After our third RPI day about text selection I have become more aware about the types of texts I am exposing my students to. The text coverage sheet in our teacher workbooks is going to be helpful for me to keep track of the different genres I am using and provides a visual for me of what I am not currently exposing my students to. Poetry is definitely something I tend to avoid and I have also identified that I havn't been incorporating many non-fiction texts. I have started the term with a collaborative ANZAC Day scavenger hunt using a non-fiction text so the coverage sheet is defintely making me think more about my text choices.
In terms of picking up the pace of learning I think it is too early to comment on shifts in learning yet. However I have noticed an increase in engagement with the non-fiction texts I have been providing for my focus reading group. We are currently reading 'The Witches' by Roald Dahl which my students are aware is a fiction text but by incorporating non-fiction texts about the history of witches my students have been surprised about the reality of witches in the past and how people were treated. Incorporating other texts has been beneficial but I am aware that this will make finishing our novel take even longer (we started this novel in term one). As it is we don't seem to get through much of our novel and I am just conscisous of it dragging on. I guess so long as my students are still enjoying it then that is the main thing.
I have also started the term by consciously incorporating picture books into my 'reading to' time. I have decided to continue with my reading challenge this term where I have a sticker chart and aim to read to my students 3 times throughout the day. Last term we had a class novel which my class really enjoyed and we got through it quite quickly with me focussing on my challenge. We have not started a novel yet this term so we are just currently enjoying short picture books.
Kia ora Stacey
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your blog. Especially about how you are reading 'The Witches' while incorperating other readings relating to the topic 'Witches' and how engaging this is for your tamariki. This is T Shaped Literacy and we are finally starting to make some traction with it. Selecting the 'right' texts can often by lengthy, but the gains in learning can be considerably greater for our tamariki. I love that you are still doing the reading challenge. I know how important it is for our tamariki to be read to and to gain a love for reading and books. Books are slowly being overtaken by devices and movies etc and by keeping the joy of literacy alive in our tamariki is important. Keep up the great mahi.