The Road to Becoming a Reader
Research has proven that increasing a student's reading stamina will help them perform better on standardized tests. Here in Pettus, having exemplary test scores is an important goal of ours. However, we believe there's another goal that is equally as important--and that is for our school to develop happy, successful human beings. We have discovered something that helps us with both of these goals. We have found that it if we can build a true love of books and literature, then kids will want to read. Getting children to want to read is half the battle. Once they have that desire and are given time to practice, then they will read. Once they're reading, a whole new world opens up for them. The teachers at Pettus Elementary understand how powerful this is--and fully appreciate being part of such a foundational part of their students' lives.
So--how do we build reading stamina? One of they ways to build stamina is by reading longer books. Students are not automatically able to read and comprehend long books, though--it's a process. Just like a baby has to crawl before they walk ,and a toddler has to walk before they run, a reader has to have certain skills before they can read books without pictures in them. For most students, this follows a typical pattern:
In Pre-K and Kindergarten, the teacher reads lots of picture books to her students. While she's reading, she points to the pictures, and helps her students understand what the book is about. During this time, students may not know how to sound out the words, or actually read the books, but they are very able to listen and comprehend the main parts of the story. While they're taking part in having books read aloud to them, they're also learning the very basics of reading, such as the fact that words go from left to right on the page.
Usually towards the end of Kindergarten/beginning of first grade, most students are able to read more words on their own. At this stage, they start reading very short, easy picture books without any help from an adult. They start becoming more and more independent as readers. The first time a child reads a book all by themselves, and comprehends what they've read is a momentous occasion--both for the child, and for the teacher. In Pettus, we make a huge effort to celebrate that independence--after all, once they become independent readers they are on their way to becoming lifetime readers.
Once students master picture books-and get plenty of practice with them, they are ready to begin chapter books--and this is when the magic starts to happen. For a child, it really is magical when they are able to read a book without pictures in it. If they are able to read and comprehend, without using pictures as clues, it really is as if light is pouring into their brains and magic is taking place--and in Pettus, we celebrate that magic!
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This site was created and is maintained by Teresa Schauer, District Librarian. Click here for contact information.