I am reading The Lightning Thief for my series book. I am really enjoying it so far. I think that this would be a great series for fourth through sixth graders, particularly for boys. This story features a young boy as the main character. This character seems a little misunderstood, and like he feels he has little control over what happens to him in his life. This is something that in my experience a lot of middle school kids are feeling in their lives also. It seems like a good thing for them so be able to relate to someone that is going through similar feelings and see him attempt to conquer those feelings. There are a lot of recourses to use this book in the classroom. For one, I feel like there are just a lot of good life lessons in this book. Also though, I think that it would be really interesting to read this book in the classroom alongside a unit with mythology. It would be great if all of the students had an idea of all of the Gods before reading the book, and you could go over them while reading the book. It makes what is already, in my opinion, an interesting topic even more interesting for kids. I think it would also help them to both relate to the material and in turn remember it because of that connection. There are so many lesson plans online and I cant wait to incorporate this book into my class in some way!

So far I am learning a lot from the Miller text. She has a lot of really good ideas and techniques for student reading. One of my favorite things about the book are all of her personal anecdotes and how they are incorporated into her teaching styles. To me, that shows a little bit more that she really thought about how she wanted to spread learning to her kids. Some of the main ideas that I’ve taken away from the introduction and chapter one is that children have to want to read. You as the teacher can tell them to read all year, but until they find the joy of reading for themselves, they won’t really carry that with them to the next year. It was really interesting to look at the signs that students are fake reading. I work with a group of fourth graders and during their reading time it is clear to see that some of them are not focused on their books. I see a lot of characteristics from that list in my group.

I am really excited to help students find the joy of reading for themselves. I definitely had a few books growing up that really changed my views on reading, and I hope to help as many kids as possible find out what book that will be for them. This also seems like it might be the most challenging thing, because while it is so important, it can take time. It wasn’t until the very end of elementary school or early middle school that I really started to find books that I enjoyed reading, and chose to read on my own.

I also think that coming up with creative reading assignments that won’t deter kids from reading might be kind of difficult. There are books that are required reading, and a lot of those were the ones that turned me away from reading because I simply wasn’t interested in the story. I do think that one of the things that was mentioned in the introduction would be a good start, group discussions. This seems like a great way for positive peer pressure to take place. No one wants to be the one left out of the discussion, especially if it is about something that their peers actually enjoyed.

I’m most afraid that I wont be able to get through to my students. This doesn’t just apply to reading, but to teaching in general. I hope that I can make a positive impact on as many students as possible in the short time that I have to make a difference in their lives.

Hi, I’m Giovanna! I’m a junior and a liberal studies major. I grew up in the Bay area, but fell in love with chico when I came to visit the school. I absolutely love working with kids and I can’t wait to be able to teach them and work with them every day. I really like to play volleyball and to just do relaxing things when I’m not at school or work. For the post this week, here is my poem:

This story does not contain a fish nor a pond,

No Godmother, and certainly no wand,

No coats or dresses to win her hand in marriage,

Just a girl and her doves ready to be swooped off in a carriage.