The Book Whisperer discussion

Donalyn Miller has active research to back up the fact that reading produces good readers. Within her 6th grade classroom, she requires students to read 40 books during the school year. The books are self selected by students and free from required traditional teacher created assignments afterwards. Students experience the joy of reading and form a life long love of reading books.
One of the amazing results are that students pass the TAKS test and most within 90%. Without the kill and drill practice of the test all year long.
A must read for all who teacher reading.

I will buy this book. I'm sure the ideas/strategies will be relevant to NZ schools. I'm looking forward to it.

I agree this is a must read for any teacher who teaches reading!

It's a great book. I read it last summer and just read it again. Frankly, I think all teachers should read it ... reading teachers or otherwise. Administrators would do well to read it; parents would likely find it quite informative. I'm a 7th and 8th grade English teacher; however, when I taught history and English, I tried hard to bring a reading and writing component to my history classes. As teachers, we need to embrace learning, which includes reading, regardless of our discipline. I think a lot of educators would find this book inspiring.

I am a first year teacher who has read this book and I love it, not only how it explains how to get kids reading but dicusses how reading is drilled out of students. I saw it with my own kids and I remember in Jr. High being told to read books that I didn't like and not reading for awhile until I was out of school. I will be using the information from this book in my own classroom to help build life long readers.

A Spanish teacher at my school read it after I recommended it and was thrilled. She had me check every book in Spanish in our library out to her. Students will have free time to browse through and read among these book and ones she already has in her classroom. Book Whisperer is not just for English teachers.