What makes one person a reader and another person not? What are some of the issues I keep finding in my students reading? Our campus has been working toward developing readers for the past two years, but I haven't seen progress in the students as a whole. I have seen increased frustration among staff as they struggle to meet the demands of administration. Then I look at my own children. I have one reader and one non-reader. We have had a frustrating year as their reading levels have dropped over the course of a school year. How does that happen during a school year? Aren't they reading at school? What changed from the summer? To be completely honest there are a ton of factors. I thought abut being one of "those mom's" and taking the issue up with the school, but I know the story I will get. Not worth my time or theirs. I decided instead to look at what I can do as a mom. Where can I support my kids best?
While I was looking at all of the things our family has done in the past to support our readers, I also looked at my reading habits and the reading habits of my husband. We both love to read and have books on us at all times. I watched as we moved about our community, and listened to other adults about their reading habits. I listened to my students and my kids peers about reading. I listened to my co-workers about their reading habits. A recurring theme shone through all of the frustrations, and it was not school.
Readers are part of a social community. They have a commonality that bonds them. When they come together they talk about what they are reading, what they have read, and what they plan to read. They have a secret bond where they can give partial thoughts and know exactly what it means or solicit a feeling. It is amazing to watch a community of readers. The readers in our home are social readers. They have a network of readers that they access. Even my non-reader is able to be part of this community through one of the activities our family does. What I hope for this blog is to share insight into the social part of reading. Offer opportunities for readers to connect. Maybe even offer strategies for teachers as I continue to explore the social side of reading.
I know that some of my co-workers feel that I do not have a lot to offer when it comes to Language Arts type stuff because I am not a Language Arts teacher. What they don't know is that I really am and just not serving in that area right now. My degree is in English with a smattering of a few other things because I love learning. I continually research teaching strategies in Language Arts, actually all subject areas due to the demands of my job. I also know that people like to be experts in their fields and I can sit back to let them shine if it makes them feel better. The question comes up, What makes you the expert on this topic? Well, the best part is that I am not currently serving as a Language Arts teacher. I have unique training that they do not have. I am the social skills teacher on my campus. What better person to look at the socialization of readers? This is actually a very exciting endeavor and I look forward to the opportunities it brings to our learning community. I love looking at all the different learning styles and needs and how that applies to readers. I cannot wait to share it all with you. There are some things I have already seen and want to share, and I know that there are amazing things yet to come. Keep in mind, this blog is not for teachers, or for parents, or for students. This blog is for everyone. Keep #SociallyReading
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