The soft glow of a reading lamp…
The excitement of choosing a book from the shelf…
Climbing onto my lap to snuggle in close to see the pictures…
Discussing the characters, feelings, and “remember when” stories when we make connections between books and our lives…
Those are the memories I want to remember reading with my daughter.
As a teacher, I always stressed the importance with families of having their child read each night. I am sure that there were some years where I encouraged the book logs. Now, as a parent, I think much more beyond the log or even the rote “15 minutes per night.” If I were asked to keep a reading log for my child, I would probably end up doing something similar as this mom:
http://parentingthecore.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/reading-log-revolt/
How do I want to spend reading time with my child? What do I want my child to take away from our story times?
I want her to develop a love of books. I want to encourage her to ask questions. I want her to interact with books. I want her to take some ownership of what she wants to listen to and “read.” I want her to explore different types of books through some gentle guidance.
Even more important—I want her to grow up knowing that there was a dedicated time where we connected as a family. I want her to know that in the busyness of a day, we can carve out a quiet time to be fully present in the moment. I want her to know that we can have a time to talk about issues/books (in a way that a 3 year old can!) and that an adult will really listen and value her thoughts/opinions.
Those are some of my wishes for my daughter. If these are the same wishes I have for my students, it makes it pretty easy to switch the emphasis from tracking logs to conversations about books. (Disclosure: I do still believe that in certain instances a log can be beneficial for particular children.) Homework goes beyond books. It goes beyond reading. It blends learning opportunities and family connections.
Beginning/continuing reading conversations…
(Sample questions)
*What was the setting of this story? How would this story be different if it took place somewhere else?
*How would you describe each of the main characters?
*How do you relate to any of these characters?
*What is the problem/solution of the story?
*What are you doing as a reader right now?
*What did you think of the ending? How would you change it if you could?
*What do you think the author’s purpose was for writing this book?
*How did this part/book make you feel? Why?
*What connections can you make to this book? Other books?
*What seems to be the message/theme of this story?
*What stylistic patterns did the author use when writing this story?
*What predictions can you make?
Reading homework is not solely about the pages or number of minutes. It’s about the quality of the experience and the memories being made. 🙂
Becoming Comfortable with Uncomfortable 