Book+Boxes

= Book Boxes =

A big part of why I chose this strategy was motivation. I thought it would be a fun way to get them interested and thinking about the story we are reading. The students I work with are struggling with reading therefore they don’t really like to read. I like to find ways to help motivate them and I feel this is one way to do that for them.
 * Rationale **

Strategy could be used at any grade level as an introductory activity or to conclude a reading. I think this would be neat as a book report done by older students. Kind of like what I mentioned above, have the students pick out items to go along with a book they read. I also could see using the same thing in other content areas. The teacher could bring in artifacts or items that go along with a new unit they are starting in almost every subject to get the kids into the new topic.
 * Implementation Suggestions **

My students seem to respond very well to this strategy. It was also good for a variety of learner’s especially kinesthetic learners because they were able to touch and feel the items. The discussions we had and reading aloud was good for auditory learners. I think my visual students benefited from the list of predictions we included on the board.
 * Diverse Learners **

The book we are going to read is Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery. I showed them the cover and told them the title of the book. I decided to use a camera, blueberries, and a shopping list as items in my Book Box (I used a bag instead). Before we started reading I pulled out the items in the bag. The boys were able to handle and manipulate the items as well as taste some of the fruit. We brainstormed and predicted what they thought the items had to do with the story we were reading. I made of a list of their ideas on the board. Since it was the first time we had read a Cam Jansen story, I decided to focus in on the camera. We had a discussion about Cam’s photographic memory and how it is like a camera. We also discussed that Cam says “click” like a camera when she is putting something in her brain. After they had a chance to explore the items and we discussed their predictions of the story and how the items might connect to the story we read the story together. As we read the story we referred back to their predictions and either confirmed them or crossed them off the board if they weren’t correct. Potential Issues/Changes ** I think it would have been good to carry things through to the end more. For example, I would have liked to have them update their predictions as we read. I also think it would be neat for the kids to pick out items to go along with a book that they read. I really thought that the interesting part of this strategy was trying to pick out what items to include in the bag. It really made me think about the story and what things might mean the most for the story. As I went through this strategy, I found myself rethinking the items I originally chose for the bag.
 * Procedure **

Johns, J., Lenski, S., & Elish-Piper, L. (1999). Early Literacy Assessments & Teaching Strategies. Kendall/Hunt.
 * References **

Additional information from implemented strategies:

**Strategy Description** Book Boxes are used as a pre reading strategy. Inside a box or bag at least three items are put in it related to the story we are about to read. It helps to introduce the book before reading and allows students to make some predictions as to how they think those things have an impact in the story.

**Description of the Class** A small group (2) of low reading second grade Title I boys.

This lesson went very well. My goal was to get them excited and into the story we were reading. Having something to touch and hold really helped to peak their interested in the upcoming story. They were definitely more involved in the story than they have been in the past. They were very excited and it was a little hard to rein them back in to begin reading the story
 * Reflection **