1. Blog 3 Routman (2003), Ch. 3: Share Your Reading Life

Sharing my love of reading with my students helps to make reading real.   From chapter three, page twenty-three, “Many students will not see and feel the power of reading without your enthusiasm and modeling.” Fortunately my own two children accumulated a huge library of books that I am able to share with my preschool students.  The other day, I read a fall book that had my son’s name written inside with his own handwriting.  Whenever we would get a book order, I would always insist that names be written inside the book.  I was sure to share with my students that this use to be my son’s book, and he is letting us have a chance to enjoy the book, too. 

This month, our unit of study is Exercise.  To help our students make connections with body and movement, we are also identifying body parts.  Eric Carle’s From Head to Toe is a wonderful way to review body parts, movement and animals.  Eric Carle is one of my favorite author and illustrators.  Page twenty-seven, “Talk About Favorite Authors and Favorite Books,” justifies why I went to the library and checked out any books of his that are missing from my own library.  These books are out for students to read, and for them to ask me to read aloud to them.  I am also using this as an opportunity to really emphasize the illustrator’s purpose.

As for the exercise and sport, I never really gave much thought to also sharing my family’s magazines.  My son has Sports Illustrated for kids.  ESPEN Magazine and Sports Illustrated subscription of my husbands would be a great way to get my boys to engage in reading.  Of course I will leave out the swimsuit issue!  “Let Students Know What You Are Reading and What You Will Read Next” is very powerful for purpose. I will share my Runner’s World and Yoga magazine.  Explaining to my students that I am reading to learn more about my hobbies.  Oh, I could share my gardening books.  And the Sunday comics! I am sure there is so much more that my students could be exposed to from my reading interest as the year progresses.