Overview
Attitudes about literacy influence how often and how well children read and write. Children form positive or negative attitudes about whether reading and writing are enjoyable and useful.
The more often children read and write, the more likely they are to become independent, competent readers and writers.
Children with positive attitudes about literacy will:
- enjoy hearing books read aloud· read and write in their spare time
- look forward to reading class
- read and write for a variety of purposes
- enjoy going to libraries and book stores
- feel excitement about getting a book as a gift
- believe that reading and writing helps them learn
Developing and maintaining positive attitudes about reading and writing requires constant vigilance. Reading and writing must be seen by the child as a pleasurable, worthwhile experience.
In an effective balanced literacy program, teachers:
- model the joy of reading by reading during silent reading time and talking about books, trips to the book store and library.
- do think alouds, describing how they locate needed information in a book.
- encourage children to choose their own books during silent reading time.
- host book talks where the children and volunteers share their favorite books with the class.
- maintain a classroom library containing a variety of informational and narrative books.
- engage children in literature circles.
- develop thematic units accompanied by theme related text sets.
- teach children how to choose books to read at an independent level.
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Macomb Intermediate School District Early Literacy Committee
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