Democracy Reaches Reading Groups!

The people have spoken! Students are now choosing their reading group placements as part of our research on motivation, choice and literacy instruction. The first time students voted many of them experimented with difficulty level. Some chose to attend groups above or below their assessed instructional level. On Monday March 9th they will attend their second elected group; which amazingly enough look a lot like the leveled groups teachers have assigned in the past.

We will see what choices will be made when the "voting booth" comes back. When the kids choose groups they have no idea which teacher, or students, will be involved in the group. The only variable they are aware of is which books will be read.


They go through a "book tasting" which is silently held for thirty minutes before voting begins. The students are not aloud to share their votes or talk during the book review so they can't choose books for social reasons.
Students are encouraged to look at which books they think are "perfect" for them. So far, the kids have experimented with varying difficulty and now, after their first experimental rotation, most of them have placed themselves in the leveled grouping Mrs. McCalley would have after assessments!


Now we are just waiting to see the element of choice will impact their motivation to progress further then expected when teachers assign their reading!

Isaac makes sure his 'right to privacy' is not hindered. He folds his ballot before placing into our Reading Ballot Box.

Voting booths wait outside the classroom for students who have made their educated decisions. Each reading through all the material on all the options on the Reading Group Ballots.

Each ballot displays eight icons denoting each set of books which will be read during the four day reading group rotation. Students number their choices 1-4 in case their choice fills up, or the teacher decides their first choice may be detrimental to their reading development. Room Thirty-One may still be more of a constitutional monarchy is some respects. : )