After many surprising life changes and generally overwhelming schedules, I am now able to blog again about Bryant School and the literacy issues we face as a school.
Currently, I am doing some (perhaps unscientific) research on our students. While it's helpful to look at trends in School Library Journal and other library blogs, it always pays to get information directly from your own students.
I modified a questionnaire activity from Stretchy Library Lessons: More Library Skills called "Know Your Readers." Using it, I am surveying the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. While not all the data has been gathered yet, I did get enlightened on a few things: first off, surprisingly few of my students have read all the Harry Potter books. I thought this was a classic stand by, but my students don't think so. Rick Riordan books are more current, my students said, and they do circulate like hot cakes. I was also surprised that so many students enthusiastically said that they liked Charlotte's Web, since my classics don't circulate well.
What I liked about the questionnaire is that it is completely non-judgmental. There are no questions like "how many minutes or hours do you read after school?" or "do you read chapter books above your grade level?" The students didn't walk away wondering if they are good enough. Instead, they walked away realizing that they liked reading better than they thought. Since success builds on success, an epiphany that they don't actually dislike reading will encourage them to read more!
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