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Burst into Reading: Hello,    Reading is an activity that covers so m...

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Who Reads What and Does it Matter?          There is a lot of controversy about whether children should read series books, graphic novels or even sometimes, Harry Potter books (because of the magic).  In my opinion, if a child is interested in reading anything (appropriate, of course) then let the child read.  The concern about series books is that they, like sitcoms, are repetitive in theme and often not "deep" reading.  In reality, series books give children (and adults) the opportunity to really know the characters, what their traits are and how they might likely react to a given situation.  This allows accurate predictions based on inferences derived from the characters' personalities.  Graphic novels allow children to read more than just the text.  They learn to read the surrounding picture, the characters' expression and understand the format of this comic style writing. For instance, a "say balloon" is round without scallops....
Hello,      Using new literacies in the reading classroom is not a solution, but an addition to effective instruction.  A blog can be used in the classroom in  number of ways.   A few ideas: 1. Write a blog that shares teaching ideas with others.  If you have a dynamic lesson that you love or an area of expertise, share!  2.  A class blog can give your students a real reason to write.  You would, of course, need to edit and approve all submissions on that blog.  Using a blog in this way enables students to bring their writing up to final draft and to read each other's post outside of classroom time.  When share with parents, you begin to build a wider community.  3.  Use the blog as an addition to classroom material:  to remind students of homework assignments,  a short piece of writing that you want them to read etc. I hope you enjoy making a blog of your own. Nancy