Real Reading vs. Fake Reading

Our class learned all about what's our independent reading time should look like. We made a chart for real reading vs. fake reading. Then I took pictures of my class and they wrote sentences about their reading. Here are some of the pictures and sentences they came up with.

Fake reading is a book on top of your head.

Real reading is looking at the book.

Fake reading is playing with your books.

Real reading is eyes on the book.

Fake reading is sleeping with a book on your head.

Real reading is turning the pages. 

Then we made a bulletin board for real vs fake reading. I still reference this from time to time when students aren't reading as they should.

What things do you do in your classroom to help students understand how they should read independently?

Shhh! Whisper Phones!

Five years ago I taught first grade for the first time. One of the ideas that came from my Master Teacher was Whisper Phones. At that point, the school bought these cool little headsets for the students to use. They worked. The class whispered when they read and I couldn't hear all of the chatter in the room when I was doing small groups.

When I left for the green pastures of 3rd grade, I had to leave those babies behind.

Now that I am going back to first grade, I thought about those cute little whisper phones. I knew I had to find a cheaper way to do whisper phones. I finally found out how to make whisper phones with PVC pipes.

First, my trip to Lowe's...I bought 2 pks. of 3/4" PVC elbows, a 5' PVC pipe 3/4" in diameter, and decorative Duck Tape. We tried to get the people at Lowe's to cut it for me, but they said they couldn't (even though I know that they can.) Enter my father-in-law, contractor by day, superhero by night. He cut the PVC pipe in 4" sections for me. So now I have a 4" sections and 2 elbows to make my whisper phones.

Now is the easiest part of the entire project. Just snap 2 elbows on each end and you're done. You could hot glue the ends on, but I chose not to. They are pretty snug.

I put this decorative Duck Tape around the handle to hide the ugly writing on the pipe. This was the hardest part of the project. That Duck Tape did not want to cooperate with me!

 It matches my classroom which is decked out in animal print.

And I can't forget this cute tub that I am currently storing them in! Compliments of my wonderful sister-in-law.

I can't wait for my little ones to use these whisper phones this school year. What are you working on or creating for the next school year?