I absolutely loved this article by Routman and agree with everything shared. I will never forget my discovery of reading due to my parents' love. We moved around every 3-5 years with my father's job and my mother always made sure we visited the public library on a weekly basis because she always said that her mother did the same with them despite having very little money growing up. No matter how far my father's career took us socio-economically, we still visited the library each week. Here is where I discovered storytime and sing-alongs as well as the first real adult chapter book, I remember reading, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The thrill of reading such a huge novel at the age of 9 years old. I thought I was a big time reader. I guess it was the precursor to Harry Potter for my age;-)
I think it is so important for kids to hear about our reading lives because so many of them believe it is just another assignment for school. I love to hear my mother now in her early 60's talk about visiting the places she read about as a kid because that was her dream when she was younger. How inspiring for our students to realize that they too could accomplish such a dream. I know I hope to do the same one day!!
Showing them the books we read and why we're reading them is incredible. To think we actually read for pleasure...Wow! My favorite idea is a reading record...I already do this on 2 different sites: Shelfari and GoodReads. I love both of these sights because it allows me to learn about new books and visually see what I have read plus link up with other readers I know and their recommendations. Why can't our students do the same? I think it's time we show them how much reading can be fun not just a homework assignment that requires a parent signature each week.
After reading your post, I am reminded that we often take for granted all that we learned from our parents. My mother took me to the library and read with me on a regular basis, too. We would read novels together and still have conversations today about what we are reading. I am afraid that many of our students aren't lucky enough to come from a family that reads or encourages reading. That is why it is so important for us to be an example of someone who reads and enjoys it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I record books on GoodReads, too. We should follow each other so I can get reading ideas from you! :)