There's Room for Me Here: Litearcy Workshop in the Middle School

I found this book much more interesting than the average classroom textbook. It seems to be the best answer I've seen so far in the battle against illiteracy. I believe this book should be required reading for aspiring literacy specialists!!

I used the strategies in this book with my 8th and 9th grade students, and suddenly I found ways to get students to read who had never read a book before because they hated reading. Now, they are voracious readers. Give it a try and don't worry about age limits. We CAN hook them all if we are patient and try a variety of strategies.

I found this book to be a refreshing and enlightening view of the challenges these middle school kids face and the love they receive from their teacher. Reading this book was like an invitation into the lives of these kids trying to overcome their literacy challenges and it was truely heart warming to see the adoration Kyle has for these children. She truely has made it her life's work to help these kids become better readers and better members of society. It's refreshing to see a teacher who cares so much. Each of her students are special people to her, not just names on a class roster and it's obvious that the kids feel that open love. She cares that she has made an impact on their lives, not just their middle school experience. Everyone has had that special teacher that they'll never forget and it's abundently clear that for these children, that teacher is Kyle Gonzalez.

I found this book rather by accident and was amazed at the insight and experience that the teacher, Kyle Gonzalez, was gaining by creating a literacy program in her classroom. The area she charted with assistance from Janet Allen was completely new territory to her and the students. Kyle's skill in crafting this wonderful story, really bringing me into the classroom, was wonderful. I am not a teacher and I still found this book very useful in understanding group dynamics as well as bringing me back to the classroom when I was a student. Kyle managed to compile a list of resources, how-to-guides and step-by-step instructions on how to create a literacy project in your own classroom and home as well for the interested parent. Literacy is such a problem in our society and Kyle's book is really a great stab at understanding why and how to address it. I do have the good fortune to meet her when I was in Florida one time and she is as wonderful a person as she is a writer. Truly a unique, intelligent, and interesting person. I hope for future books and find myself interested in pursuing this type of career if not only to see what a joy it can be when you see the individual impact you can make in learning.