Tweet

I first discovered Daniel Pennac’s The Rights of a Reader in Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child.

Pennac’s “Rights” remind us that we can empower our children as readers! Click HERE for a beautifully Quentin Blake illustrated printable poster of Pennac’s Rights of the Reader.

The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac includes:

The right to skip pages.

The right to read anywhere.

The right to reread.

Why is this important? Because if children are to see themselves as readers, they must be in charge, they must have ownership about their reading.

This is why reading experts say giving children choice is so important!

I caution you  not to hang this poster in your classroom; it will become wallpaper that students will cease to see after a few months. . . First, have teh dialogue with your students about their own reading habits, and then provide Pennac’s list of rights later as an endorsement of what they have already shared

Book choice isn’t a free-for-all, it can and should be very meaningful . . .

1.  Chat with your child about how to self-select books at a “just-right” reading level using the 5-Finger Test.

2.  Share how you pick a book.

My process: I always check out the cover and then read the back. If I’m still interested, I open up the book to the middle and do a quick read through. Sometimes I put a book back if I don’t see any dialogue. Sometimes, if the font is too small, I put it back. What about you? What’s your process?

3. Experiment together with different ways of choosing books at the library. My kids are often impulsive book choosers – just dumping books into their library bag. But, if they can have some criteria, even using the colors or pictures, it’s a good start. We’re working on being more thoughtful. As children grow, they’ll develop more sophisticated methods. Especially with your help.

4. Talk about the selection process. Will he or she refine the book selection process? Add in something? Take out something?

5. Bring out The Rights of the Reader if it’s appropriate. Use it to empower your child as a reader.

And, don’t worry. Just because they’re into Captain Underpants and won’t read anything else, it’s all good. It’s reading and just a phase; it will pass.

RECENT POSTS:

The Best Kids’ Cookbooks

Pretend Play Three Musketeers

$50 at the Slimy Bookworm Giveaway