[MOSAIC] choosing just right books

[Janelle]

Well, we've had several lessons on easy/just right/challenging. I think the 
single most powerful thing I've done is to bring in my own personal reading 
and share with them how I have reading that is in each category. I share my 
purpose for reading each piece as well. I've shared shoes in three sizes and 
talk about how one shoe is too big, and that is like a challenge book...it 
doesn't quite fit now, but it will. You can put it on and try it out, but it 
doesn't help you as a reader in the end. I really try to stress that it's ok 
to have a challenge book, but it's about how much time you're spending on 
it. (I try really hard to NOT take books away anymore...I just keep trying 
to steer them closer to what is just right for them.) So the too small shoe 
used to fit just right, but I'm past it. I can still put it on, but it is 
too tight. In the book world, I can read it still, it's probably an "old 
love", but I've grown out of it. It's like a challenge book, I can read it 
sometimes, but not all the time.

I could keep going, but I'm sure you get the gist...so after all these 
lessons their job is to decide if the books they're reading are jr/e/ch for 
them. AND code that on a sticky on the book, AND tell WHY it's e/jr/ch for 
them. Hope this helps. It's a HUGE task...when I get frustrated, I try to 
think of myself at my favorite book store trying to find a "just right" book 
for myself.
janelle
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed Asselin" <sharoned at charter.net>
To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" 
<mosaic at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 9:22 PM
Subject: [MOSAIC] choosing just right books


> What has been your most successful lesson or strategy to get students to
> choose "just right" books?
> Sharon/WI
>