Super Readers to the Rescue!
Submitted by Niamh Grano
Like all kindergarten classes throughout the district, this year, kindergarten teachers at the William Woodruff School – Lori Nelson, Caryn Panarese, Emily Buonocore and Nicole Belisario, began using the Lucy Calkins Readers College program in their classrooms. The program is designed to prepare students to become life-long, confident readers and writers utilizing powerful curriculum resources, instructional methods, and professional learning opportunities to support teachers in their learning journey.
“Rather than referring to them as ‘reading strategies,’ Lucy Calkins incorporates superheroes and ‘Super Reading Powers’ into the lessons as a way to really engage students and get them excited about applying these strategies to their reading,” said Panarese. “Many times, Lucy Calkins references playing a Batman song or referring to trickier words like kryptonite.”
“From tricks like pointing to sight words, using a picture to identify what is happening in the story or pointing to each word to make sure it matches what the students are reading, there is a ‘power’ for everyone. It really engages the students in a different way,” added Belisario.
Being as creative as they are, this team of teachers expanded on the idea of Super Reading Powers and designed a Superhero Day to celebrate the end of the unit. Each student received a pencil and mask and was identified by the Super Reading Power they found the most helpful to them on their reading journey. There was also a bulletin board displaying each student as a superhero!
While this unit may be complete, students will continue to use their Super Reading Powers and expand upon them to make their powers that much stronger throughout the rest of the school year.
Photo by Berkeley Heights Public Schools
