a good week in literacy

So I'm basically holding my breath and crossing my fingers that things keep going the way they have in literacy. Last weekend I made a trip to Barnes and Noble to buy books for my most at risk readers. I chose books that specifically matched their interest and reading levels. Additionally, I bought 2 copies of several books so that pairs of boys could partner read. I figured this would increase their motivation and engagement with the reading...and it did! Donte and Deavion were super engaged with their Nate the Great story, they couldn't wait to tell each other about what they had read, the thoughts they'd written down, when independent reading was over. All I had to teach them was a couple of things they might discuss when independent reading was over (what surprised them, predictions, thoughts, etc) and how to decide how many pages to read for the next independent reading session. I think there's something social about reading that needs to be unlocked for certain students to really love reading. We need to interact with text not only through the lens of our own mind, but through the splendid, multifarious lenses of our peers' minds.