Poor readers

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Poor readers
By Casey

Last year was my first year teaching, and I think that I must have been blessed with a really high-level group. This year, I was blown out of the water when, on the third day of school, I assigned the class a story to read
independently in class, and a child walked up to me and said, "You have to help me, I can't read." Turns out half my class is way below grade level. Not that that's a bad thing...I'm just having to learn how to teach reading all over again!
As for motivation...I'm having a big problem with that as well. This year we are absolutely stuck in this new reading program and cannot do anything

on our own. The kids HATE it! I'm trying really hard to incorporate art activities and other motivators in the reading program, but it's not helping. BLAH!! Last year, however, I found that the kids really got into the animal stories, like Stone Fox and Shiloh. They also loved reading Greek Myths (that was their fav!). Anything humorous works well too, like There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, The BFG, etc. Try and feel them out and see what they're into!