The Power of Predictability

Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb by Dr. Seuss
Children love rhymes, chanting and hearing their own voices. Predictable texts give them a chance to use their voice while enjoying being able to 'read'.  This 'magical memory reading' helps children develop a love of literature since they re-read vibrant quality literature again and again. Re-reading the same story helps our young readers to understand the structure of stories and they will bring stories to life, you often see children acting out them out. I will be reading some of these with the younger students and be encouraging them to take them home.


Along a similar line of the power of predictability is the power of familiarity. Students who are new to independent reading love to consumer different series of books. Mystery is a great genre to read in a series. The young reader is familiar with the characters and settings and enjoy trying to problem solve and then move onto the next installment. Even as adults many of us enjoy reading series, my recent favourite has been the Game of Thrones. The great thing about mystery series is they appeal to all age and even some of the classics you may have read as a child like Nancy Drew or the Famous Five have been given a face lift to appeal to this next generation. For reluctant readers, the Famous Five even have a TV show so the reader could watch the show and read a book to help them with their comprehension and confidence. Ask your  independent reader if they've brought home a series to try, and you can discuss the clues and solve the mystery!














After reading last week's article about 'A Year of Reading the World' I was inspired by the project. Having our students read a book from every country sounds wonderful but also impractical on many levels. Instead I twisted the idea and my goal is to have students connect to other students globally to discuss books. Hopefully this project will encourage our students to use technology effectively and communicate their love and understanding of literature.   


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