This is Kende, my big first grader! Every night, Kende has reading homework, where he needs to read for at least 20 minutes. Over the last few months, Kende has discovered nonfiction books, and has fallen in love with it! In reading with him, I've rediscovered some important truths about reading.
A few nights ago, Kende read a book about his favorite animal, tigers. Yes, tigers end up on his homework reading log at least twice a week in some form or another. He knows so much about tigers, and he shared with me how reading about them doesn't even feel like homework anymore! I paused and shared with him that there are schools where kids don't actually get to choose the books they read.
Kende looked at me in disbelief. "Why would that happen?" he asked. "There are some schools that just don't have enough books. There are others where teachers don't think their kids are smart enough to choose what to read. And there are others where kids aren't allowed to read books; they just do worksheets for homework!" Kende rolled his eyes, thinking I was telling stories!
I actually was telling a story. It's the same story that's been told for years. Heroically by teachers who offer their students choice, because they know that's such an important part in creating lifelong readers. Famously by Donalyn Miller and the authors of The Teacher You Want to Be, who remind us that authentic choice leads to engagement in reading. Infamously by our generation of students who grew up without choice, and who didn't identify with being readers. We only read books that would turn into book reports. We only identified with the color level of our SRA tests. Fortunately, this story has a much happier ending for many of our kids today!
Kende looked at me in disbelief. "Why would that happen?" he asked. "There are some schools that just don't have enough books. There are others where teachers don't think their kids are smart enough to choose what to read. And there are others where kids aren't allowed to read books; they just do worksheets for homework!" Kende rolled his eyes, thinking I was telling stories!
I actually was telling a story. It's the same story that's been told for years. Heroically by teachers who offer their students choice, because they know that's such an important part in creating lifelong readers. Famously by Donalyn Miller and the authors of The Teacher You Want to Be, who remind us that authentic choice leads to engagement in reading. Infamously by our generation of students who grew up without choice, and who didn't identify with being readers. We only read books that would turn into book reports. We only identified with the color level of our SRA tests. Fortunately, this story has a much happier ending for many of our kids today!
Next lesson. While reading his book on tigers, Kende arrived at this page called, "Dangers to Tigers." He read the first line, "Few animals hunt adult tigers." Kende paused, because this line challenged his understanding of tigers. It was a long, almost uncomfortable pause. "Who are they?" he asked. Knowing that tigers are apex predators at the top of the food chain, he got up, and headed for the computer. He opened up Google, and thought of the words to type in. "What...animals...eat...adult...tigers?"
He found this site, which explained that although tigers are apex predators, hunters at the top of the food chain, even they are killed sometimes when their territories overlap with those of other animals. He read on that sometimes their habitats overlap with the territories of hyenas, which can attack them. "Wait a second...hyenas and tigers? They don't live together."
"What words should we use to find out?" I asked. "Hyena...habitats." Sure enough, right here, he found that hyenas' habitats include forests and mountains, where there might be tigers! When their territories overlap, tigers might get eaten.
He found this site, which explained that although tigers are apex predators, hunters at the top of the food chain, even they are killed sometimes when their territories overlap with those of other animals. He read on that sometimes their habitats overlap with the territories of hyenas, which can attack them. "Wait a second...hyenas and tigers? They don't live together."
"What words should we use to find out?" I asked. "Hyena...habitats." Sure enough, right here, he found that hyenas' habitats include forests and mountains, where there might be tigers! When their territories overlap, tigers might get eaten.
Today, March 14th is Albert Einstein's birthday, who was perhaps the greatest questioner of all! Kende was acting like a very critical reader who was doing much more than just getting all the words right. When we read nonfiction, need to question the text by juxtaposing it next to what we already know (or think we know!) to form new knowledge. Yes, readers of nonfiction learn new information, but Kende pushed it one level further!
Readers of nonfiction need to take both new and old information and use it to grow new ideas about the world! The text told him that sometimes, crocodiles sneak up on thirsty tigers who come to the water to drink, and kill them with their massive jaws. This is different than when a crocodile approaches a tiger on land. The tiger will usually kill the crocodile.
"Huh! What does that make you think, Kende?" I asked. Kind of puzzled, he wasn't sure what to say. "It seems like territory is important here," I told him. "Use that word and talk about this."
"It's like whoever's territory it is wins and can kill each other. The crocodile kills the tiger at the water. The tiger kills the crocodile on land." Yes! Kende synthesized this important information and used text evidence to support his thinking! He grew a new idea about the world of animals. Then he pushed the thought some more. "That doesn't make sense!" I asked him to explain.
He pulled up this video, which he had watched another day, in which a jaguar attacks a caiman right in the water, seemingly not the jaguar's territory, at least not as much as the caiman's. We grew the idea some more through conversation to arrive at the greater idea that maybe we have to redefine what the territory of the jaguar is, or maybe this is one big difference between the tiger and the jaguar. Now, neither of us is a zoologist, so our ideas might be debatable, but we are synthesizing, reading with our minds on fire! How many of our students are reading this actively in nonfiction...in 1st Grade much less? How could we create such engagement without partners to talk to, or without choice?
"Huh! What does that make you think, Kende?" I asked. Kind of puzzled, he wasn't sure what to say. "It seems like territory is important here," I told him. "Use that word and talk about this."
"It's like whoever's territory it is wins and can kill each other. The crocodile kills the tiger at the water. The tiger kills the crocodile on land." Yes! Kende synthesized this important information and used text evidence to support his thinking! He grew a new idea about the world of animals. Then he pushed the thought some more. "That doesn't make sense!" I asked him to explain.
He pulled up this video, which he had watched another day, in which a jaguar attacks a caiman right in the water, seemingly not the jaguar's territory, at least not as much as the caiman's. We grew the idea some more through conversation to arrive at the greater idea that maybe we have to redefine what the territory of the jaguar is, or maybe this is one big difference between the tiger and the jaguar. Now, neither of us is a zoologist, so our ideas might be debatable, but we are synthesizing, reading with our minds on fire! How many of our students are reading this actively in nonfiction...in 1st Grade much less? How could we create such engagement without partners to talk to, or without choice?
Let's name what Kende taught us about nonfiction reading in this 20 minute assignment. He read the words, questioned them, went to alternative sources, assimilated new knowledge into prior knowledge, synthesized new ideas, supported them with text evidence, and further developed his ideas by talking to a partner! If a first grader can do all these things with a relatively simple text, just imagine the possibilities for your conferring!
Thank you Mrs. Stanton and everyone at Lakeview for honoring student choice in reading! Thank you Kende, for having ideas about something you love, tigers, that push your dad to grow new ideas about something he loves, teaching! And thank you all for taking the time to read this!
Thank you Mrs. Stanton and everyone at Lakeview for honoring student choice in reading! Thank you Kende, for having ideas about something you love, tigers, that push your dad to grow new ideas about something he loves, teaching! And thank you all for taking the time to read this!
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