Our world looks and feels different right now. Teaching and learning structures look and feel different right now. In this time of extreme uncertainty and countless cancellations, I can say the following with confidence:
Reading is not cancelled!”
Teachers and authors have banded together, all over the internet, to make sure students are reading, writing and creating at home! Today, I share the ways I continue to keep the love of reading alive in my online classroom:
Whole Class
I currently meet with my whole class for an hour and a half 2-3 days a week through Google Meet. The following lesson was part of Phase 1 in our Remote Learning adventure:
We were in the middle of reading The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon when school closed. At the end of each whole class chat, we enjoy one chapter together. Pictured are the working theme theories and evidence tracking. We’ve revisited the ideas briefly. We continue to think about the character’s actions vs. internal struggle. Most importantly, we are reading to love the rest of the story right now.
Small Group
Shoutout to my teammates for the collaboration that went into this planning! During office hours, 4th graders are attending self-selected small group courses. One of the 15-minute courses is called Book Buzzers!
We’ve been sharing book talks & collecting lines we love! Pictured are the lovable lines I have found in my own reading. 4th graders have been invited to add onto our shared doc. Thanks to Ann Williams for the inspiration!
When you were reading, did you discover a line that made you pause? Maybe you’re the kind of reader who read the line a few times. Perhaps it was a line that truly captured how a character was feeling. It could have been a line that described the setting in a way that really launched you into the story. The author may have even taught you about something in a unique way. Add the lines you love to our special class collection. One day, we can look back and use these ideas in our own writing. Happy reading!
Conferring
Another component of office hours is 1:1 personal check-ins. Some students pop into our meeting space with their smile and an agenda ready to go. I have my conferring reminders and book stack nearby as potential entry points or extensions.
What are you doing to keep the love of reading alive in your virtual space? We’re excited to hear about it. Comment below!
What a lot of work and investment as you continue to engage and support your students virtually during this challenging time. A testament to your dedication.
Great job keeping readers interested – supporting their literacy skills and development. It will serve them well for a lifetime.
This is a blog post that I absolutely needed to read at this very moment. So many great ideas grounded in engagement and connection. Thank you so much, Melissa, for writing it, and I’m grateful to Choice Literacy for turning my attention to it. Best wishes to you and your kids!
What a beautiful compliment! Thank you. I am glad that this resonated with you. Happy reading!