Check out our library.
In our library we INQUIRE, RESEARCH, LEARN and CREATE.
It's boring!
I don't have time! I'm just not a good reader.... These are statements that we as educators have heard time and time again from our students. The problem is, more often than not, these opinion are more likely to come from our boy students than from our girls. It's not clear what drives this culture of boys showing less interest in reading than girl but it is obvious that it is an issue that needs to be tackled, not ignored. That is why I was so excited to see that Brandi McGruder, Dallas ISD; and Jamille Rogers, Conway Schools were presenting a session called "My Books Bring all the Boys to the Yard" as a way to share "creative ideas for engaging boys as readers at the library [and] to mentor and develop young men, building self-esteem, future leaders, and readers". Sounds magical, right? It was! Rogers opened up the session by describing her Distinguished Gentlemen's Club for boys grades 3rd-4th. The goal of the club is to promote literacy and leadership among the young men on her campus. Not only did the students who participated in the club show improved literacy scores and behavior by the end of the year but they showed signs of developing a genuine love of literature. Boys were coming into the library EXCITED to check out the next book in a series. They were sharing favorite books and able to articulate why they loved them like they were never able to do before. The secret to the success of Rogers' program? She made sure that students understood just how much she needed them to step up and become strong leaders and she gave them a safe space to develop their skills. McGruder is a middle school librarian in Dallas ISD who experienced the same challenge as Rogers in trying to get boys motivated to read on her campus. Her solution was to turn the library in to the most in-demand place in the school. She updated the library's graphic novel collection and ordered books that boys could relate to. Makerspaces went up and as students came to the library to used STEM activities she made sure that awesome titles like Black Butler by Yana Toboso and various sports biographies were on display to catch student's attention. Students were allowed to to come to the library during advisory and after lunch to play Xbox, but only after having checked out a book and students who participated in literary promotions and clubs were given unlimited access to the library's quickly filling lunch slots. In creating a social atmosphere where students wanted to hang out and spend free time, McGruder opened the door to build relationships with her students and introduce them to a love of literacy they did not have before.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2017
Categories |