As mentioned, in order for my students to improve in reading, three things are needed: effective reading instruction (check), a teacher who loves reading (check), and books that students would love to read. I have the first two covered, I need help getting the last one done. That's where you come in! Here's the backstory. Our school purchased standard literature textbooks a few years back. We taught the books with fidelity. The students' reading and writing performance remained low. Our school was injected with coaching from the Achievement Network (ANET) and we discovered that almost none of the stories and texts in our previously-purchased textbooks were challenging enough to move the needle for our students. Now we have begun the process of text-first planning for ELA and we are in the enviable position of being able to choose the books we teach. However, as is often the case, there isn't budget money to buy all these wonderful new books! These new books need to suit the needs both of the teachers, by being sufficiently complex, and the students, but being something that they would actually love to read. Enter Harry Potter!
If ever there was a book which was sufficiently challenging for 4th grade students and which the students would love to read, it would be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! Therefore, I have requested a class set of the hardcover edition of the book for students to enjoy for many years to come.
One of our 4th grade teachers got to teach Harry Potter last year and the students absolutely loved it! So the plan is to expand this to all of the 4th grade classes. Harry Potter would form the cornerstone of our reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing instruction for the first 2-3 months of the year.
About my class
As mentioned, in order for my students to improve in reading, three things are needed: effective reading instruction (check), a teacher who loves reading (check), and books that students would love to read. I have the first two covered, I need help getting the last one done. That's where you come in! Here's the backstory. Our school purchased standard literature textbooks a few years back. We taught the books with fidelity. The students' reading and writing performance remained low. Our school was injected with coaching from the Achievement Network (ANET) and we discovered that almost none of the stories and texts in our previously-purchased textbooks were challenging enough to move the needle for our students. Now we have begun the process of text-first planning for ELA and we are in the enviable position of being able to choose the books we teach. However, as is often the case, there isn't budget money to buy all these wonderful new books! These new books need to suit the needs both of the teachers, by being sufficiently complex, and the students, but being something that they would actually love to read. Enter Harry Potter!
If ever there was a book which was sufficiently challenging for 4th grade students and which the students would love to read, it would be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! Therefore, I have requested a class set of the hardcover edition of the book for students to enjoy for many years to come.
One of our 4th grade teachers got to teach Harry Potter last year and the students absolutely loved it! So the plan is to expand this to all of the 4th grade classes. Harry Potter would form the cornerstone of our reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing instruction for the first 2-3 months of the year.
Read more