It's the Climb - The Many Possibilities of Incorporating Reading Ladders in the Classroom
I think the teacher who creates and employs ladders must be the most loving and hands on teacher. I really love this concept, and the fact that the author provides some samples for the lesser read. I would love even MORE examples with more contemporary texts. I am excited by the possibility of using ladders to connect students to new genres, narration styles, and to help them build confidence. My ears really perked up when Lesesne started talking about short stories in chapter 6 because I was already thinking about how to use this idea to apply to a short stories unit we do in 6th grade. It has been my project to update this unit for next year - I purchased class sets of Flying Lessons and Other Stories to add some more contemporary voices to an existing short stories unit, and ladders might be the exact way to work them in. Maybe we can get more buy in for an awesome but higher level story like The Lottery if the kids get there via ladder. Having students create ladders is also an ide...