What Good Readers Do
As teachers, we try and share what good readers do to help those who are struggling or reluctant.
I have researched what good readers do. There are many authorities on the subject. I am a good reader, therefore, I am going to state what I do as a reader. I do teach like a reader, not like a teacher. If you would like to add to the list in a comment, it would be greatly appreciated.
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They read a lot of books They share their books with others. If they own the book, they talk back to the book by underlining great passages or cool new words. They jot notes in their book. They put “?’s” next to text they do not get. They write “!’s” next to text with which they agree. They write comments on the pages. They talk about the books they have read. They recommend books.They predict what is going to happen next while reading. They have favorite authors. They read outside of school. They abandon books they do not like. They engage with the text. They ask questions and make comments while reading. They visualize what is happening.. They have a movie going on in their head while reading. They make inferences using the clues presented by the author. They realize when understanding breaks down. They reread and use context clues to gain meaning. They skip paragraphs and pages that are not important to the story. They are insulted by lousy writing. They can tell when a great author has just whipped up a novel really fast to meet a publication date. Much to the dismay of many, they just have to read aloud a great passage to someone! Reading makes them cry. (I’ve done this in front of my students while reading a story that made such a strong connection to my life.) Reading makes them laugh. (Totally lost it over one hilarious piece of text in front of my students. Couldn’t regain control of myself.) Reading makes them angry. Reading can take their breath away. Sometimes they have to take a little break from the book because they are drained from intense engagement with a piece of text. Once they recover, they jump right back into it. They become so engaged in a book that they block out the world around them. They despair when they are nearing the end of a great read. They think they will never find another book as good as this one. Or, the search for one this good is going to take a very long time. They cannot wait for the newest book by their favorite author. They give books as gifts. They ask for a book for their birthday and for Christmas. They love the smell of the library. They write about what they read. They haunt thrift stores for books that cost less than $1.00. “Teach like a reader, not like a teacher.” Mrs. Mitchell
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