Reading Specialist, Part 11
Question 1: Discuss how book clubs at school can help motivate children to read.
Answer 1: Student-organized and student-driven book clubs help to build a community in the classroom and to encourage students to read independently. They are in effect taking responsibility for their learning of literacy. Book clubs let students choose what they want to read, where they read, how they read, and with whom they read. The choice is valued by students. Students must work together to negotiate places and times to meet, along with the pacing and discussion of their books in order to have successful book clubs. They learn to value one another as readers and learners. Teachers can allow book clubs to meet in small-group times during reading in order to give the students freedom in operating their own club.
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Question 2: Provide some group-building activities for book clubs at school.
Answer 2: Activities in which school book clubs can grow together as a group include: 1) Letting the group name themselves. Let them decide on a club mascot. 2) Allowing each club to keep a group reading notebook or journal where they track their readings. Perhaps they might decorate the journal if they so wish. 3) Allowing groups to decide upon projects that are inquiry-based. For example, a group might decide to explore something of specific interest to them and search for the information. After these steps are taken, teachers should explain the process and allow some class time so that students may discuss the activities and establish their first groups. Those students who are not interested in this voluntary activity can read on their own.
Question 3: Discuss some child-based risk factors associated with learning development problems.
Answer 3: Some primary organic conditions are associated with developing learning problems as secondary symptoms. The child's reading and more general learning are thought to result from cognitive or sensory limitation that follow from the diagnosis. These include:1) Cognitive deficiencies. Children with severe cognitive deficiencies usually develop very low, if any, reading achievement. Factors associated with this include very low birth weight, fetal alcohol syndrome, lead poisoning, or nutritional deficiency. 2) Hearing impairment. Hearing impairment is another condition associated with reading difficulty. This may be caused by chronic ear infections that lead to hearing loss. 3) Early language impairment. Some children are so clearly behind by age 3 that it arouses concerns of parents, neighbors, preschool teachers, or others. Delayed language development is often the first indication of a broader primary condition, including developmental disability, autism, or hearing impairment. 4) Attention deficits. Those with reading problems often have attention deficits.
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