Keira and I have been having a disagreement of late re:chapter books.
I'm positive that from a comprehension standpoint she's ready for them. By the 3rd week of school when they did the reading assessments she had already surpassed the point they want first graders to be at when they finish in June and she has only gotten more skilled at context clues and faster at her reading.
She's positive that 1st graders are not supposed to do chapter books
Like so positive that she has done the hands on her hips and stomped
her little foot and scolded me for thinking "such a crazy thought" 
Who's right??? I know part of her problem is she wants to finish whatever she starts. She doesn't always handle it well if she has to stop in the middle of a task-puzzles, coloring a picture, 2-day art projects at school, etc. So the idea of reading a chapter or even two but not finishing is a bit hard for her, I'm sure. I've gotten her Amelia Bedelia books from the library and she breezes through them, but they're not actual chapter books. They still have more pictures than words, and end at 35-50 pages.
Her book fair was last week and we really got into it when I refused to buy her yet another picture book (we have SO many at home already) that she could have read in less than 2 minutes. To be fair to me, I also wouldn't buy those for Scharae and she was happy to pick out a few of those I can Read books that are a bit harder than she's ready for, but not too much harder.
Keira's class is big on "Good, Fit Books". Every morning the kids take their book totes and pick out 5 books from the class library to put into it. I go in once a week and read with kids to make sure they're choosing good fit books that aren't too easy or too hard, ones that stretch them just a little. But I've been disgusted with Keira and the other 1st grader that is on her level. They've got things like Go Dog Go and the Foot Book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, etc. These kids were reading those at this time last year. It's not that there aren't any harder books-it's a 1/2 split class so I have seen the books the 2nd graders have-but it just seems like because she's in 1st grade her teacher hasn't pushed her to REALLY be finding books that I would consider "good fit books" for her reading level.
Wow. Sorry. A novel.
So I guess I'm wondering if I'm expecting too much out of her? I just feel like she should be reading the The Magic Treehouse books-they have some pictures but more words than pictures-and others on that level. But she's acting like chapter books are NOT expected of 1st graders. Is it an attention issue more than a comprehension issue???
I'm positive that from a comprehension standpoint she's ready for them. By the 3rd week of school when they did the reading assessments she had already surpassed the point they want first graders to be at when they finish in June and she has only gotten more skilled at context clues and faster at her reading.
She's positive that 1st graders are not supposed to do chapter books
Like so positive that she has done the hands on her hips and stomped
her little foot and scolded me for thinking "such a crazy thought" Who's right??? I know part of her problem is she wants to finish whatever she starts. She doesn't always handle it well if she has to stop in the middle of a task-puzzles, coloring a picture, 2-day art projects at school, etc. So the idea of reading a chapter or even two but not finishing is a bit hard for her, I'm sure. I've gotten her Amelia Bedelia books from the library and she breezes through them, but they're not actual chapter books. They still have more pictures than words, and end at 35-50 pages.
Her book fair was last week and we really got into it when I refused to buy her yet another picture book (we have SO many at home already) that she could have read in less than 2 minutes. To be fair to me, I also wouldn't buy those for Scharae and she was happy to pick out a few of those I can Read books that are a bit harder than she's ready for, but not too much harder.
Keira's class is big on "Good, Fit Books". Every morning the kids take their book totes and pick out 5 books from the class library to put into it. I go in once a week and read with kids to make sure they're choosing good fit books that aren't too easy or too hard, ones that stretch them just a little. But I've been disgusted with Keira and the other 1st grader that is on her level. They've got things like Go Dog Go and the Foot Book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, etc. These kids were reading those at this time last year. It's not that there aren't any harder books-it's a 1/2 split class so I have seen the books the 2nd graders have-but it just seems like because she's in 1st grade her teacher hasn't pushed her to REALLY be finding books that I would consider "good fit books" for her reading level.
Wow. Sorry. A novel.
So I guess I'm wondering if I'm expecting too much out of her? I just feel like she should be reading the The Magic Treehouse books-they have some pictures but more words than pictures-and others on that level. But she's acting like chapter books are NOT expected of 1st graders. Is it an attention issue more than a comprehension issue???
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8 comments:
Maybe just longer children's books and reading chapter books together at home. My mom used to do that with me, I read a page/couple pages depending on the book, and then she would read the rest of the chapter. But there is a big span of children's books between the foot book and even simple chapter books. Maybe just kids books with lots of writing... there are a lot of those, I know.... my kids want me to read them allllll the time!
Good luck!
the boys always think it's fun to listen to me read chapter books at home. then every night before we read, they remind me what happened in the book the night before. jax is into reading them now. we've read a few roald dahl books and they have a few pics, which they appreciate. tell her jax is a first grader and he likes to read chapter books. maybe i'll have him send K a message on facebook. he'd probably think that's pretty neat, writing to her on the computer.
Oh she enjoys reading chapter books together. I'm talking more like her individual reading time. I hate seeing her picking books that have her reading 10 in the 15-20 minute silent reading time. They're not a challenge and beyond that, they're not even AT her reading level. I think I'm going to take a little chapter book and stick a post-it note at each chapter to give her an idea of the intervals that when might read. Sort of debunk her idea that they're too long maybe?
I think you need to encourage her. maybe there is a book that is a that is a movie that she loves, that she would be willing to read with you.
I think I'm with you.... I think she needs a paradygm (is that how you spell it) shift. She needs to change her point of view. I think she's probably totally ready for the next step.
It sounds like she is definitely ready (skill wise) to take it to the next level, so I would try to figure out the root of the reason why she doesn't want to or doesn't feel comfortable doing so.
I think you should just read to her. Don't let her grow up. Those days of reading to your children go way too fast. Yeah, don't teach them to read at all. Stay away from chapter books. That is my wise advice. He!He!
What about Junie B Jones? My first graders who could read chapter books loved those. Good luck! (this is Camille, BTW)
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