CCIRA Conference and The Boy Reader Session

Last week I presented at the CCIRA Conference. Yes, I presented at the same conference with people like Regie Routman, Katie Wood Ray and Patrick Allen. The proposal CCIRA accepted was: Kyle will share his newest thoughts on motivating boys. He will discuss the importance of humor, talking during “independent” reading, graphic novels and book clubs. He will provide a wide range of new book titles boys love to read.


The morning of my session I found out that I would present in the amphitheatre. I was nervous at first. Like I said in my last post I don’t have a front to my classroom. Anyhow I quickly got into the presentation and shared many titles. Further down will be that list. It was cool  Katie Wood Ray and I both shared City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems and Jon J Muth.

 

The part of my presentation that stood out for me was the part on “dependent reading”. I have been observing the boys in my class during independent reading time. Often they are sitting next to another boy. Here are a couple of observations I have made:

 

1. They are looking at the same book and are taking turn reading and discussing what they just read.
2. Reading different books, but stop often to share what they have just read.
3. Constantly borrowing each other’s book to reread a favorite part, and discussing the book.

The difficulty teachers face is that this behavior can be disruptive to others, so we tell them to stop talking and get back to work. What would happen if we just let them do these behaviors? Would their fluency increase? Will they have a deeper understanding of what they read? Will they be more engaged in the reading process? I argue YES! YES! YES!

 

What are your thoughts?

 

 

 Here are the books I shared:

 

Picture Books

 

1.  Bear in Underwear by Todd H. Doodle
2. city dog, country frog by Mo Willems pictures by Jon J Muth
3. It’s a Book by Lane Smith
4.  A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever by Marla Fazee
5.  Let’s do Nothing by Tony Fucile
6.  A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
7. Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton & Tom Lichtenheld

 

Novels

1. My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian cartoons by Jake Tashjian
2. because of mr. terupt by Rob Buyea
3. Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
4. Wildfire Run by Dee Garretson
5. NERD 2 M is for Mama’s Boy by Michael Buckley
6. Boom! by Mark Haddon
7. Crunch by Leslie Connor
8. Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
9. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
10. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

Graphic Novels

 Lunch Lady by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

 Hardy Boys by Scott Lobdell

 Frankenstein The Graphic Novel by Mary Shelly

 

Poetry

 

 City I Love by Lee Bennett Hopkins

 Guyku a year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka & Peter H. Reynolds

 

 Others

 

 Horrid Henry’s Joke Book by Francesca Simon

 Guys Read Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka

 We Are in a Book! By Mo Willems