It is something we, teachers, hear all the time. “I hate reading. Reading is stupid. Reading is boring.” It’s a consistent struggle of the English classroom – motivating young people to read and also read on their own. I’ll point blame – it begins with the parents and must continue in school.
My father read to me every night. We had a book called “365 Stories,” and it offered a new mini-adventure every night. Each didn’t take much longer than three minutes – perfect for my attention span back then (or now). But it actually made me enjoy reading and instilled a motivation to become independent with books, learn new words, understand definitions and want to start my own adventures. It was cool to read (imagine that!) and, looking back, probably because it was a nightly bonding experience. "The Ghost on Saturday Night" (pictured) was my go-to book as a kid. It is still in mint condition and, occasionally, still revisited.
In my seventh-grade classroom, I don’t shove reading down my students’ throats. I don’t force boring passages on them and I never, ever use reading as a punishment (Pet Peeve #2, next to “writing” as a consequence). We read things that I deem as fun but it’s also how I sell it. Students see my excitement and joy in reading. If a teacher doesn’t sell it, why would a young, impressionable mind buy it?
The two books I teach in school deal with relatable topics and attractive characters. “The Contender” is like Rocky but with inner-city kids facing racism and street violence. Students learn the value of inner-strength, making proper decisions, trusting the right people and using fists in the boxing ring but your intelligence elsewhere. “Adam Canfield of The Slash” is about a group of middle schoolers (relatable) who use the power of print journalism (relatable to me) to uncover a scoop about their unethical principal and remove her from power. We read together but, to be honest, I find the joy in making the story come to life for them. If I can motivate them to read alone somewhere along the way, fantastic.
When young children are forced to read books simply because “they have to,” it not only discourages them from wanting to read in that moment, but most likely instills disgust for anything book-related in the future.
At home, children need to hear books first, see the pictures, and understand that those pages offer an endless world of adventures, just like on the beloved TV screen. My son, Ike, asks for a book every night. It’s a nice moment – one I remember well. A moment, I hope, he will continue to desire on his own in the future. He can always borrow my copies of The Shining, Hell House, Misery, The Godfather and even a masterpiece like 180 Days. The hidden mountains of Playboys, however, will need major search tools to find. But if he is really motivated…
My father read to me every night. We had a book called “365 Stories,” and it offered a new mini-adventure every night. Each didn’t take much longer than three minutes – perfect for my attention span back then (or now). But it actually made me enjoy reading and instilled a motivation to become independent with books, learn new words, understand definitions and want to start my own adventures. It was cool to read (imagine that!) and, looking back, probably because it was a nightly bonding experience. "The Ghost on Saturday Night" (pictured) was my go-to book as a kid. It is still in mint condition and, occasionally, still revisited.
In my seventh-grade classroom, I don’t shove reading down my students’ throats. I don’t force boring passages on them and I never, ever use reading as a punishment (Pet Peeve #2, next to “writing” as a consequence). We read things that I deem as fun but it’s also how I sell it. Students see my excitement and joy in reading. If a teacher doesn’t sell it, why would a young, impressionable mind buy it?
The two books I teach in school deal with relatable topics and attractive characters. “The Contender” is like Rocky but with inner-city kids facing racism and street violence. Students learn the value of inner-strength, making proper decisions, trusting the right people and using fists in the boxing ring but your intelligence elsewhere. “Adam Canfield of The Slash” is about a group of middle schoolers (relatable) who use the power of print journalism (relatable to me) to uncover a scoop about their unethical principal and remove her from power. We read together but, to be honest, I find the joy in making the story come to life for them. If I can motivate them to read alone somewhere along the way, fantastic.
When young children are forced to read books simply because “they have to,” it not only discourages them from wanting to read in that moment, but most likely instills disgust for anything book-related in the future.
At home, children need to hear books first, see the pictures, and understand that those pages offer an endless world of adventures, just like on the beloved TV screen. My son, Ike, asks for a book every night. It’s a nice moment – one I remember well. A moment, I hope, he will continue to desire on his own in the future. He can always borrow my copies of The Shining, Hell House, Misery, The Godfather and even a masterpiece like 180 Days. The hidden mountains of Playboys, however, will need major search tools to find. But if he is really motivated…