High reader help

lnm130

lnm130

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Hi all!

I have my first genuinely high student. I estimate he is reading at a 3.5 level, while I teach 2nd. He is about a year-year and a half ahead of my other highest students. I stopped testing him at level Q today, because I ran out of tests!

It has been recommended to me that instead of focusing on his reading, I work with him on his writing. I'm assuming I can use this hand in hand with reading, such as him responding to what he is reading.

I am looking for ideas as to where to start, books to read, independent writing work ideas...I have never had a high student, let alone as advanced as he is!
 
He might appreciate a novel study (there's lots of great stuff out there on Charlotte's Web, for example, which is right about at his level). You can also use things like Jacob's Ladder, which lends itself well to self-direction.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with focusing on his writing. By all means... work on writing... but it's still extremely important for him to develop his reading skills. I teach third grade gifted kids... as a general rule, my best readers tend to also be my best writers because my best readers have had so much exposure to high-quality literature.
 
I will echo gr3teacher's thoughts. Certainly even though he is reading at that level, there are things he can work on-comprehension, vocabulary, etc. I think a novel study is a great idea-maybe meet with him once a week and have a little literature circle, even if it's just the 2 of you. As to what books to use, I would survey his interests and try to find something that he is interested in.
 
Is there an option to move up for reading? In third grade I went across the hall to the fourth grade class for reading. I was in the top reading group there.

There was a second grader who came to our class for reading.
 
lnm130 said:
Hi all!

It has been recommended to me that instead of focusing on his reading, I work with him on his writing. I'm assuming I can use this hand in hand with reading, such as him responding to what he is reading.

I am looking for ideas as to where to start, books to read, independent writing work ideas...I have never had a high student, let alone as advanced as he is!
Click to expand...

I agree that you should focus on writing. Pick a book he loves and tell him he's got to figure out how the author wrote it. Look at the author's sentences, word choices, how it's organized, and the writing conventions the author uses. Have him make a set of rules.

His assignment then is to create an imitation of that author's style.

The advantage of doing this is he's working with literature that's on his maturity level. It's high interest, and no one in your whole school is smart enough to write like that author (or that person would be rich and famous). He's doing something challenging.

I do this with the whole class. I can make it simpler for the less able or mature students and ramp it up for my little geniuses.
 
Unfortunately, going up to third grade for reading is not an option, I have already thought of that!

Surprisingly, his writing is very poor. I was shocked when I initially saw it.

I will look into books, maybe take him to the book room with me to show him options we have. He is very into video games, zombies...things like that.
 
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