The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller

I have loved reading this book over the summer.  It has certainly influenced my thoughts about this year.

 I have decided to move my entire collection of childrens books to the classroom.  This has pleased the caretaker: I took a large bookshelf out of one of his sheds.  My husband is happy:  4 boxes of books are out of his workshop.  I am happy as I can now display china on some f my bookshelves inside.  Now starts the task of getting them on a catalogue so I can keep track of the class library and who has what books.  The android app I am using for this is Codex.  There seem to be a few apps for apple and android that make keeping personal libraries organised very easy.

I have also put the Reading Interest-alyser on Socrative.  (SOC-3004435  - will enable you to use the quiz)  I hope this will help me analyse pupils interests fast and get started on selecting books for them.  I am very much helped in this area by our school librarians.  Last year I stopped taking my whole class to the library at the same time.  Instead it is one of the things students have to manage to get done during their week.  Each week I give students a list of all the learning tasks they have to achieve.  This means the students go to the library by themselves (boys) in small groups (girls)  and have personalised attention from the librarians.  Our librarians are amazing.  They know what all the students like to read and even buy books for specific students.  I am sure it helps that we have 120 students and a librarian available between 9am - 3pm.    I will pass the data from the reading interest a lyser on to the librarians.

I also intend to do the 40 book challenge this year.  I have strong doubts as to whether this is achievable for some of the student but it sounds like a good goal.

I am hoping that students will develop reading habits in the 2 years I have them to carry them through high school.  At least when they are asked to do wide reading at NCEA level they will know they have done it before.

Heres to having students reading as they wait for the bus in the mornings and walk up the driveway after school.