For years I've been telling the kids they need a "meat" book and a
"popcorn" book. I tell them Popcorn is lots of fun to eat and you can't eat
just one piece but that you need to feed your body some meat and vegetables
too and that their reading brain is no different. Captain Underpants is
fun, but it doesn't help them develop the stamina to tackle a long passage.
I live in Texas where one lives and dies by the TAKS test and the reading
passages.
It keeps the teachers happy- the kids a "good" book for SSR and the kids
can still have a drawing book, graphic novel, Captain Underpants etc. etc.
etc.
My definition of a "meat" book is pretty loosey goosey - Junie B. Jones, non
fiction - really any book with passages of text. My school is very much ESL
and the kids adore series books. When the English finally "clicks" it not
uncommon for a good reader to devour 2 or 3 Bailey School books in a single
night.
Students at my school take out from 1 - 4 books except my avid readers who
can have any many as the two of us think is reasonable. Kinders start with
1 book but quickly jump to 2 books and all the first graders get a least
two. That way the boys have a book they can read and also an army or a
dinosaur or some other "boy" book.
Guusje Moore
Librarian, Housman Elementary School
Spring Branch ISD
Houston, TX
guusje@mindspring.com
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