While reading Readicide, by Kelly Gallagher, I become conflicted. I am an English teacher and I also teach a reading class for students who have trouble reading. In the last half of chapter 3, she talks about the way teachers give reading. She says, “I contend that teachers are setting students on the road to readicide by overteaching books. In teaching academic texts, students are drowning in a sea of sticky notes, worksheets, and quizzes.” When I read this, I was a bit confused. I know when I was growing up; this is what we did, especially in English class. Sure, I did not like most of it, but I knew that I was going to be quizzed on a certain novel, and I had to understand it in order to get a good grade on the test.
I agree with her saying that this strategy is not proficient in helping increase a student’s love for reading; however, it is a way to make sure a student is reading. By discussions, handouts, journaling, and yes tests, teachers are able to assess whether the student understands the book or not. I think reading the book is not the problem; they can read. It’s the comprehending what they have just read.
I think it is a great idea for students to be able to take time out of “regular classes” and read for ten to fifteen minutes a day. I think the teachers, administration, and county officers should sit down and figure a way to get this started in all schools nationwide. It should not have anything to do with their English class or any other class that teach novels.
I agree that it is important to have a moderate balance between reading that is notated, highlighted, analyzed, and made the subject of assessments, along with reading that is true leisure reading. You make an excellent and valid point that Kelly Gallagher may be on to something when he says that schools are overteaching books; perhaps it is a good thing that academic reading is emphasized in schools. I also agree with your comment about the importance of schools alloting 10-15 minutes each day for true leisure reading. Even though it may be difficult to make this a routine at your school, there may be ways to make it happen. One idea I can suggest is to perhaps join forces with the media specialist at your school. Between the English department and the media specialist, I would think an administrator might see the validity of establishing a brief sustained silent reading time each school day or perhaps a couple days each week. Thank you for allowing me to comment on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement about strategies are important and where do we pick as the line between what is necessary and what is overkill?
ReplyDeleteIt is the teachers call by being there in the classroom to understand what is working and what is not.
Agree totally with the time to read something the student enjoys for ten or fifteen minutes everday. This would be a great way to increase the student' joy of reading and might be helpful for the teacher to see what each student is choosing to read.