The reading categories are in four languages – we just started this here about two months ago – and the purpose was to have an “instant cut and paste” option for our own readings based on Matava/Tripp stories.
Not many people have sent in readings. But that can be a work in progress. I really like the basic idea, that a cut and paste option here can be taken by anyone from the category and then, instead of writing up readings from the story their class made up, all they have to do is find the story in the category and add in the names and details from their own classes. The only purpose was simplify and to save time.
Honestly, this idea may not actually work, so time will tell. If it doesn’t I’ll just take down those categories.
Speaking of simplicity, the categories themselves have now gotten too complex. Not only that, the entire subject of reading is very complex right now – remember, we are making this stuff up as we go along. Readings from stories are now separate from novels in most people’s minds – there are two pedagogies involved.
The other option from stories and readings being separate is that novels can generate readings and not be separated from them over the course of an academic year. That last idea is brand new to me. I got just yesterday from my team colleagues at Lincoln who, because they have been a TPRS/CI team for years, are way ahead of the rest of us who have been alone.
The problem with that is that it is too complex to write up and explain in words here on the blog. We need a meeting. Oh well. Might have to go to a video blog on this. The big point about reading is what Angela was saying about keeping interest up. We have to be clear here about a lot of important reading techniques for keeping kids involved.
Our goal as a group is that before Christmas, somehow, we have this reading topic clear in people’s minds, and that we have ways of teaching reading classes that involves kids in the way stories do – at a high level. We can do it but it is going to take a lot of input from everybody. It takes a village.
Just to be real clear about how you can post your readings to the language specific category – just send me the story, in L2 only, and I will post it as a blog post and link it. In that way, the community can see what is being added into the categories as they happen.