I love the end of this article when reference is made to the fact that teachers should see their students as individuals. That statement is so true. When I look out over my classroom I want to see individual children with needs and wants, not just a sea of faces. What a difference we as teachers could make in a student’s life if only we taught them at their instructional level. I think it is wonderful to have a resource to help us find books needed to teach all of our students in the classroom. I admire those who put forth the effort and time to create these lists to help us become better teachers.
I have noticed that when I go into a classroom and ask teachers for help with materials, they often suggest one book and no more than two. They never tell me how they use several books to meet the individual needs of their students. This is so different from the information I have received from my instructors, we are encouraged to teach children at their instructional level to avoid frustration.
Note: I recently attended a conference on the 4 block approach to literacy. When I returned home, I had a friend ask me what the conference was about. I replied that it was about helping children to become better readers by teaching them to read at their ability level. My friend then asked me if I could help him learn to read, he told me that he was trying to learn but he was very slow and could I help me. I have promised him that I would try to find him some books and help him. Adults are the same as children in this respect, if I give him a novel that is on an adult reading level, then he will never finish it, he will not enjoy it, and he will not like reading. It makes sense that to make children and adults love reading, they have to read on a level that they can understand the text and where they will improve.
I LOVE THE COMMENT WHERE YOU COMPARE ADULTS AND CHILDREN! That is so true! And I have not thought about it in that way. Way to think outside of the box!