In case you are not familiar with the term, D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything And Read. I was very surprised and excited to learn that WPA has a school wide D.E.A.R. time.
I have only participated in D.E.A.R. once as a student. That was in first grade. Right after recess the teacher would print D.E.A.R. in big, bold letters on the chalkboard. As a first grader I took the term very literally and would love to drop to the floor with my book in the middle of the classroom. It took the teacher a few tries to get it across to me that I didn't have to actually drop everything, I just had to read. I love the idea of D.E.A.R. because it provides a structured time during the school day for students to read for pleasure. Teachers don't care what you're reading, as long as you're reading something. I think students who don't like to read just haven't found something they enjoy reading yet. There's very few people in the world who can't wait to crack the textbook open, but odds are there's a genre or author out there that you enjoy. For me, it was mystery. I loved Nancy Drew!
Even as a child, I have always loved to read. Maybe that's because cartoons only came on in the mornings when I was growing up. My daily schedule went like this: watch cartoons, go to school, play outside, read, bedtime. I was also the kid that would have to be told to turn off the flashlight and go got bed! I could get lost in a book. Even to this day, I HATE stopping in the middle of a chapter. I have to know what happens next!
Yeah, ok Ms. Knapp, you like to read. So, what's the big deal?
Kids today don't read as often. Family trips to the library are a thing of the past. With TV/movies, computers, video games, smart phones, etc. a paperback book seems like an antique. Why read the book when you can see the movie, right? Well, studies have shown that there is no better tool to raise student test scores than independent reading. Teachers can throw workbooks, textbooks, projects, book reports, spelling words, etc. at their classes, but nothing raises test scores higher than having the student actually read. The best part is that it doesn't matter what the child is reading! It doesn't have to about a particular subject, it doesn't even have to be on exact grade level. We all know that practice makes perfect. The more you read, the better you get at it. Reading increases vocabulary, promotes proper grammar and spelling, fosters creativity, and helps kids learn how to use context clues and make inferences.
If you want to make that III or IV on your Language Arts EOG this year, make use of D.E.A.R. time! It's been said that you can't "study" for EOGs. That's true to some extent. You can't cram a year's worth of curriculum into the night, the week, or even the month before the test, but you can certainly prepare. Your goal should be to read 40 books by the end of the year. That may seem like a daunting number, but it's completely do-able. That's 2 books a month. All you have to do is read during D.E.A.R. time every day and another 20 minutes at home every night. If you get in the habit, you'll be making crazy growth on this year's EOG. :)
I have only participated in D.E.A.R. once as a student. That was in first grade. Right after recess the teacher would print D.E.A.R. in big, bold letters on the chalkboard. As a first grader I took the term very literally and would love to drop to the floor with my book in the middle of the classroom. It took the teacher a few tries to get it across to me that I didn't have to actually drop everything, I just had to read. I love the idea of D.E.A.R. because it provides a structured time during the school day for students to read for pleasure. Teachers don't care what you're reading, as long as you're reading something. I think students who don't like to read just haven't found something they enjoy reading yet. There's very few people in the world who can't wait to crack the textbook open, but odds are there's a genre or author out there that you enjoy. For me, it was mystery. I loved Nancy Drew!
Even as a child, I have always loved to read. Maybe that's because cartoons only came on in the mornings when I was growing up. My daily schedule went like this: watch cartoons, go to school, play outside, read, bedtime. I was also the kid that would have to be told to turn off the flashlight and go got bed! I could get lost in a book. Even to this day, I HATE stopping in the middle of a chapter. I have to know what happens next!
Yeah, ok Ms. Knapp, you like to read. So, what's the big deal?
Kids today don't read as often. Family trips to the library are a thing of the past. With TV/movies, computers, video games, smart phones, etc. a paperback book seems like an antique. Why read the book when you can see the movie, right? Well, studies have shown that there is no better tool to raise student test scores than independent reading. Teachers can throw workbooks, textbooks, projects, book reports, spelling words, etc. at their classes, but nothing raises test scores higher than having the student actually read. The best part is that it doesn't matter what the child is reading! It doesn't have to about a particular subject, it doesn't even have to be on exact grade level. We all know that practice makes perfect. The more you read, the better you get at it. Reading increases vocabulary, promotes proper grammar and spelling, fosters creativity, and helps kids learn how to use context clues and make inferences.
If you want to make that III or IV on your Language Arts EOG this year, make use of D.E.A.R. time! It's been said that you can't "study" for EOGs. That's true to some extent. You can't cram a year's worth of curriculum into the night, the week, or even the month before the test, but you can certainly prepare. Your goal should be to read 40 books by the end of the year. That may seem like a daunting number, but it's completely do-able. That's 2 books a month. All you have to do is read during D.E.A.R. time every day and another 20 minutes at home every night. If you get in the habit, you'll be making crazy growth on this year's EOG. :)