Gooaaaalllll!!!!!!!!

      As a school, we are working on setting goals for each kid in reading and math.  So far, I've only been working with my students on reading goals, and today, three of my kids met their goals and I AM SO PROUD!!!!  They were the first three in the whole school.

    One child has been fascinated with the Titanic since school started, and he kept asking about it and looking at this book I have on it.  However, the text was really dense and really dry, and very over his head, so when I was at the bookstore a couple of weeks ago, I found an easier read called Titanic, Lost..and Found.  It was one of those little Ready to Read book...a Level 4 one, which fit with this kid well because he's a fairly proficient reader.  So, we made his goal to read the whole book and then give a little presentation to the class.  And it was SO GREAT!!!  He's one of my most wiggly children and I've had a lot of trouble getting him to stay on task during Reading Workshop, but all of a sudden he was self-motivated to work on his book every day, and I didn't have to say a word.  It took him three days to finish all the way, and then yesterday, he came up and told me all about it...how the captain wouldn't leave his ship and what happened with the iceberg and everything.  So then I let him do it for the class, and it was so funny because when he did it for them, he would tell a little bit and then say, "Chapter 2" and then tell a little bit and then "Chapter 3," which I found hilarious.

    My other two kids both had to practice an at level book and read it with smoothly and with at least 95 percent accuracy for the one kid and 90 percent for the other.  I monitored them to make sure they read the book repeatedly, and then I tested them today by just giving a running record over a random page I flipped to.  And they succeeded with 96 and 95 percent accuracy and nice, smooth reading! 

     They all got to go see the principal, and since we were having grade-level meetings, all the third-grade teachers and coaches were in there too, and everybody cheered them on, and then they got to have stickers saying they'd met their goals and treats from the principal's treasure chest and their name on the announcements for the whole school to hear about how they'd been the first ones to meet goals.

     They were so proud of themselves, and smiling and happy...and it was extra special because school hasn't exactly been a success story so far for any of them.  It was today.