LiIteracy: Week 2

From what I have noticed in the classroom, my MT has made "literacy an integral part of the overall curriculum" in her second grade classroom (Sulzby and Teale, p. 7). She reads numerous times throughout the day to the children, they discuss the books, partner and share, get ideas to write about, and practice doing their independent reading, which will ultimately be worked into learning how to partner and group read with each other when they are ready. Last week, I noticed a great activity of reading a poem along to a sing along poem, with and without the words on the tape. The kids absolutely loved this activity! It was very nice to listen to the kids go from reading word for word of the poem, to singing the words.

Much of the classroom is designed around the extensive "library" in the classroom. The children go shopping for new books for their reading tubs weekly and learn how to chose just right books. They have built enough stamina to read for for about 25 minutes of independent reading while the teacher works on conferencing with kids. They talk about what this should look and sound like, which is discussed and practiced everyday. The children have a wonderful time trying to beat their own time and have done quite well with picking just right books.

I have noticed, as I pay more attention to my almost three-year-old, how "fun" reading can be for someone just learning literacy. My daughter absolutely loves books. My children have quite the little collection of books that both children love to read. My youngest watches her older sister and her dad and me read all the time. She loves for us to read to her, but the best part of reading is watching her read a book. She will look at the pictures and make up her own stories as she turns the pages. It's a fascinating thing to watch and it makes me think that we have already begun to foster the joy of reading for her!