Visual Display of Data - Yay!

Finally I have figured out a way to display some of my data results through graphs on my blog! The graph, of course, does not show up in exactly the same way it did when I created it on my computer, but you get the idea! The above graph shows my students feelings about reading when simply asked, "How do you feel about reading?" They had the option to choose Love it! Like it! Ho-Hum! and Don't Like it! The blue graphs show the Fall responses and the purple graph show the more recent responses! I am thrilled to see that no one falls into the "Don't Like it!" category any more! My main goal in offer choices in Reading Workshop was to create students with positive attitudes towards reading, and while Ho-Hum may not be the most positive attitude, the majority of my students fall into the Love it! and Like it! categories! I hope that I am creating students who go through life enjoying reading!

Connections

Over the past week I have had so much fun watching my students connect to their reading. I can not say specifically what it is that has brought this on, but there is not question that the statement: Reading is Thinking is ringing true in our classroom. In everyday interactions I have seen students comment on the likeness between one students actions and a character from our weekly reading story. While commenting on different things I have noticed many students beginning their comments with, "I can connect to this..." I do not feel that I have suddenly given extra time to the ideas of connection to our reading, nor has it been a part of any recent mini lessons. Regardless of where it is coming from and I am really enjoying all the connections being made to reading in our classroom! The specific incident that sparked this post happened today during Read Aloud. We end each day on the carpet with Read Aloud, and at the end of the day I do not expect that everyone is always listening fully as I read from our current book, but most students are usually willing and able to answer questions that I ask when I pause or when we review what was read the previous day. Today after a quick review of what was most recently read last week I dove right in to the chapter, and as I read some specific events that were occurring in the chapter hands started shooting up. While I had made the connection right away, I was fully expecting to have to pause and question the class in regards to any connections that could be made. But as I looked out at all the hands I simply asked if their hands were up because they had made a connection and they all eagerly nodded. We are currently reading Escaping the Giant Wave by: Peg Kehert and the students connected to a book we had read earlier in the year called Chasing the Falconers - On the Run Book 1 by: Gordon Korman. The connection was made that in both book characters were caught in a fire and both went to the bathroom to cover and/or use a wet towel to escape the fire. There connection was nothing amazing, but just that fact that they are making this connections with prompting makes me smile! :) Reading is Thinking!