Tried It Tuesday - Tootsie Pop Reading Stamina

It's been ages since I joined in on Holly's Tried It Tuesday linky.  We've been doing some fun activities to launch Readers Workshop, and it's a perfect opportunity to share something that went really well.

 

Our mini lessons this week have been about building stamina, which we call "reading long and strong!"

"I Can..." statement charts like these are available in my TpT and TN stores.

Yesterday I took out a tootsie pop, and said I had a connection between the sweet treat and reading.  The students faces looked like, "whaaat?"

I then asked what they knew about tootsie pops, and they said things like:

"they've got a good gooey center"

"you lick them"

"they're yummy"

Someone even said they had seen the commercial where they ask, "How many licks does it take to get to the sweet center?"

 

I then said that a book is like a tootsie pop because sometimes you have to keep reading it until you get to the really good part.

I said it was important to not give up on a book, and that the longer you read, the better a book could get.

 

The students really seemed to understand the connection, and them we did a timed Read to Self to show me how they could stick with their books.

Of course we didn't do the greatest the first round, but they've really kicked into high gear on the second and third tries today.

 

To drive home the point, I said if we made it past 10 minutes they would get a tootsie pop.

I made stickers to put around the suckers.

Of course we achieved our goal, and are going for even longer tomorrow.

Check out more Tried It Tuesday ideas on Holly's blog!

 

Also, remember to check out the Best Seller Linky Party and Giveaway that is being hosted by

Table Talk with C & C!