Teachers ask, “How do I get my kids to read longer than ten minutes without distractions? How do I stop my students from fake reading? How can I teach reading when the kids don’t read?” 

What do we believe kids are capable of doing?  How long can we sit and read without being distracted? Are we creating a culture in our classrooms, in our schools that says to everyone around, “We love to read. It is our passion. It helps us to make decisions, to answer questions, to make sense of our world and we want to share that passion with you!”

We need to spend time reading kids’ books of all genres, searching for themes and interests, and characters we know will connect with the kids in our classrooms. We need to then share those books with our kids—selling the books, promoting the books, loving the books so our kids will come to love them too.  Books should be everywhere in the room, visible so kids can see them, and touch them and dig into them.

We need to have a climate where we talk about books all the time. What we are reading now, what we hope to read next and encouraging students to be that kind of reader as well. We want them to know what others in the class are reading so they can make suggestions to their peers, and know who to go to when they are looking for a new book to read.

We need to fill our rooms with rich new literature that speaks to this generation—graphic novels, picture books, mystery, fantasy, biography, informational … books that will pull even the most reluctant readers in, and make them ask for more. We can’t just have classrooms with only old reading series texts, and leveled books written specifically to teach specific skills.

And we must believe that everyone is capable. We must believe kids can read and read for lengthy periods of time because to not read is like not breathing!  Do we believe?

 Just walked out of the building and a bug flew into my mouth!!!  Spring is here!

Miracle Cat

I know, some of you just don’t like cats, but our cat Socks is not your typical “I ignore people” kind of cat. He thinks he’s a dog. He greets you at the door and proceeds to follow you around the house until he has the opportunity to jump on your lap and say hello. He loves to sit on the top of the couch above you, so he can place his paw on a shoulder or a head, in a kind of- you belong to me pat!  He is simply amazing.

This past New Year’s Eve however traumatized our family. Socks escaped from the house (he is an inside cat- no claws) onto our rural property. When we realized he was missing we searched everywhere going through rows of trees and across fields calling, “Socks, where are you Buddy?” but he had simply vanished. New Year’s Day we again crisscrossed our woods and fields in a snow storm calling for our beloved Socks. We went to our neighbor’s houses telling them about Socks and asking that they keep an eye out for him…nothing.

If you have ever lost something special, something treasured, you understand the empty feeling inside. Daily we would travel up our driveway looking for a glimpse of that beautiful black kitty with the white socks! Nothing. Six weeks went by, new snow, new ice, no Socks.

Nothing.

We move on in our lives and begin to settle into a new routine, a routine that no longer includes Socks. Friday evening our family sits in the living room watching a movie together. (That is a miracle in itself as our children are in high school and are usually out.) There is a knock on the front door. Very unusual. Our house is located up on a hill removed from the road so we don’t often receive surprise visitors, but we open the door and our neighbor down the road stands at the entrance asking, “Didn’t you all loose a black and white cat about a month or so ago? We found him in our garage and he’s out in our truck!”

I am not kidding. It's Socks. Poor undernourished, dehydrated baby, but it's Socks, alive and grateful to be home.

Several weeks have gone by and Socks is doing well.  He is again greeting everyone at the door and making sure to love on every guest that enters the house. He is our miracle cat!