In considering the idea of reading with our students I think that (as the article we read suggest) we have to read book that our students are interested in. I am an avid reader and have been for most of my life. Being 26 I am pretty set in my ways in how I read and what I read (let’s be honest I’m a grandma at heart). In encouraging students to read books that they want it pushes them to read and keep reading. And if I may be so bold, isn’t that one of the points of being an English teacher? Getting children and teens interested in reading when they otherwise may not have.
What I personally have appreciated the most by taking the YA lit class this summer is that I have been able to read books that I may not have chosen on my own. So many times, books are judged by their title and covers, which pushes them to the bottom of reading lists or not read at all.
I have also appreciated the ability to be able to choose the books that I want to read. This really resonates with the article that we read about letting students read book that they are interested in. However, there is a benefit in assigning certain books as required reading. It makes sure that we as students don’t overlook books because we don’t think we will like them. It is a sense of balance to allow students to read what they want and requiring them to read things that they might not choose on their own. By combing these two approaches I think that teachers have a better chance of reaching students with reading.