Reading Alive!

True confessions, here...I sometimes fake read. It's true. When I am at the nail salon, having a pedicure and reading a magazine, I'm sometimes fake reading. When I'm tired at night, I choose a magazine and look at the pictures and captions more than the article. I know I'm fake reading because I when I put down the magazine or book that I'm thumbing through, I cannot remember anything about it. My reading didn't matter. My "reading" was really just scanning words on a page.

But when I'm reading a book, especially a chapter book with great characters and an interesting plot, I'm reading for real! My mentor, Lucy Calkins, likes to call this "Reading Alive!" Alive Reading is when you visualize what you read, you back-up and reread because something didn't make sense, you think about the characters. When I Read Alive, I feel like the characters are my friends, like the places in the book are places a can visit in my mind. Reading Alive brings me in and makes me part of the book. I know I my reading is real because I CAN remember it. Real reading stays with me even when I've put the book away and sometimes I don't want the story to end.

Mrs. Jenkins' homeroom had a great debate the other day about when we are reading, and when we are "thinking reading." Many of you argued that unless there was a lesson or assignment, a task along with the reading, that the reading didn't require thinking. Others of you argued that readers are always thinking, regardless of time, day, place. It's a Reading Alive vs. Fake Reading!

What do you think? Are you only Reading Alive when the teacher gives you a task to do or a lesson to think about? Or are you Reading Alive all the time? Explain what Alive Reading feels like to you. How is reading at home different from independent reading time at school? Do you feel less Alive at certain times?

Answer the questions in bold. You must edit your writing before submitting.

Poetry Madness: FINAL FOUR!!!

Refer to previous posts for expectations. Your post should try to persuade other classmates to vote for the poem you like best by making sure your original thought and poet's craft comments are thoughtful and convincing.

Poetry Madness: FINAL FOUR!!!

Refer to previous posts for expectations. Your post should try to persuade other classmates to vote for the poem you like best by making sure your original thought and poet's craft comments are thoughtful and convincing.

Poetry Madness: Round 2, Game 4

Refer to previous posts for expectations.

Poetry Madness: Round 2, Game 3

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. For the remainder of the posts, your explanation for choosing a winner must include new, original thought and attention to the poet's craft.

As a reminder, when choosing a poem based on poet's craft, you must pay attention to: rhyme scheme, line breaks (when a poet ends a line), punctuation, word choice, simile/metaphor (comparing one thing to another), and repetition.

Original Thought could include a personal connection or the ability to visualize the poem.

Your post must include the following as to why you chose a winner:
*Poet's craft
*New, original thought

Poetry Madness: Round 2, Game 2

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. For the remainder of the posts, your explanation for choosing a winner must include new, original thought and attention to the poet's craft.

As a reminder, when choosing a poem based on poet's craft, you must pay attention to: rhyme scheme, line breaks (when a poet ends a line), punctuation, word choice, simile/metaphor (comparing one thing to another), and repetition.

Original Thought could include a personal connection or the ability to visualize the poem.

Your post must include the following as to why you chose a winner:
*Poet's craft
*New, original thought

Poetry Madness: Round 2, Game 1

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. For the remainder of the posts, your explanation for choosing a winner must include new, original thought and attention to the poet's craft.

As a reminder, when choosing a poem based on poet's craft, you must pay attention to: rhyme scheme, line breaks (when a poet ends a line), punctuation, word choice, simile/metaphor (comparing one thing to another), and repetition.

Original Thought could include a personal connection or the ability to visualize the poem.

Your post must include the following as to why you chose a winner:
*Poet's craft
*New, original thought