The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
November 15, 2008
Princess Max
I was recently hanging out with my niece and nephew, four-year-old Alana and six-year-old Max. It was getting close to bedtime, so I asked them each to pick a favorite book for us to read together. They raced up to their bedrooms and clomped back down the stairs in record time. Max selected a picture book about campers who survived a wildfire; Alana's choice was a pink and purple confection with advice on how to become a princess in seven days or less. We scooched down into the couch and got cozy for reading, but as soon as Max caught a glimpse of Alana's book, he erupted in fury:
"Alana, you know I HATE that book! You are making me spend my WHOLE LIFE learning how to be a PRINCESS!"
There was a long pause as Alana looked at me dolefully with her big brown eyes and a "we've been down this road before" stare. Finally, she replied firmly, "Aunt Brenda, 'hate' is a very bad word, isn't it?" Negotiations ensued. We read Max's book first, and then he was allowed to go downstairs to work on the 25 foot long play worm he was constructing with his older brother Mike while Alana and I read through the latest installment in her quest toward princesshood. (Even though 'hate' is a bad word, that sure was one lousy read aloud. But I digress...)
I've thought about Max this week while posting the new features at Choice Literacy. Boys might not get as angry as Max about the reading selections females make for them. Yet there is little doubt women vastly outnumber male teachers in elementary and middle school literacy programs, and our tastes run toward fiction read alouds. The debates over whether or not there is a problem with boys and literacy are almost irrelevant in some ways. The larger issue is that literacy leaders have to help teachers figure out how to differentiate instruction, given the wide range of abilities and tastes in any classroom.
This week, we've got a new booklist of nonfiction read aloud suggestions, as well as other resources for thinking through how to reach boys. Plus more as always - enjoy!
Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy
Free for All
Franki Sibberson considers the issue of selecting nonfiction books for read-aloud time, and in doing so creates one of her popular booklists:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/749.cfm
PBS has some wonderful advice and handouts for parents of boys who struggle with learning issues in their "Raising Boys" feature:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/raisingboys/
Ralph Fletcher has a podcast from Stenhouse on boys and literacy which is well worth a listen:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/mp3ralphfletcher1.htm
What a timely idea for real-world teen writing. The National Writing Project has partnered with Google in creating the "Writing Our Future: Letters to the Next President" project. You can visit their interactive map to see if anyone has participated from your area, as well as read the letters, see what issues are mentioned most by students, and hear more about the activity:
http://www.letters2president.org/
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Shari Frost presents a tale of two literacy coaches - one who has had success building close relationships with colleagues, and one who has struggled. In analyzing their experiences, she presents eight practical strategies for building relationships over time:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/742.cfm
We all love video room tours, and we've got two new ones we'll be rolling out in the next few weeks. This week, Kelly Yahr presents some of the ways students claim ownership of her 1st grade classroom in Kent, Washington in this four-minute tour:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/748.cfm
Graphica is a hot topic among teachers these days, used as a tool for everything from reaching struggling readers (especially boys), to building bridges between picture and chapter books. We're starting a month-long video series featuring a graphica writing activity in Sarah Thibault's 4th grade classroom in Waterville, Maine. In this first installment, Sarah introduces a graphica character traits writing activity:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/747.cfm
Finally, the new Choice Literacy Cluster focuses on boys and literacy. Contributors include Ruth Shagoury, Jennifer Allen, Katie DiCesare, and Brenda Power:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/746.cfm
That's all for this week!
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About
Jennifer Allen
