Written by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim

SHORT TEXTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: LAUNCHING INTO SUMMER READING

For the past ten weeks, we have offered a series called Short Texts at Your Fingertips. One or two times each week, we provided teaching ideas around a different type of short text that is easily found in the home, so that no family feels under-resourced. The ideas we have shared were easily integrated into any curriculum and pedagogy, from Workshop to basal. If you are a caregiver, teacher, or curriculum director, these brief but mighty texts and lessons are our way of saying thanks. And our way of giving children authentic and enjoyable reading and writing engagements each day. For some, summer is already in full swing. For others, summer is just a few short weeks or days away. Regardless of when your school year ends, it’s important that students of all ages keep reading and writing across the summer months. In this blog post we talk about the WHY and HOW to create voluminous readers this summer! Stay tuned for next week’s blog post where we wrap up this series talking about the WHY and HOW to create voluminous writers this summer!

SUMMER READING

Readers bring so much to the reading experience. We love chapter books and novels, but we also know that for some kids short, interesting texts will keep them reading. We think about reading as eyes on print - eyes on print - EYES ON TEXT. It doesn’t matter if you are reading a long text or a short one, reading often with many pages turning is what creates voluminous reading. We want kids to be in the driver’s seat so that they can create reading habits that last into adulthood. Choice helps kids to feel empowered. We often tell students that becoming a stronger reader requires building muscles. When we are building our basketball or soccer muscles, our karate muscles, our art muscles (or even cooking muscles), we have to practice in order to get better and stronger. The same is true for reading -- we get better at reading and build our reading habits when we read widely [lots of text types] and deeply (reading lots about a topic, idea, or author).

TRY THIS!

Step 1

Ask students what they want to read about. Do they want to read:

Fiction or nonfiction?
Short texts or novels/chapter books?
Books and texts by the same author or different authors?
With someone or on their own?

If you want to find out about students’ interests and curiosities, consider using one of these surveys:

Step 2

Ask students to set up a summer reading goal. Ask:

How many days each week will you read?
How many minutes will you shoot for each time you read?

If it’s helpful, ask students to set up a summer reading calendar outlining the days and times they plan to read.

Step 3

Ask students to identify different spots for their summer reading. Create a short list of places that might be a perfect reading nook such as:

Comfy chair
Snuggled up on a couch
On the porch or in the backyard
At the park on a bench
Under a favorite tree
In the car
On the beach or at the pool
On the airplane or train
In bed on a rainy morning

Step 4

Ask students to gather a stack of summer reading books and texts. Consider creating a stack and taking a picture of the spines to celebrate summer reading goal setting! Here’s an example:

Screen Shot 2020-06-02 at 7.35.14 PM.png

Step 5

Visit the local library regularly (either online resources or if possible, in person). And, make sure all readers have their own library card!

Step 6

If it’s short texts that you are interested in, check out our blog series which is filled with lots of resources that can be found right at your fingertips!

And don’t forget to think about how you will make these short texts easy to access and use. Maybe you have a basket or tub filled with inviting short texts or longer texts with the short pieces bookmarked and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Or, if you have some printed short texts, fill a binder, manilla folder, or two-pocket folder so that you can store them easily and read them over and over again.

FOR MORE RESOURCES, CHECK THESE OUT!

Scholastic Summer Read-A-Palooza
If you want summer reading calendars with daily reading suggestions, check this out
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Suggestions
Check out the Collaborative Summer Library Program which is filled with lots of resources
Summer reading book recommendations from the Association for Library Service to Children
School Library Journal’s Summer Reading Series: Best Reads All Summer Long
And..here’s a little something for the adults! Take a look at The New York Times Summer Reading List

COMING SOON!

Short Texts: Mighty Mentors That Move Readers and Writers Forward by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim (2022)

We offer you Short Texts at Your Fingertips. Twice each week, we provide teaching ideas around a different type of short text that is easily found in the home, so that no family feels under-resourced. These ideas can integrate into virtually any curriculum and pedagogy, from Workshop to basal. If you are a caregiver, teacher, or curriculum director, these brief but mighty texts and lessons are our way of saying thanks. And our way of giving children authentic and enjoyable reading and writing engagements each day.

Written by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim

SHORT TEXTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: GAME DIRECTIONS

If you are like us, we have favorite go-to games that get played over and over again and some games that we hardly take off the shelf. Often, that’s because it’s easier to grab the game that we love and already know how to play versus new and unfamiliar ones. Card games, board games, dice games, puzzle games, cooperative games, and more...all include a short text in the form of a set of directions that create reading opportunities galore!

Screen Shot 2020-05-05 at 3.33.05 PM.png — A messy, but game-filled, shelf filled with oodles of directions to read and enjoy!

VIDEO

If you’d like to see a short video on how to use game directions to entertain, inform, and inspire watch.

TRY THIS!

Step 1

Take a look at your game shelves. Grab any card, board, or dice game that sounds like fun and that you want to play. If you don’t have any board or card games, you can look for games online and take a look at the resources below for some ideas. Once you find the game you want to play, pull out the directions and preview them. Decide if you want to read the directions once all the way through or read them one section at a time. Consider asking:

What do you notice about how the directions are set up?
Do the directions have headings or subheadings that help you navigate the text?

Dice, card and board games are great because they are easily transportable and can be played in many places. We are tired of being inside, so we’re taking some of our games outside.

Screen Shot 2020-05-05 at 11.48.51 AM.png

Step 2

Take a closer look at the game directions. Here’s an example of some game directions we love.

Screen Shot 2020-05-05 at 11.55.36 AM.png

Here’s what we noticed:

The directions are folded like a leaflet or flyer.
There are a few headings that help us orient to the game such as Object, Setup, Get Ready.
The game directions are listed in numbered steps.
There are colorful images that help demonstrate what the text is talking about.

This text is filled with reading, writing and talking opportunities. For example, you could:

Play the game a few times and then read further to learn about Other Ways to Play.
Compare this 2-player version to the original Rubik’s Cube puzzle.
Visit the website of the Original Rubik’s Cube to learn about different types of Rubik’s Cubes and lots of hints, tips and challenges.
Read about and watch short clips on Speedcubing to learn about the world record holder for solving the Rubik’s Cube in the shortest amount of time.

Step 3

Look for other reading, writing and talking opportunities using this short text type.

Reading Ideas

Depending on the difficulty of the game, reread or revisit the game directions as needed.
Compare directions from one game to another. How are they similar? How are they different?
Pick a game -- one that you enjoy, one that is challenging, or one that has you intrigued -- research the history of the game.
- Who is it made by?
- Has the company been around for a long time?
- What other games do they make?
If the directions are written in more than one language, compare the sets of directions.

Writing Ideas

Rewrite some of the directions to your favorite game, making changes that you think would make the game even better.
Write, draw or redesign the game box or container. What would you keep the same? What would you change?
Create your own game, including writing the directions.
Write a game review for your favorite or least favorite game.

Talking Ideas

Share the strategies you used to play the game.
Talk about your favorite types of games and explain why you like them.
Talk about your least favorite types of games and explain why you don’t like them.
Discuss the games you know how to play without any written directions such as 20 Questions, I Spy, The License Plate Game, and Hopscotch. How did you learn to play them?

Step 4

Look for other images that you find and read those too!

FOR MORE RESOURCES, CHECK THESE OUT!

Check out some of the largest game companies for types of games, interesting facts, and different versions of the same game.
There are a lot of games online. We suggest searching for the types of games that pique the interests and needs of the players. Some criteria you can use as you search include:
- Age Ranges [Ex. Ages 7 and up]
- School [Ex. Preschool, Elementary]
- Type [Ex. Card, Dice]
- Number of Players [Ex. 2 Players]
- Difficulty Level [Ex. Novice, Experienced, Expert]
- Ratings [Ex. 1 Star, 2, Stars]
Other sites you might find helpful for online games include:

COMING SOON!

Short Texts: Mighty Mentors That Move Readers and Writers Forward by Julie Wright & Elizabeth Keim (2022)

Short Texts at Your Fingertips: Launching into Summer Reading