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[CCBC-Net] Books for Struggling Readers
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From: James Elliott <j_c_elliott>
Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:46:12 -0500
I'd like to echo Deborah's suggestion of audio books (unabridged, please!) for struggling readers. My son was a struggling reader. His tutor suggested we get the unabridged audio version of Harry Potter and have him listen to it while reading along in the book. It worked wonders!
I have since suggested the same method to patrons at the library, with happy results. We have a large selection of "J" audio books in the Children's section, so it's easy to suggest. The only problem occurs when the print version is checked out!
Jim Elliott
>From: "Hopkinson, Deborah" <Deborah.Hopkinson at oregonstate.edu>
>To: "James Elliott"
><j_c_elliott at msn.com>,<horning at education.wisc.edu>,<ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu>
>Subject: RE: [CCBC-Net] Books for Struggling Readers
>Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 12:18:42 -0800
>
>While I have some specific books to suggest, I also have some thoughts
>on this not as a reading expert or librarian, but as a parent.
>
>My son was adopted at age six from Russia, and had an early speech
>disability. Reading and the desire to read have always been issues. We
>pursued several strategies over the years, in addition to the help he
>got in school. One of the most important was to keep reading aloud to
>and with him -- all the way through high school -- stopping often to
>discuss (because then you see where there are sometimes surprising gaps
>in concepts or understanding). For books to meet outside reading
>requirements we looked for obvious things: short chapters, high
>interest, humorous, action (Holes, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Because
>of Winn Dixie all were favorites).
>
>But as a struggling reader Dimitri also missed out on the sheer pleasure
>of reading -- the underlying rhythms and sounds and pleasures of good,
>sophisticated literature and storytelling. So we also pursued
>audiotapes in the car selecting books with rich language (Richard Peck's
>A Long Way from Chicago, The Moorchild). I can imagine Al Capone Does
>My Shirts or The Sea of Trolls would be great.
>
>Whenever I talk to parents I make a huge point about encouraging them to
>keep up with and read children's literature themselves, and develop sort
>of lifelong book clubs with their kids. I think this is even more
>important with cuts in school libraries. Sadly, after elementary school
>neither of my kids ever had a public school teacher who recommended
>books or even seemed to have heard of the award-winning books my kids
>were doing reports on for outside reading.
>
>
>Deborah Hopkinson
>Director of Foundation Relations
>Oregon State University Foundation
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Thu 02 Nov 2006 04:46:12 PM CST
Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:46:12 -0500
I'd like to echo Deborah's suggestion of audio books (unabridged, please!) for struggling readers. My son was a struggling reader. His tutor suggested we get the unabridged audio version of Harry Potter and have him listen to it while reading along in the book. It worked wonders!
I have since suggested the same method to patrons at the library, with happy results. We have a large selection of "J" audio books in the Children's section, so it's easy to suggest. The only problem occurs when the print version is checked out!
Jim Elliott
>From: "Hopkinson, Deborah" <Deborah.Hopkinson at oregonstate.edu>
>To: "James Elliott"
><j_c_elliott at msn.com>,<horning at education.wisc.edu>,<ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu>
>Subject: RE: [CCBC-Net] Books for Struggling Readers
>Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 12:18:42 -0800
>
>While I have some specific books to suggest, I also have some thoughts
>on this not as a reading expert or librarian, but as a parent.
>
>My son was adopted at age six from Russia, and had an early speech
>disability. Reading and the desire to read have always been issues. We
>pursued several strategies over the years, in addition to the help he
>got in school. One of the most important was to keep reading aloud to
>and with him -- all the way through high school -- stopping often to
>discuss (because then you see where there are sometimes surprising gaps
>in concepts or understanding). For books to meet outside reading
>requirements we looked for obvious things: short chapters, high
>interest, humorous, action (Holes, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Because
>of Winn Dixie all were favorites).
>
>But as a struggling reader Dimitri also missed out on the sheer pleasure
>of reading -- the underlying rhythms and sounds and pleasures of good,
>sophisticated literature and storytelling. So we also pursued
>audiotapes in the car selecting books with rich language (Richard Peck's
>A Long Way from Chicago, The Moorchild). I can imagine Al Capone Does
>My Shirts or The Sea of Trolls would be great.
>
>Whenever I talk to parents I make a huge point about encouraging them to
>keep up with and read children's literature themselves, and develop sort
>of lifelong book clubs with their kids. I think this is even more
>important with cuts in school libraries. Sadly, after elementary school
>neither of my kids ever had a public school teacher who recommended
>books or even seemed to have heard of the award-winning books my kids
>were doing reports on for outside reading.
>
>
>Deborah Hopkinson
>Director of Foundation Relations
>Oregon State University Foundation
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Thu 02 Nov 2006 04:46:12 PM CST
