Using Urban Legends to Engage Struggling Readers
After teaching high school reading intervention courses for many years, I know that starting with a novel is a mistake—it’s too long. Instead, I use urban legends.
After teaching high school reading intervention courses for many years, I know that starting with a novel is a mistake—it’s too long. Instead, I use urban legends.
Every year, almost every student says, “I suck at writing. I hate it.” I hear this phrase far more than “Hello,” “Thank you,” or even “Can I use the restroom?”
Do you remember the first time you entered the school library as a child? I do. There were books everywhere.
My students needed to experience success. And they needed to see that their writing could impact a broader audience than the one held captive each day in their classroom.
These days, more schools are transforming traditional libraries into learning commons—places where students collaborate and participate in learning.
"Why read when you can watch the movie?" In my eight years as an educator, no other sentiment has been quite so crushing to hear from children.
Podcasts are increasingly popular: one-third of Americans say they’ve listened to one in the past month. This emerging technology could play a key role in the K–12 classroom.
In English classes, which require students to sit and read or write for extended periods of time, it can be challenging to get them to want to do their work.
One of the best literacy teachers Jane Swire knows is her dog, Blizzard. She and Blizzard visit the local library once a week during the school year as part of a reading program.
For students who struggle with reading, adding technology can be hugely beneficial. But there’s still a lot to be said about old school methods.