"I'm the kind of kid who builds things," reflects seven-year-old Jude. "I'm a builder, a doer, a maker of things." How does Jude possess such a clear sense of self at this tender age? And what viable actions might teachers take to awaken, nurture, and develop learner identity and a sense of agency that lives within Jude and every child?
Debbie Miller and Emily Callahan believe that it all begins with choice. In "I'm the kind of kid who...," they provide a framework for introducing choice making in small, medium, and large ways through "invitations" that ask children to consider:
- What if you could choose where you want to work?
- What if you could choose your own materials?
- What if you could choose to learn more about yourself as a reader?
- What if you could choose to do what readers do in the world?
- What if you could choose what you want to explore, investigate and study?
- What if you could choose how to share your thinking and learning?
Debbie and Emily use a predictable structure to describe each invitation from beginning to end, offering practical suggestions for how to fit invitations within the day and across the year.
"There are no magical programs to call upon to develop learner identity and agency" write Debbie and Emily, "because the truth is, children and their teachers don't need them! What kids really need are invitations from their teachers to discover themselves for themselves, invitations that encourage them to find out even more about who they are, how they learn and what they need to thrive."
About the Author: Debbie Miller is a teacher, author, and literacy consultant. She taught in the Denver Public Schools for thirty years and now works extensively with schools and districts on long-range planning and development of literacy programs. Debbie is the author or co-author of many resources for teachers, including What's the Best That Could Happen?, Reading with Meaning, No More Independent Reading Without Support, and the forthcoming "I'm the Kind of Kid Who...". Follow Debbie on Twitter @millerread.
Emily Callahan has taught for nineteen years in the Kansas City, Missouri area. She currently teaches in the Liberty Public Schools, where her daily workshops offer children the gifts of time, choice, response, and community. Emily serves as an instructional leader in her building, and she has presented at numerous local and national conferences. Emily and her students have been featured in several professional books that focus on literacy learning. Follow Emily on Twitter @emilyscallahan.
