Ds9.5 independent reading

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  • LindseyD
    Participant

    I’m needing ideas for what to do about Ds’s reading for next year. In the past, we’ve always used the Pathway Readers for beginning reading. He’s finished Grade 4, and the books are way too simple for him now. His reading level is at 7th-8th grade, so having him move on to a Grade 5 level reader seems a waste of his and my  time. He is an excellent narrator, both oral and written. I feel it is necessary to begin keeping better record of the books he reads independently, and assigning this type of reading seems to be a good way to go about it. He reads voraciously in his free time (like, rarely wants to do anything else) and also listens to audio books like crazy. I don’t enter these books into the Organizer; maybe I should? 

    Occasionally, I need to give him some “busy work” to do while his sister finishes up an assignment and we’re waiting to move on to our next family subject. I thought some assigned independent reading could serve dual purposes: give him something to do that he enjoys and build his reading resume with a good track record of books. 

    Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Missceegee and Bookworm, I’d love to hear your opinions on this.

    In his free time he’s already read several times:

    Gentle Ben
    The Indian in the Cupboard
    Old Yeller
    Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
    Charlotte’s Web
    Stuart Little
    The Railway Children
    All 19 Boxcar Children
    All Little House books
    The Cricket in Times Square

    And this is not an exhaustive list by any means. 

    So, some good reading suggestions would be nice as well as maybe some other ideas of additional study for ds.

    Blessings,

    Lindsey

    melindab72
    Member

    Wow, that’s a nice variety there. My younger dd reads all the time too, but I don’t record it all, just the non-twaddle. LOL

    Some that he may like… Heidi (since he like the Little House books), Black Beauty, Narnia books.  I’m hoping others chime in too, my girls are getting to be better readers and it excites me! 

    melindab72
    Member

    Oh, and we’re about to read “Brighty of Grand Canyon”. I’ve been wanting to read that one for awhile.

    LindseyD
    Participant

    Thanks melindab72! As a family, we’ve read Heidi, Black Beauty, and all the Narnia books. In true Ryan-fashion, he has already gone back and re-read all of those too! We just finished Secret Garden yesterday, and I have no doubts that before the week is over, he’ll be re-reading it too. That’s just the way he is!

    LindseyD
    Participant

    Also, to add to my original question, whatever I decide, should I have him do written narrations in addition to the reading or just do the reading?

    ServingwithJoy
    Participant

    My independent reading for fourth graders (and thereabouts) includes:

    Little Women

    Little Men

    The Door in the Wall

    Sounder

    The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

    Crispin At the Edge of the World (Trilogy)

    Peter Pan

    The Book of Virtues

    Hostage Lands

    Caddie Woodlawn

    The Secret Garden

    A Little Princess

    Little Lord Fountleroy

    Robinson Crusoe

    Shadrach

    Children’s Stories from Dickens

    Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates

    The 21 Balloons

    Johnny Tremain

    The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow

    Cheaper By the Dozen

    Old Yeller

    Adam of the Road

    Ten Boys Who Made a Difference

    The Jungle Books

    Tales from Shakespeare

    The Chronicles of Narnia

    Call of the Wild

    White Fang

    Hiawatha

    Castle & Cathedral

    Masada (read first & edit)

    Anne of Green Gables (Series)

    Little Britches Series

    Five Children and It

    Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

    The Black Pearl

    The Island of the Blue Dolphins

    Bruchko

    The Master Puppeteer

    Beorn the Proud

    Pollyanna

    Otto of the Silver Hand

    The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

    Bambi

    The White Stag

    Black Beauty

    In His Steps

    Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

    The Witch of Blackbird Pond

    The Bronze Bow

    Tanglewood’s Secret

    Kidnapped

    The Mysterious Benedict Society

    The Silver Branch

    The Eagle of the Ninth

    Gulliver’s Travels

    All-of-a-Kind Family

    Mary Poppins

    Tirzah

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

    Medallion

    King Arthur and His Knights

    Listening for Lions

    Trumpet of the Swan

    Forbidden Gates

    Detectives in Togas

    Swiss Family Robinson

    These can be tweaked according to your historical studies, obviously, since many of them are set in specific historical periods.

    I require written narrations on one fiction and one non-fiction book of their choice per month.

    Hope that gives you some ideas!

    melindab72
    Member

    What a list!! Something inside me just loves useful lists. Cool Thanks!

    Lindsay, what a joy is must be for you to watch your son devour good books. My older dd is 10 and she really just this year learned to read. Seriously. Now she’s reading easy chapter books on her own and she rushes in to tell me every time she finishes a chapter. I love watching her learn to love reading, learn to love the library, and lose herself in stories. I’m forming a list of possible future reads, so feel free to let us know when you guys find good ones.

    melindab72
    Member

    Servingwithjoy, I look at your list and I’m still hit with old attitudes that formed in me when I was young…..”Little Women for a forth grader? Isn’t that a HARD book??”

    LOL It’s not easy to let go of it. I hope I don’t inadvertently pass it on to them!

    missceegee
    Participant

    Lindsey, I’m still out of town and using my phone so this will be short. Yes, I assign independent reading as soon as they can manage. For ds9 that was this year (3rd). Here are the types of books ds9 reads independently for assigned reading. When I say reader, I simply mean he reads it to himself instead of me reading it. I assign these books to be read one chapter at a time and narrated.

    History Reader – Caddie Woodlawn (actually audiobook since we’re on vacation)

    Science Reader – any of my bunches of living science books, currently the CLP Nature Reader during this trip.

    Literature Reader – a fun one, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

    He also reads additional books on his own that I don’t assign or have him narrate. He isn’t my big reader, but does enjoy reading.

    I have used HUFI to make my yearly reading list going forward. There are several scheduled books and a list of additional books. I’ve labeled the spines and put them on the proper year shelves. My kids can read the assigned books when they are scheduled and can read any additional lit. books at their level and below. This was necessary bc my oldest at 12 was reading EVERYTHING! I tired of having to reinvent the wheel when we’d pull out her next book and she would say, “I’ve already read that.” Now, I will say I allow myself flexibility. My youngest dd6 can already read most anything and will likely go through everything faster. No matter, I feel my organization allows for that without giving free reign to my girls.

    melindab72
    Member

    Out of the list above, which ones would you say are the easiest for those just getting into chapter books?

    LindseyD
    Participant

    LOVE that list, ServingWithJoy! We have read many on it, but it gives me a good starting place to plan his first 5-6 books. Our problem is that he often grabs books off our VERY accessible shelves around the house and reads without even telling me until he finishes! So, I’ll go to suggest something for him to read only to be met with, “I’ve already read that!”

    @melinda, it is a joy to see my son so enthralled with reading. He’s been this way since he learned to read, around 5 years old. It’s not something we’ve ever had to force; rather, it’s the opposite. It’s not uncommon for me to say, “Ryan, it’s time to close the books and go play outside!”

    Christie, did you have your ds do written or oral narrations for his reading? And did he do narrations by chapter? Several chapters? By book?

    Thanks,

    Lindsey 

    missceegee
    Participant

    Lindsey, that is exactly why I have pulled all school books from our main shelves and put them in on off limits shelves. I tired of DD12 always saying, I’ve already read that! I have sticker labels on the spines with Y1, Y2, etc. If I didn’t have some different shelves, I’d put them in plastic bins and put them in our large walk in attic until kids were ready for them. I’ll show you my system in August when you come, if that might be helpful.

    My ds9 gives oral narrations on all readings each day (3-4). Each reading is 1-2 chapters in length. He isn’t doing written narrations yet, but will next year.

    coralloyd
    Participant

    This list might be too girly in some respects, but here are just some that my 5th grader is reading:

    Anne of Green Gables

    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

    The Swiss Family Robinson

    Black Stallion

    Caddie Woodlawn

    Cheaper by the Dozen

    Julie of the Wolves

    Little Lord Flauntleroy

    Secret Garden

    Moffats

    Twenty-One Balloons

    Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates

    Little Women

    Incredible Journey

    A Little Pincess

    Ordinary Princess 

    In Grandma’s Attic series

    Miracles on Maple Hill

    Strawberry Girl

    The Railway Children 

    Just So Stories 

    The Year of Miss Agnes 

    The Secret School

    The Phantom Tollbooth 

    Island of the Blue Dolphin

    The Great Turkey Walk

    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

    Spider Sparrow

    The Enchanted Castle

    LindseyD
    Participant

    Ok, here’s what I’ve decided to assign to ds for his reading/narration:

    the Crispin trilogy (will go nicely with our history studies)

    Caddie Woodlawn

    Island of the Blue Dolphins

    Mary Poppins

    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

    Just So Stories

    Little Men

    Little Women

    My Side of the Mountain

     

    And for good measure, here is dd8’s assigned independent reading:

    Betsy-Tacy

    Betsy-Tacy and Tib

    Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown

    Island of the Blue Dolphins

    Five Little Peppers

    The Indian in the Cupboard

    Old Yeller

    Just So Stories

    The Cricket in Times Square

    Carolina’s Courage

    Gentle Ben

    Caddie Woodlawn

    How does this look? Anything I MUST add?

    Melissa Henson
    Participant

    Missceegee, I already live near you. May I see your system? 🙂

     

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