time you might find yourself saying "not yet" - to those precocious readers who can decode and zip through most books, but may not be ready for the sophisticated and mature themes in some of them. Plus more as always - enjoy!

Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy

Free for All

Shari Frost sits through an excruciating literature circle where second graders are trying to figure out the meaning of young adult themes in The Giver. She uses the experience to think through how teachers of gifted young readers can provide them with texts that are challenging yet still appropriate. Just Because They Can Doesn't Mean They Should is one of the all-time most popular features in the Choice Literacy Archives:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/148.cfm

Choosing Books That are Just Right by Melinda Parks has a wealth of practical ideas to help teachers assess if their students are choosing appropriate books, as well as suggestions for guided groups and working with parents to help students make wise picks for independent reading in school and at home:

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/658

Teaching students how to preview books is a big part of helping them develop the skills to make appropriate choices. Video book trailers are fairly new on the scene, and an intriguing new addition to the book preview toolkit for teachers. Keith Schoch has posted an excellent round-up of video book trailer resource links for primary through high school grades, as well as suggestions for how to use them:

http://bit.ly/76I95V

If you are in the process of thinking through new teaching hires for next year, you might want to take a look at this fascinating article from The Atlantic Monthly - What Makes a Great Teacher? The findings from this data-driven study of Teach for America's successful and struggling hires might also make you look at your own teaching in new ways:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/print/201001/good-teaching

Our 2010 Choice Literacy Summer and Fall Workshops are filling rapidly. Last year our most popular events sold out even before our print mailing went out in March, so don't miss the boat. You can download flyers and registration forms with descriptions of our workshops in Texas, Ohio, Washington, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, and Florida at this link:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/department22.cfm

For Members Only

Do you want to do more with biographies in your classroom? Franki Sibberson presents some fascinating new picture book biographies of amazing achievers a bit off the well-worn path of presidents and civil rights activists.   You're really going to want to check out the story of the guys who invented fluorescent paint. Her latest booklist features Picture Book Biographies Off the Beaten Path:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1078.cfm

This is a novelty that shouldn't be - a schoolwide reading push that doesn't end with pizza or ice cream parties, or even a principal on the roof kissing a pig. The rewards here are more books, imagine that! Ellen McEvoy continues her year-long series on building a "reading culture" in a school. What's different is her perspective is that of a school volunteer, working with other volunteers from the Parent Teacher Organization. In the latest installment, Ellen tackles the work on the literacy committee in trying to increase participation in school-wide events:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1079.cfm

This week's video is the first in a month-long series featuring a demonstration lesson in a fifth-grade classroom. Clare Landrigan leads a reading with discussion of inferring and character development as other intermediate teachers observe. Upcoming segments will show follow-up small groups, conferences, and debriefs with the teachers:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1082.cfm

Finally, Jennifer Allen's February New Teachers Digest is up - the topic this month is leading study groups:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1081.cfm

That's all for this week!