Rhonda White - Post #2
Making a Match Between Books and Kids focuses on helping transitional readers increase their reading comprehension and level of reading.  Teachers who rely on leveled reader books to move readers to the next level are unfortunately limiting reading growth.  We should take into account the students’ interests, background knowledge, and motivation.  We need to provide books that support our students in moving them forward toward more independent reading and comprehension skills rather than moving them to a higher level of reading.  Books should be carefully chosen to help our students use text supports to strengthen understanding.  These books are known as “anchor books”.  These books should provide texts that allows the students to make inferences.  Other supports to consider are pictures, text setup, hooks, leads, illustrations, dialogue, and length of chapters.  Teachers need to be aware of the different supports that a book contains so that students have more opportunities to become better readers.  We can do this by not only using leveled readers but offering a library with a variety of levels, interests, and genres.