Real Reading

How do we develop strong readers who truly enjoy reading? We teach them what real readers do.
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Of course we model and explicitly teach skills and strategies during lessons but most importantly, we show them what it’s like to live a real reader’s life. We give them lots of time and lots of choices.

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Real readers…
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• Read what they like

For me, reading for pleasure should be fun, fast, and easy. I need to enjoy the story and characters, the plot needs to move at brisk pace and I need to understand what’s going on. I don’t worry about what others might think of my reading diet...I tend to dislike most non-fiction (unless it’s about urban ed)  and I’m not that into rich classical literature. It is MY reading life. I pick what I like! I love fast-paced spy thrillers, murder mysteries, and family sagas. I love listening to audio books, especially memoirs narrated by the author. I read food and wine magazines, recipe books, blogs, and news.

Students should be given the opportunity to read what they like. Allow them to choose their books. Encourage them to try different genres to figure out their likes and dislikes. Schedule regular “choice reading” days for students to read books off-level. They could read magazines, comics, e-books, or listen to audio books. Our students spend plenty of time being forced to read things they don’t understand and can’t relate to. Teach them what it’s like to really enjoy reading.

• Abandon books

I didn’t allow myself to abandon a book until i was in my 20s. It took me so long to realize that there was no reason to read a book i wasn’t enjoying. It’s important to guide students through this process. We want them to understand their preferences as readers so they will know when a book isn’t a good fit.

• Read everyday

Real readers read a lot! Students need time in school everyday to read a book (on their level) that they have selected. They need time to practice all the skills and strategies we’ve taught them!

• Have fun!

As a kid my favorite thing to do was to ride my bike to the woods, climb up a tree, and read. When on vacation, I read on the beach or in a tent. Real readers find comfy places to read! As a 4th grade teacher, I had monthly themed reading days. Students brought in themed items and we read for 1-2 hours in the afternoon.
Here a few of my students favs:

• Cozy up & Read Day - bring in a pillow/blanket to lay on the floor
• Campfire Reading - bring in sleeping bags and read with flashlight
• Hide-out Reading - sit under your desk
• Nature Reading - bring a book outside and sit on the grass or under a tree
• Beach Reading - bring a beach towel and read while soft sounds of ocean waves play in the background

 

• Talk with friends

Real readers share opinions about books, ask questions, consider other points of view. And we join book clubs! Work in some speaking & listening skills by creating book clubs in your class. This works especially well in grades 3-5 when students can sustain a longer chapter book. Consider a theme like social issues or group research projects. Learning is social and kids need to talk. Give them a framework for rich discussions.

• Write about reading

Real readers dog ear pages and write notes in the margins. Teach students to monitor their thinking by jotting on a post-it.

• Keep a log

As someone who LOVES making lists, this is one of my fav aspects of my reading life. Keep a simple list of books read (and books abandoned) with the date. Students can easily keep a reading log in the back of their reading notebook. No need for page numbers, or parent signatures. Just a list of all the things they read. They could also create a list of Books To Read Next. Yay lists!