Promoting Active Reading in Nova Scotia Classrooms
There's a buzz of activity in Paula Evans's Grade 1 classroom at West Chezzetcook School. In one corner, students are reading a book together. In another, they're using magnetic letters to form words and sentences. Another group is using puppets to act out the story they've just read. Still others are reading books on their own.
These students are in the middle of their daily Active Reading Hour.
"The Active Reading Hour is the best thing that's happened in our classroom," said Mrs. Evans. "Students are able to work at their own level so stronger students can work harder and be challenged while struggling students can get support and improve."
The hour is part of a Department of Education literacy initiative called Active Young Readers. The initiative was launched in September 2000 for Primary to Grade 3 students, who take part in reading and reading-related activities and instruction in a one- hour block.
It was extended to include grades 4, 5 and 6 in September 2001. These students see 60 minutes of activity devoted to reading spread throughout the day.
It supports the provincial elementary language arts curriculum with books for students and resources for teachers.
"In two years, we've supplied Nova Scotia's elementary school classrooms with nearly 425,000 books for students," said Education Minister Jane Purves. "That's an average of 130 new books per classroom to help our students gain the basic literacy skills they need for future learning."
In addition to the books for the province's 44,000 elementary students, each elementary language arts teacher has received two to three resource books. Active Young Readers also includes professional development to help teachers make the most of these resources.
"When I talk to other teachers, they really feel valued with the support they've been given through Active Young Readers and they see the value in the initiative," said Mrs. Evans.
Kathryn Brown agrees. A Grade 2 teacher at Hammonds Plains Consolidated School, she says the teacher resources and professional development have given teachers a framework for devising their own ways of delivering the language arts curriculum.
"This initiative is helping us to meet the curriculum outcomes," said Mrs. Brown. "For example, one of the outcomes is that students gain the ability to choose appropriate reading materials. We now have more books for the students to choose from when they realize that they're ready to try something harder. We also have a full hour of reading and reading-related activities every day to help them progress."
With the wide variety of books provided through Active Young Readers, teachers can engage their students with books that are appropriate, depending on their abilities and interests.
Back in Mrs. Evans's classroom, it's clear that the $3-million investment in Active Young Readers is paying off as a proud student's voice rises above the buzz of reading activity.
"I'm ready, Mrs. Evans," he tells his teacher. "I know I can do more."