Inquiry Blog #1 Fostering Reading Cultures in Schools

 These are the things I am already doing or have tried to create a reading culture in my classroom. There are many ways reading evolves throughout the year in my classroom. This way students are introduced to a variety of ways someone is able to enjoy reading.

Read alouds happen all year around. I carefully choose a variety of genres, text types and concepts to supplement class discussion and the curriculum. For example, at the beginning of the year my students had been really interested in reading graphic novels but they had not learned the specific skills it takes to read and comprehend a graphic novel. I chose this as the first multi day read aloud to my class. Which allowed me to show them that they had to reading to text and illustration together to make sense of the content.

Daily 5 is a station based approach to letting students choose how they would like to practice their reading skills. I only have time for 3 stations. All students must Read to Self and Work on Writing, but they have a choice in Read to Someone and Listen to Reading and Word Work. I find that the same students enjoy Listening to reading but some students prefer the companionship in sharing a book. 

Literature circles I like to introduce in the spring. This way we have an understanding of why and how to share a novel. Students take most of the year developing skills to independently facilitate a literature circle or book club style meeting. My students love the independence of meeting in groups to talk about what they read.

Guest readers  are an amazing addition to my reading culture to show students that other people enjoy reading as well. It could be a parent, grandparent, principal, indigenous advocate. I have even had hockey players come into my classroom to read. Students like having guests in their class and it is good for them to see other people in the community coming in to share a book with them. We have had to put a break on this due to covid but some of my reluctant readers really connected to our guests and got excited to read books.

 As a Teacher Librarian, these are some of the ideas I would like to try out to help grow the reading culture of the school community.

Reading nooks or space to allow students a comfy and quiet place to read other than the Library or the classroom. For example, developing more places in the school to take a break or sit and read. This could be an outdoor reading area or some sort of seating in the hallway. 

Neighbourhood book houses, where families could take a book and leave a book. I have already seen one in our neighbourhood but I think if there were more around it would be fun for students to read and donate books. This would also get parents and other community members involved and reading.

Book Request list where students are able to write down books that interest them or book recommendations. The Teacher Librarian is new to our school this year and she is already doing this. I always encourage my students to write down books that they have heard about and would like to read.

Works Cited:

         Malcew. (n.d.). Diy-reading-nook-idea-inspired-by-malcew-1.jpg. trendir. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://cdn.trendir.com/wp-content/uploads/old/archives/diy-reading-nook-idea%20-inspired-by-malcew-1.jpg.

         Oakville-school-log-steppers-wood-reading-nook. (n.d.). earthscape. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.earthscapeplay.com/oakville-school-log-steppers-wood-reading-nook/.

         Two houses with books left for a read a book share a book. (2022). books along the teche literary festival. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://booksalongthetecheliteraryfestival.com/saturday-april-2-2022how-to-build-and-implement-a-little-library-in-your-community/.

Wilson, C. (2020, January 28). Ten ways to create a reading culture in your school [web log]. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://blog.pearsoninternationalschools.com/ten-ways-to-create-a-reading-culture-in-your-school/.