A Word About Authentic Texts Used As Mentor Texts

Authentic Texts Are Best!

It occurred to me today that I assume those        reading my ramblings on Reading Rumpus simply know how to use authentic literature as mentor texts. That was an assumption I made whilst teaching preservice teachers last year - and it was a poor one. Therefore, I thought I should spend a moment talking about selecting authentic literature for instructional use and how most of my full book reviews (not the mini-reviews) include some sort of authentic text teaching ideas, even if I haven't explained HOW to use them as such.

Banned Books Week: How Harry Potter Brought the Devil into My Classroom

Anyone who has read this blog, even a little, knows my adoration for the Harry Potter books. But LOTS of people adore those books (duh). My Harry Potter story is a bit different. Although I adore the books as a reader, my true adoration lies within the joy they brought to my students back in 1999, 2000 and 2001. My adoration began before the MANIA, before nary a toy or movie, before Harry Potter hysteria took over.

New Roads

So.... I took a bit of time off from this little book blog. I didn't intend for it to be so long, but what with a never-ending mountain of doctoral  reading/writing and a year working as a library media specialist, time just slipped away. This morning I start a new journey, one that I hope will offer me more time for a love of books: elementary reading specialist. Ironic that being a library media specialist left me no time for books. 

       Like all change, it's scary. I haven't stepped an instructional toe inside an elementary school since 2005; and the change happens just as I begin my doctoral research, confusing my research angle. But... I am also exceptionally excited about the new school year as I walk away from a disastrous one. 

The reality of being a reading specialist in Florida

In September of 2013, I wrote an honest post lamenting my disillusion with the state of reading education in Florida. In 2014, I wrote a paper for one of my doctoral classes titled, "Leaving FCAT Behind: A chance to end harmful impacts in remedial reading classrooms" and it was my great hope as we transitioned to FSA from FCAT (Florida terms for standardized tests) that the politicians would be swayed to abandon the reading mandates in light of a new and untested assessment. In 2015, I was excited to see the mandate dissolve (at least while we awaited calibration of the new assessment)!

A full two years from my original heartfelt posting on being a reading specialist in the state of Florida, I have resigned my position as a reading specialist. My district and school's choosing to continue the segregationist marginalization of minority populations was too much for me to bear. Blaming the politicians in Tallahassee was one thing, being unable to affect change in my own realm of influence was another.

Some things just make me smile

-------------------- That's all folks! --------------------

 © 2007-2014 Cheryl Vanatti for www.ReadingRumpus.com

Star Wars Reads Day is finally here!

Get yourself to your local library or bookstore to commence the party! 

If you live in one of the following places, you get to experience the "premier" events:

What is a Reading Specialist? The most honest post I have ever written.

Reading Rumpus is mainly, by far, a place where I babble about children's literature with an educational slant in mind. But occasionally, no matter what good intention my bibliophile heart holds, my work life emerges. Usually this is a passing sentence or a neutral comment, tightly tethered so my employer won't fire me.

Recently I met with a young teacher to discuss his "data" (because there is a lot of discussing of data in education these days) and our conversation turned to my job description. When I became a reading specialist I had two lofty goals: help kids become stronger readers & help my colleagues guide young readers. I adored teaching reading under a principal who believed in my professional freedom in the age before high stakes testing took it away. I devoured children's literature, understood its complex nature, and thought that I might have the collaborative skills to assist my colleagues in building strong readers. In explaining my job description, here is what I told the young teacher.......

"My job is to extinguish the flame of the next Michael Jackson or Michael Jordan."

The Harry Potter Generation

       All over the news I have been reminded that fifteen years ago this week Scholastic brought U.S. readers Harry Potter & Company. I very vividly recall my first interactions with Harry & Co. The summer I began teaching sixth grade, Scholastic offered Sorcerer's Stone as their 99 cent Arrow Book Club pick. Based on glowing reviews and good sense, I quickly purchased a class set. That decision made for three amazing years sharing Harry with eager sixth graders. Well before all the hoopla started, I watched kids literally race to my classroom to continue the story, moaning when I made them stop to complete a lesson.

Sunshine State Young Reader Award Middle Grades Lists for 2013-14

Ah, summertime......
The Beach. Theme Parks. Water Parks.
What do we Floridians really do in the scorching Florida heat? We avoid those places and hunker-down under a shady oak to read our Sunshine State Young Readers Award books, of course.

Most schools in Florida ask (well, really pray) that students to read a number of books from the fifteen Sunshine State Young Readers Award books each summer. This year my school will also be participating in the Scholastic Summer Challenge so reading the Sunshine State Young Readers Award books should be even more fun!

I should have been a library specialist rather than a reading specialist

It has been abundantly clear to me for some time that I might be headed in the wrong professional direction. I am angry at the state of educational "reform," find the teaching of phonics to be monumentally boring, get very angry when I have to force politically-motivated state mandates on unsuspecting children and just, generally, am miffed with so many things that I feel powerless to change.

What gets me excited? Books.
Books + children.
Books in the right hands at the right moments.
Books that compliment other books, books that build a vast knowledge of our world and our selves.

2013 Newbery: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Today was one of those days. I got up early to make a casserole for a work luncheon. I hit the snooze button three times. I had to skip the shower so my hair was kind of greasy (ponytail day!). The minute I stepped out of my car a teacher stopped to ask me a favor. I had 20 students to test so I had to start-up all the computers (Monday), log-in with the "secret" account and load the test website on to each of them. I barely made it as they walked through the door. As the last student left, I could hear my office phone ringing. It was time to work on the School Improvement Plan. After an hour laboring over the 50 page document, I had a collaboration meeting with a teacher to look over her curriculum for the next quarter. I ran out of there to heat the casserole and sing Happy Birthday to my boss (and one of my best friends). After the clean-up, we returned to the School Improvement Plan once again and finished it just as I realized that I hadn't sent the testing schedule out for tomorrow. I ran to my office, typed the schedule at lightening speed, and sent it just as the dismissal bell rang. As I walked to my car, I thought, "Oh! Today was the Newbery announcement!" But my phone rang, it was my aunt, discussing 'family' stuff and then my son beeped in and then I was home. My mother and husband were waiting with hungry eyes.  Hoping to get out of cooking dinner, I told them that I had a tummy ache (I didn't share that it was probably because I had eaten a big slice of birthday cake). As my husband offered to make dinner, I remembered, "Oh! Today was the Newbery day!" I grabbed the phone and nearly passed out.

I am already sick of resolutions.

For many years I joined the resolution party. Diet & exercise, read more, give more, laugh more, write more.... Today's bundle of rss feeds were all about resolutions. I am already sick of resolutions. Day one & done.

Dancing as a reminder of our bigger selves courtesy of Matt Harding

While this may be a bit off topic for a children's literature and reading education website, I can't help but post about the latest video from Matt Harding. I have followed Mr. Harding's simple rise to fame for years and was sorely disappointed to have missed dancing with him in Miami (I had to work that day!).

In case you don't know his story...

Darth Vader & Son by Jeffrey Brown = perfect Father's Day gift

There's a lot of buzz all around the biblio-web concerning the geeky goodness of Darth Vader and Son. The premise is a simple one: What if Darth Vader & Luke were just a normal boy and his dad? Well, how normal Darth Vader would be is a bit of a stretch, but we aren't talking Anakin as a Daddy. We are talking full-on Sith Lord Daddy. Whimsical, fun and an absolute MUST for any Star Wars Daddy. I can't think of a better gift for either of my two sons and am patiently waiting on grandmotherdom so I can gift them with a copy.

CYBILS Reading Weekend

So...

Visionary of the century. RIP Mr. Jobs.

I very rarely post off topic on Reading Rumpus, but....

A 9-11 Lesson from Tom Brokaw on "A Society Just Going About Their Business"

I wasn't going to do a 9-11 post. There would be too many, "here's a list of 9-11 books" posts; I was sure. A post detailing my, "where were you" moment (teaching a 6th grade class) would hold little attention when compared to what others were doing (loading bombs onto fighter jets - like my husband). But then, I saw the New York Times/YouTube collaboration and stumbled upon Tom Brokow's reflection. Not his reflection on his own place in history, but his reflection on where he thought we would go and where we have gone.

My teacher wheels started spinning..... and I threw together this quick lesson plan with Mr. Brokaw's help:

I still love Kid Lit!

An explanation is in order. Poor little Reading Rumpus has been way too quiet. I'm still getting awesome books from fantastic publishers, agents and authors (and, I've read 37 of them this summer alone) but I have to explain:

You see..... I took this little job called "reading coach" at a very nice, but large and urban, middle school and I vastly underestimated the change involved in moving, taking a PhD class, selling a house, buying a house and dreaming up reading & literacy schemes for 1200 middle school kids. Somewhere in the craziness I also managed an injury and surgery. Needless to say, that little job is anything but little and the other events of this year pale by comparison.

So Reading Rumpus took the hit. I'm working feverishly to get the 37 reviews done and I've set a goal of one review per week for next year (fingers crossed). In the meantime, I really need to thank some folks for keeping me on their radar:

Why the New York Times missed the point

I've written a commentary over on Examiner discussing the dust up over the New York Times article on students self-selecting reading materials.

Basically, I'm worried that in all the tweeting and posting and hip-hooraying over letting students choose their own books, we miss two important points:

1. Most reading educators use a form of self-selection already and without proper training, the Reading Workshop method lacks the sound educational foundation to TEACH someone how to read and write well.

2. The bigger issue is in the prescriptive nature of the current educational climate.

By squabbling over an old-news-method, that almost every teacher I know uses to some effect, we are missing an opportunity to promote the discussion of topics concerning the loss of professionally trained decision-making for our students.

Here are my Examiner.com thoughts for you :-)
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© 2007-2009 Cheryl Vanatti. www.ReadingRumpus.com

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

I've got a new post up as the National Reading Examiner featuring 10 reasons you should get and use a library card. Click over to read it: HERE.
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© 2007-2009 Cheryl Vanatti  www.ReadingRumpus.com