Submitted by: Cece/GA/1

Self Selected Reading in Sept of First Grade 

Make sure you have some wordless books, ABC books, and books with lots 
of repetition (like Brown Bear) for the book baskets. You will have some 
kids who can read when they come to first grade, so have some of the hello 
reader type books for them. You can get take-out menus from restaraunts, maps 
and brochures from rest areas (they absolutely LOVE these), and nonfiction 
books with lots of pictures (even if they can't read the text they will stay
engaged looking at the pictures) Familiar fairy tales and folk tales.

I begin my first grade SSR by discussing what procedures I want the 
kids to follow. I tell them there are 3 ways they can read... read pictures, 
read words, or retell a familiar tale by looking at the pictures and making 
up the words. I model each of these 3 types of reading--OVER and OVER 
until I see they have it. I don't move into conferencing for a few weeks, but 
move around the room keeping kids on task.
I model how I want them to share afterwards OVER and OVER. This takes a 
long time with some groups. The kids I had last year would hold up a page 
and grin...no words  [:)]  for what seemed like months!!
Finally they will begin to catch on, but you must be patient.
At first, I would set the timer for only about 7-10 minutes. (This 
isn't including your read aloud). Make sure there are so many interesting 
books in each basket that they are saying AHHHH! When the timer goes off!
Your before SSR read aloud will help you 'bless' books that you can 
then put in the baskets. I would read the easy readers, any books with multiple
copies, etc. Read several short ones and drop them in the baskets, the 
kids will leap for those books first!
It is alot of planning at first, but on the plus side...no more heaps 
of workbook pages to grade. Things may be going fine the way they are 
going now, but 4 Blocks works better and for me it is lots more fun!!!
Good Luck and Hang in There!
Cece/1/GA