Is it a
What do shoes and books have in shoes and asked them to put them on. We tried
common? They each need to have a good ﬁt. walking around in our “new shoes” and then
Many areas of the curriculum are individualized came back together to discuss our experience.
for student learning and this is especially true in The majority of the girls reported that the new
the very developmental realm of reading. Each pair of shoes were too big or too small. We
girl has speciﬁc goals that are tailored to her noticed that nothing was bad about the shoes,
reading development and her book basket indeed they were all pretty cool. They just did
reﬂects her interests and goals. not work out on the wrong feet. We each
Early in the year we focused on the 3 ways needed shoes that ﬁt us so we could run and
to read a book: Read the Words, Read the play safely and comfortably and do our best.
Pictures or Retell the Story and the books in The girls now know that books are like
your daughter’s basket could reﬂect any of shoes: you really need it to be a good ﬁt for you!
these ways of reading. Now, we focus mostly We revisited the idea by re-reading Whose
on reading the words to become stronger Shoes? later in the week. What would happen if How to pick a Good Fit Book:
readers, though the other ways of reading are a ballet dancer wore a snowboarder’s shoes?
I choose a book
still welcome. What if a mail carrier wore a scuba diver’s Purpose - why do I want to read it?
This week I asked the girls to take off their shoes? What if a construction worker wore a Interest - Does it interest me?
Comprehend - Am I understanding?
shoes and toss them to the center of our circle. lifeguard’s shoes? None of them would be able
Know - I know most of the words
I quickly and randomly tossed each girl a pair of to do their best!