Is reading cool?Last Friday during movie night at the school I sat and talked with a group of parents. During our conversation a parent felt compelled to share the following story.
The other night the parent picked up three boys from basketball practice. Her practice as a parent is to stay quite and listen to what is happening with the boys. On this particular night the boys were discussing greasers, Socs, Ponyboy, and Johnny. The parent smiled to herself because she recognized that they were talking about the book "The Outsiders".
So..., is reading cool?
How Much Do You Write?
The National Commission on Writing in America's School's and Colleges claims that writing is woefully ignored in America's schools.
The commission's report asserts that writing is among the most important skills students can learn, that it is the mechanism through which they learn to connect the dots in their knowledge. ''If students are to make knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wrestle with the facts and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into language they can communicate to someone else,'' the report said. ''In short, if students are to learn, they must write.''
Algonquin is not ignoring writing.
The extended language arts time is crucial for allowing this writing to happen.
I remember writing in school. I also remember loving some assignments and disliking others. I found writing a more pleasurable task when the subject was near and dear to my heart. Ask your student what "territories" they have chosen to write about. To go one step further, find your own territories and write about them.
"Have a great day, or not. The choice is yours."
