The List

What is on your to-do list today?

I have to wash a load of clothes, get gas, and get to school on time. Changing just one word will take that list from chores to things that instill gratitude.

• I am blessed to have an assortment of clothes and doubly blessed that I get to wash them in my own washer and dryer.
• I get to fill my tank with gas so I can drive my own car to work.
• I get to instill a love of reading and books in children at school, and, unlike last year, get to do it in person!

This simple shift is powerful in our classrooms as well. It’s true that students have to pick Read to Self during Daily 5, but that isn’t how we present it.

It isn’t “have to” — it’s “get to.”

• They get to choose books they want to read, because we know choice is highly motivating.
• They get extended periods of time to read independently, because we know reading is the best way to become a better reader.
• They get individualized coaching during brief one-on-one conferring, because that is a sure way to accelerate progress.
• And yes, they get to choose Read to Self every day.

By reframing “you have to” so that it’s “you get to,” we shift this wonderful Daily 5 activity to a privilege, something to be anticipated and desired.

We want our students to develop stamina and behaviors of independence during Daily 5. We want them to self-select books they are interested in. And we want them to discover the joy of reading and read for a lifetime. That is more likely to happen if they don’t view this choice as a chore, but as a beautiful gift.

If you are like us, you are deep in the throes of establishing routines, behaviors, and a positive classroom culture. Shifting from “have to” to “get to” is one very simple way to build the reading community we are longing for.