Good books have incredible power.
In observation of 9/11, we've been reading The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. It tells the true story of Philippe Petit, who in 1974 tied cable between the World Trade Center towers in New York City and danced on the tightrope, a quarter of a mile high in the sky. We have had to divide the book into 2-3 different readings, due to time constraints.
Groan! That is the students' reaction when I tell them, "We will stop here for today and pick up next time."
"Please, can you read just one more page?"
The students love a good story. Our most enthusiastic listener, I'm discovering, is an older student who needs quite a bit of remediation work in reading. This tells me that there is a lot of promise for this child to succeed academically, even if there are challenges right now. The curiosity and engagement are very much present; our goal is to equip the student with the skills to access that exciting story in written format.
It has been interesting to see how much the children know about the September 11 attacks that took place 16 years ago. Most were unaware. Gerstein's well-written book offers a gentle way to introduce a grim topic to children.
Another book we're reading is Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull. It tells of Wilma Rudolph's triumph over polio to become the first U.S. woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics. The book is raising dialogue about prejudice. For our students, it may be a little hard to understand why blacks and whites were segregated when Wilma Rudolph was growing up. I've noticed when our students look at the pictures in the book, their attention is not on skin color but on events. Thank God.
Again, the students are disappointed when we don't finish Wilma Unlimited in one class session. When they come back the next day, they ask if we will continue the book. Inwardly, I am grinning to see their enthusiasm.
Good books such as these captivate students' attention. As adults, we have to do all we can to maintain that interest and curiosity, the desire to learn and grow.
In observation of 9/11, we've been reading The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. It tells the true story of Philippe Petit, who in 1974 tied cable between the World Trade Center towers in New York City and danced on the tightrope, a quarter of a mile high in the sky. We have had to divide the book into 2-3 different readings, due to time constraints.
Groan! That is the students' reaction when I tell them, "We will stop here for today and pick up next time."
"Please, can you read just one more page?"
The students love a good story. Our most enthusiastic listener, I'm discovering, is an older student who needs quite a bit of remediation work in reading. This tells me that there is a lot of promise for this child to succeed academically, even if there are challenges right now. The curiosity and engagement are very much present; our goal is to equip the student with the skills to access that exciting story in written format.
It has been interesting to see how much the children know about the September 11 attacks that took place 16 years ago. Most were unaware. Gerstein's well-written book offers a gentle way to introduce a grim topic to children.
Another book we're reading is Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull. It tells of Wilma Rudolph's triumph over polio to become the first U.S. woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics. The book is raising dialogue about prejudice. For our students, it may be a little hard to understand why blacks and whites were segregated when Wilma Rudolph was growing up. I've noticed when our students look at the pictures in the book, their attention is not on skin color but on events. Thank God.
Again, the students are disappointed when we don't finish Wilma Unlimited in one class session. When they come back the next day, they ask if we will continue the book. Inwardly, I am grinning to see their enthusiasm.
Good books such as these captivate students' attention. As adults, we have to do all we can to maintain that interest and curiosity, the desire to learn and grow.