Peaking Intrest

Readers.  Very interesting people these are. Readers. They take time out of their day to enjoy words and pictures.  Non-readers, very interesting these people are. They don't value their time enough to take some of it and explore the words and pictures.  And yet the world if full of both of these interesting people, those who do, those who do because they have to and those who don't because they can't or won't.  So what makes someone a reader or non reader?  As a Kindergarten teacher I kind of have the inside scoop from the beginning. There are students whose parents read to them and these kids love story time, and there are students who are not read to and are so excited to be a part of something new and then there are those who aren't read to and just look at the class not understanding the reactions kids have to stories.  So how to get these students, these non readers to want to read or at least enjoy our reading experience?  I decided to survey a student who I knew for sure was read to a lot and enjoys our reading time.  He likes books that are funny and surprisingly he likes books about severe weather.  Scary books are cool to for him and he was quick to tell me he gets scared by scary books but not to scared.  The only difficulty he has with reading he says is trying to figure out what the words say (but in Kindergarten that's the case for most of my kids).   Reading is fun for him and he likes the pictures especially of tornadoes and hurricanes. He wants to read so that he can read to his baby sister and tell her what to do if there is a hurricane. It was refreshing to see a student who at a Kindergarten level was as much into books about weather as he was about humorous books that made him laugh.  After our discussion and the completion of the reading interest survey I found myself choosing books for him that I might not otherwise have chosen for a Kindergarten student.  Many of the books are science based in the sense that they explore extreme and normal weather conditions.

Dorion, C. (2011). How the Weather Works New York: Templar

For a young reader already fascinated by weather or any reader curious to know what is going on out there and how will it affect them this is a great book.  Add the fact that it is a pop-up book and kids can pull tabs and watch the pictures come alive and young readers are likely to have a good time exploring the book and thinking about the weather.

 

Rockwell, Anne. (2008). Clouds New York: Harper Collins

In many urban areas kids may not have the chance to go star-gazing but perhaps they can look up to clouds and learn to figure out or predict weather patterns.  This book will especially appeal to kids who already have a fascination about the weather. 

Branley, F. Flash, (1999). Crash, Rumble, and Roll New York: Harper Collins

Lightening strikes and kids and adults wonder where it came from and what to do.  This book is an entertaining and informative. It does not sugar coat the dangerous consequences of being struck by lightning or stray away from important safety precautions but it does deliver the material in a way that will fascinate and inform young readers.

Wiesner, D. (2008).  Hurricane New York: HMH Books for Young Readers

While this book is not informational in the sense that explains the causes of hurricanes it does have the hook of young brothers preparing for and living through the after effects of a hurricane.  The boys fall in love with a fallen tree and use their imagination to play and make the tree part of their play.  They become heartbroken when the tree is cut away and cleaned up but continue to imagine other trees falling as reports of another weather storm brew.

Manushkin, F. (2012) Big Brothers are the Best New York: Picture Window Books

I chose this book for my student because he mentioned that he was a big brother to a baby sister and that he wanted to learn to read so that he could read to her. Many young students find themselves suddenly big brothers or sisters.  Still learning themselves they find themselves put in situations where they need to be the older more responsible sibling.  This book offers examples and behaviors for young readers regarding how to be the best big brother.