"An Invitation"

“An Invitation”

You can get an invitation in the mail,

But frankly, that seems kind of stale.

You might be asked to join a wedding or a party,

Or maybe a reunion with your wacky Uncle Marty.

Yet the best invitation you may ever receive,

Is one that welcomes you to read.

It will not be sent by e-mail or through the post,

Rather, you will be invited by a teacher who cares the most.

Gretchen Owocki[1] will have you think like a reader,

In hopes that one day you will be a literature leader!

Thinking like a reader requires you to stop and ponder,

About things like what has happened, what you see in your mind, and what you still wonder.

If you ask Klesius and Griffith why lapreading works,

They will provide you with all of its perks.

“The children delighted in being able to touch the pictures in the book,”[2]

That’s when you know that the teacher’s invitation has got them hooked!

Roskos, too, sees the value of an invitation,

Especially for those who need a slightly different education.

Teachers should, “…produce for children a feeling of belonging in a world that is authentic, welcoming and alive,”[3]

In a setting such as this, all students are set-up to thrive!

Now, the one question I have for you,

Is have these teachers bit off more than they can chew?

School is undoubtedly a big part of children’s lives,

But what if at home they are deprived?

Are their parents willing to inform,

Praise, demonstrate, and transform

Their children’s perspectives of reading?

Or will a lack of at-home support show developmental receding?

There must be a relationship between school and home,

If through the pages of literature we wish our students’ eyes to roam.

This all starts with a simple invitation,

To our young readers across the nation.

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[1] Owocki, G. (2007). Grounding children in routines and procedures for meaningful learning: Literature days. (p. 15). Portsmouth, NH: firsthand.

[2] Klesius, J., & Griffith, P. (1996). Interactive storybook reading for at-risk learners. The Reading Teacher, 49(7), 558.

[3] Roskos, K. (2009). Joining oral language and early literacy. In Oral Language and Early Literacy in Preschool: Talking, Reading, and Writing (p. 5). International Reading Association.