The Book Whisperer Chapter Two

First of all let me say that I am love love loving this book! It makes me want to read all day everyday! Not that I don't normally feel that way- but oh the feeling has grown!  My love of reading started when I was a child so it can be hard for me to understand how people can not love to read.  This book is helping see the different types of readers out there but understand that everyone is a reader. 
1. Would you start your year off with a book frenzy?
   One of the first mini-lessons I do with my class is on how to use the library center.  Then we practice using the library center together and I will call up a few students at a time to check out books.  This year I plan to pull books for kids based on their surveys and have more kids at a time come up to the library center.  That way they have the opportunity to see what other people are reading, share recommendations, and bond over books.
2. What are your impressions over Miller's three positive descriptions of readers?  My system is using a reading program that divides students into three groups: above level, on-level, and below level.  Miller's developing readers, underground readers, and dormant readers are better terms in my humble opinion because they all point out the most important thing- they are all readers.  Looking back at my past classes, I can identify many of each of these types of readers.  The thing caught my attention the most was the dormant readers.  This is a group I really want to pay attention to this year.  They can read and they do read- only they don't have a passion for it. That makes them just as likely to fall behind other students as developing readers. I want to get them captivated with reading!
3. 40 books! I think that is a high expectation but you know what they say- you set the expectation (high or low) and kids will and can meet it!
 Other favorite thoughts from this chapter:
  *"Students must believe that they can read and that reading is worth learning how to do well"
* Time spent reading is the most valuable tool for improving reading ability
*Readers that do not have a choice in what they read will not be motivated to read
* As teachers, we must respond to the needs of our learners in order to make them successful even if these needs do not match our lesson plans.
I am so in love with this book! I encourage everyone to pick up a copy and read it!