Book Whisperer Part 2

Here are my thoughts on chapters 3 and 4 from Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer.  I know that not all my thoughts are well explained. But I think this is more for me than for you. Sorry :) I need to remember the great things I read, how I felt, and what I desired to change.

Time/Place
Increase the amount of time spent reading slowly. Children need to develop endurance and capacity.
Every interruption is a time to read. Capitalize on every minute.
Take them to the Library as often as you can. Be excited about it! Help them find new books to read. Children return, renew, read, or plan to get a book.
It does not matter where they read, or how they sit, or if their shoes are on. Just let them read.

Book selection techniques - all readers cheat!
They pick small books, they re-read, they read the ending, they read the first paragraph, and they abandon boring books. Discuss with your class how they pick books. Then share Pennac's The Rights of the Reader.

Plan ahead!
Encourage them to keep a list of books they would like to read. Introduce them to great authors through your read aloud books.

40 Books Minimum 
Set number of books for each genre with some wiggle room for the children to choose their favorites. (Any book over 350 pages counts as two books) But be aware it is about reading and not about accomplishments. It does not matter if they only read 25 books. That is still 25 books. Meet your readers where they are.

Genres 
Explore them as a class. Let them use any story they know. Even if it is a movie. Discuss and add.  A great assessment tool of learning is mystery tubs. Give them tubs full of one genre. Have them use what they know to properly identify the tub.

Reader's Notebook
I really want to make one of these. I guess I will have to put my computer skills to the test!

1. Tally List for genres
2. Reading List  - Title, Author, Date Finished, How difficult it was
3. Books-to-read-list
4. Response Entries

Some good books to look into. Guts by Gary Paulsen, Knots In My Yo-Yo String by Jerry Spinelli, and The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George.