Kim Bresette - Chapter 3 - Share Your Reading Life

As I read this chapter, the recurring theme was to lead by example.  Tell the students why you read and then ask them why they read.  Share with them your own reading habits and show the book(s) you are in the process of reading.  Help them understand your passion for reading and by assisting them discover books they enjoy, they begin to develop their own fondness for reading.  By discussing that you have books at home to make your own personal "library", I believe it transforms the image of a library in a child's mind.  It doesn't have to be in a school or a special building, but it can be in their room at home.  This is likely a concept many students, especially those in lower socioeconomic homes, have not ever considered.  For families that struggle to make ends meet for basic needs, likely there is not a lot left over to buy books for a home library.  However, if students are exposed to this idea, there are ways that they can begin to build their book collection.

Also, sharing favorite books and authors is a great way to encourage young readers to find their own favorites.  For so many young readers, there may not be any reading examples at home for them to model.  To explain that there are Book Clubs for adults is probably something that most young students have never considered.  A club for adults that read - WOW!!  And a reading log that spans the years is an amazing idea!  Imagine starting that in elementary school and continuing it into adult life; the pages of the readers  reading life represented in written form.  It would be a story in and of itself.

Lead by example is demonstrated over and over in this chapter.  So many times I think we expect students to know things that many have never been exposed to in their homes.  By providing a model, these readers stand a better chance at being successful readers and developing their own love of books.