Reading+Programs+-+shared+ideas


 * Reading programs - what we do, and what is working in our schools**.

Sharon H, Marian College, has subscribed to Good Reading's //Spine Out// [] //insideadog// (see our Avid Readers page) is also excellent for online reviews - Sharon uses this with Yr 10s.

Sharon, Lynda and other members also use charts of popular series books, so that students can see at-a-glance which book is next and what they'd like to recommend to friends.

Robyn K, St Aloysius, uses Wallwisher with Yr 7s & Sharon H. also uses Glogster with Yr 7s to display their favourite books - see our Tips and Technology page.

Lynda S, Parade: Premier's Reading Challenge, for House points, is working for us. Students gain points for completing the Challenge, then more points for reading beyond the 15 books of the Challenge. We realize from CLANS feedback that different schools would like to explore different Challenges, but the VPRC works for us.

For Year 7 classes booked into the Library by their English teachers, we focussed on reading for the Premier's Challenge, then the 'super Challenge' beyond the 15 books, and visiting guest authors during Book Week. Keeping a 'series' table as well as a 'new books' table on display enabled boys to find series they could happily read, thereby adding lots of books to their Challenge list. Popular series and authors; ideas; reflections - my blog Wonderbooks - Boys Books and Reading (Aug 2009).

English teachers also did varied and wonderful activities with our boys, who were motivated and excited about writing personal blogs on fiction and non-fiction books (blogger.com) and giving book chats (with Powerpoints as trailers) to their class.