Julie Brown
Blog Post #3
Share Your Reading Life
I think we all would agree that passion for something is
infectious. Many of us are passionate
about reading, but we sometimes fail to share that passion with our students. Too often we, as teachers, get caught up in
the same trap our students do. When
asked why we spend so much time on reading in school, we answer like some of
our students. “It makes you smarter. You’ll
learn new words. To learn more.” Our first answer should always be because we
love reading. We do it for
pleasure. Sure, these other things are
important, but they are just extras. If
we can get kids to love reading, look at all the other skills they will acquire
all while doing something from which they derive pleasure! I found a great deal of practical ideas in
this reading for teachers to incorporate into the classroom to promote the love
of books and reading. I would like us
all to take a minute to think about the following, “Students had so many
requirements for each book – daily recording of pages and minutes read, having
parents verify their child’s nightly reading by signing a form, writing a
summary about the completed book – that reading became a chore, something they
dreaded.” We have to find that fine line
between requiring something we know kids need and creating a love for books and
a passion for reading.
And it IS such a fine line! As a teacher, it is so hard to find the balance. We want kids to just read and love it, but by the same token, we need some sort of accountability so that we KNOW they are reading and that they are thinking while they're reading. The type A students LOVE reading logs and making lists, etc. Other students . . . not so much. However, I think conferencing will help with this. We can definitely assess reading comprehension through a short conference, and even students who aren't type A like to talk about a book they love.
ReplyDelete