Reading Ladders by Teri Lesesne

1. Reading Ladders by Teri Lesesne LIBM 6371 Designing Info Programs

2. “You mean you have to go to school to do that?” • Need to be able to communicate to naysayers that lit for teens is not some sort of dumbed-down version of real literature. • A good deal of classic lit was written for adults with adult experiences and knowledge. • A good deal of classic lit can be relevant to today, but a bridge to it needs to be built.

3. Rigor YA Lit: • Has subtance, style, & structure • Sophistication of thought, depth of character development, stylistic choices & mastery of language

4. Relevance YA Lit: • Has a connection to the reader (challenges & joys of being a teen) • Meaning in the reader vs meaning in the text

5. Relationships YA Lit: • Builds relationships • Creates empathy

6. Response YA Lit: • There is no one correct interpretation of a piece of lit.

7. Lincoln Logs: How We Begin to Build Lifelong Readers • Reading Aloud • 15 minutes a day, minimum 3 days a week • Access to Books • Can’t sustain a habit without access • Models of Literacy • They must see you engaged • Tim to Read • Practice makes perfect

8. Readers are made, not born. Non-readers are made, not born.

9. Motivating Readers • Real motivation is intrinsic & leads to engagement • Motivation can be extrinsic, but hard to sustain

10. 3 Variables of Producing Effect • Book Variables • Title • Cover • Opening paragraph • Form & format • Genre • Style

11. 3 Variables of Producing Effect • Student Variables • Gender

12. 3 Variables of Producing Effect • School Variables • Classroom Libraries – books & comfortable seating • School Libraries – regular access & controlled choices • Administrative Support – funding & modeling

13. Creating Lifelong Readers • Classroom Library • Appeal • Appropriate • Qualities • Gender • Arrangement • Read them All

14. Creating Lifelong Readers • Reading Aloud • Models fluency & how a book should sound • Motivates readigin • Develops listening skills & reading comprehension • Booktalking • The “right” book – those that don’t sell themselves, but should • The “right” way to tell – whet the appetitie • Connect one book to another - segue

15. Building Reading Ladders • Horizontal Reading – read books serially or by author • Vertical Reading – moving upward, often without bridges Reading Ladders take students from one level of reading to the next logical level.

16. Getting Started • What is a reading ladder – a series or set of books that are related in some way & demonstrate a gradual development from simple to more complex. • How do reading ladders work – they provide scaffolding to help readers find a book “just like” the one just finished. • How do I get started – survey the kids

17. Getting Started • How can I make students more independent – readers need to have many successful experiences with books before they are ready to be independent. • How many steps should there be in a ladder – depends on the students & where we want to go.

18. Creating a Reading Ladder • Pick a bottom rung or two – should be accessible for the class/student • Pick a top rung • Fill in the subsequent rungs • Start small initially • Model • Remember genres, student interests, reading levels • Include student input on developing ladders