Room 106 continues to develop our daily reading routines and we have spent the past few days focusing on how to choose "Just Right" or "Good Fit" books. We used the analogy of riding a bike, if they pick books that are too difficult for them at this point, it is like riding a bike up hill only. They get tired, frustrated, it takes a long time, and they may even want to give up (like getting off your bike and walking it up)! When students are always wanting to read books that are too hard, it is difficult to build their reading skills and confidence. In the same manner, many kids enjoy the casual coast down the hill where they don't have to pedal or work too hard but eventually that can become boring. If students are drawn to choosing books that are a breeze for them to complete, they are also not building their skills as a reader and may find it hard to stay focused and fulfilled with reading. Good fit books have a little of both! Some bumps are great to provide a bit of challenge to overcome, as well as opportunities to practice newly learned strategies but there are not too steep of inclines to slow the reader down too much. It would be helpful to use this language with your child at home as well to encourage them to practice reading with the appropriate book to work up to the more difficult ones.

A helpful strategy for students to use when trying to decide if the book is a good fit for them is the 5 finger rule outlined here.

We will have some days in our schedule where students are able to choose any books they would like to try because we really want to promote the love and joy of reading through positive experiences!