"When I get a little money, I buy books and if any
is left, I buy food and clothes." -- Erasmus
There are several goals I plan on reaching with my elementary students in the content area of reading. I want to instill a love of reading into the young children I will teach. I want them to become extremely literate and well-rounded readers and thinkers. I would like for my students to be able to set reading goals for themselves as well, and be accountable to reach those goals.
The first goal I have for reading is that my students will understand the wealth of knowledge and information that can be contained in a single book. I want them to be able to find and identify this information easily. I will give them plenty of time and practice in order to learn how to access this valuable information.
Another goal I have for reading is that my students will know how to locate and read a variety of texts. I want to introduce to them and show them the value in not only just-right books, but in newspaper and magazine articles, journals, reference materials, and online texts as well. I want my students to be aware that these reading materials are available all around them. I want to demonstrate to my students how to locate, access, and utilize these reading materials in their daily lives.
A third goal that I have for reading is that I want my students to love reading. I don't want reading to be something that they are required to do, but something that they choose to do because they just like it. I want each of my students to enjoy reading and to read about things they are passionate about. If they don't see the meaning or the reasoning behind reading, they will not choose to read on their own, and it will become a chore.
