The practice of allowing students to select their own books is one I have always endorsed, and one of the reasons I am so excited to be a part of the English department here at GHS. For those of you who don’t know, English teachers here commonly require students to read three or four books “independently” during each English semester. Though some of this reading occurs at home, teachers also usually provide silent reading time in class for students to accomplish the task. One important characteristic of this reading experience is that the students, not the teachers, select the books. This allows students to explore genres they are interested in, or to discover what type of reader they are by sampling various texts. I feel this is one of the most useful strategies in building literacy because honest reading requires true interest, which is something we cannot force upon our students. By allowing students to pick their own books, we can be fairly certain that genuine reading takes place.
Of course, the issue of accountability always enters the picture. The standard “book report” assignment for independent reading seems to be note cards. These serve as class grades and double as incentives for Reader Rewards day. The other tricky bit is connecting students (especially reluctant readers) with books they really want to read. Some teachers simply require students to find reading material on their own, others take their classes to the library, and still others provide texts through personal classroom libraries (though I have a feeling most teachers provide more than one of these options). I don’t care how a student finds a book, so long as he/she discovers something enjoyable. Being a book collector myself, I have found my natural inclination to be building up a sizable library in my room: my collection has grown by a few hundred books this school year. Of course, I highly recommend visiting thrift stores and/or used bookshops. You’d be surprised at the quality you can find so cheaply!
If you haven’t tried enticing your students to read by dangling class credit before their slavering jowls, I strongly recommend it. And since the reading is accomplished outside the classroom, you don’t even have to worry about losing instructional time. The rewards are well worth the slight effort on your part. I think your students will agree.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I agree. One of the best ways, possibly the best way, to get students reading and improve literacy is for the students to pick up a book they WANT to read for pleasure. While is is difficult to find the perfect book for that reluctant reader, it is still possible. There are so many genres and authors out there. Have you been inside a book store lately? It's overwhelming. I have to be going after something specific in order to not go into overload while I am in a Barnes & Noble. But I digress. My point is, there is a book for everyone. Out job as teachers are to help point our students in the direction we think they should go (or would like to go). Book passes and book talks are a great way to get these kids interested in what's available to them. Also, I've found that if I show a lot of passion for a book, I can't keep it on my shelf. Not that my kids think I'm super cool and have uber great taste in books, but for some reason, they are interesting in picking up a book I promote. Which is great! My best advice would be to have a variety of books available to your students. Also, make sure you do your research to find out what's "hot" now. From what I understand, there are tons of grants available to teachers who want to build their classroom library. Though I have not taken advantage of these opportunities myself, I think the grants can be earned as easily as filling out a sheet of paper. But don't take my word on it.
Also, while I think the Reader Rewards program is a great way to get kids reading, it still seems to take away from the whole point of pleasure reading. We don't document each time we read and how many pages and for how long. So why should we expect our kids to? But then, how to you keep track of who reads what and who meets reward requirements? Hmmm.... Therefore, I offer no suggestions. Just thoughts.
I love this idea and that we have finally evolved to the point of encouraging students to LOVE reading and the places it will take them! It was never very effective to assign books and expect them to read these if they didn't have ownership of what they chose to read. I have really witnessed such a change in how students now perceive reading from previous years. I hate to do it, but sometimes I have to ask them to put their books up!!! Something I NEVER thought I would have to do! The incentive program for reading, I believe, is just to hook 'em...a means for enticing them to read and hopefully discover they love it!!!
Post a Comment