Last week, I had a run-in with someone about reading. I know this sounds very vague. But I will do my best to give you the information without going on a rant and losing my mind. So, anyway, I run a class that allows students time to read a book of their own choosing. In our middle school, they don't have much time for SSR. We noticed that students today aren't really reading books that they aren't assigned, so we built it into their schedule. I try and keep the library stocked with high interest books in varying degrees of reading levels. But honestly, I just want the kids to read I don't care what it is. Manga, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tolkien. Just READ! I have found that students who choose their books tend to enjoy them more and their comprehension is better. Think about it, would you rather read a book you picked and interests you or a book someone is making you read because they think you should? But I digress. A colleague of mine told a bunch of students that what they were reading wasn't appropriate for their age. They were 8th graders reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid and were told that the books were too young for them. The teacher suggested Tom Sawyer (ugh). Now these kids have a novel study class so they are reading an "age-appropriate" novel, but this is a fun reading book. I hate that nowadays we are so judgmental about what kids read. In an age where we are competing with video games and tick tock its a wonder kids are reading at all. They shouldn't be discouraged when they are actually reading. If we want students to be successful, we need to cultivate a love of reading and you know how you do that? Let them read what they want. I recently read a graduate dissertation called "The Effects of Choice in Reading: Motivation, Engagement and Enjoyment" and guess what, all the statistics go up when you let kids choose their own books.
So why can't we let students choose their own books? Why do we still have people who say everyone needs to read The Secret Garden? Don't get me wrong, that is a great classic book, but a lot of really amazing books have been published since that came out over 100 years ago. Just because it's a classic doesn't mean we have to read it. "Students read more, understand more, and are more likely to continue reading when they have the opportunity to choose what they read." (Allington and Gabriel, 2012) Ok, so I am ranting. Sorry. But if we want students to be successful we need to give them access to books and time to read. My personal belief is that everyone can be a reader when they find the right book. So let's get out there and help those kids find their book.
P.S. Sorry for ranting, I just get fired up about students having a choice in their reading journey.
Barberg, Jennifer, "The Effect of Choice in Reading: Motivation, Engagement, and Enjoyment" (2022). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 740.
Allington, Richard L, and Rachael Gabriel. Every Child, Every Day, 1 Mar. 2012, ascd.org:443/el/articles/every-child-every-day.
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