My husband found a list years ago called something like "The Top 100 English Novels." He decided to read as many of the books on the list as he could find, and he's been able to get his hands on over 90 of them. He can talk about the stories, many of the authors, and even other books by those authors. My husband was never required to read the books on that list for a course, and he was never graded on his understanding of the stories, the lives of the authors, nor the other books written by the same authors. But, he loved the experience! He's also the man who read books for his college courses more than once most of the time.
I have been given books a lot in the last several years. My dad gave me Wait Till Next Year, and schools I've worked at have given me a book almost every summer to read. After we got married, I brought my summer reading books home to my husband, who I knew would appreciate them more than I would. Given an entire summer to read a single book, I have not managed to make it happen since high school. It took me a long time to finally read Wait Till Next Year, and I liked it. After that, I remembered a book from high school that I liked. I bought it and read it again. Now, that's saying something about a book! (Or maybe it's saying something about the person who reads the book...!) Maiden Voyage has resonated with me in different ways both times I've read it.
My husband has experienced the "reading flow" more times than he can count, and I have found myself surprised by how time has flown when I read only a handful of times in my life. When I compare myself to my husband, I realize how far away from "loving" reading I really am. Is it the reading flow that makes a person love a book? Or is it overanalysis or grades that make one hate a book?
Gallagher wants to split the time between reading for coursework and reading for pleasure, but I wonder if it's too late to get kids to enjoy reading by the time they get to middle or high school. Is it possible that they have already decided what relationship they will have with books by that time? If not, then maybe we would do well to spend more than 50% of the time letting them choose their own books to read without being graded on their work.
Jennifer, I think you are asking the important questions that we need to consider. No easy answers here. Think about it, though. It might be hard-er to help a 17 year old become someone who reads for enjoyment, but these adolescents are still young. I think it takes a great deal of effort - beyond what one teacher in one subject area to do. In this case, it might take the village (schoolwide effort). So, how is literacy (reading and writing) celebrated in schools? Why would students want to read?
ReplyDeletePS I love your husband's experience with the top 100 books. What a great story to tell - to your students - to your colleagues, and especially your administrators. Perhaps a schoolwide approach would be to come up with 100 top book list for that high school by teachers and students.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts.. I personally do not like to read and I haven't found my self in the "reading flow" stage ever I think. I think that at this point in my life I have made a personal decision that I do not like to read and I think you are right that kids probably make that decision early on in life even before middle school and high school. It is wierd though because my older sister loves to read and I hate it so I would say that it depends on how you were raised but maybe not so much. Something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI can tell that this blog was written by a math person like myself. I think I agree with you that by the time a kid gets to high school whether or not he likes reading has been decided. It certainly was for me. I remember enjoying reading in middle school and remember enjoying books such as Indian in the Cupboard but by high school my love was completely gone. Reading became a chore in high school. Books such as the "Great Odyssey", "Ivanhoe", etc. completely sapped my desire to read. The books we read were not at all relevant to our lives and they were written in a way that made if difficult to understand. I think we need to throw these so called classics out and find books that the students can relate to. What can it hurt? The lack of reading by students surely can not get any worse.
ReplyDeleteI had a high school teacher, who actually is the inspiration for my love for English now, who introduced the list of the 100 greatest novels to me. I love that your husband reads off of it because some of them, such as "Ulysess" are extremely difficult texts, and hard to incorporate reading flow from. This also brings up an important question for the people who are in the language arts field, who decides what the canon should be and what are the regulations for it? I love the ideas that Gallagher brings up in this chapter, of reading flow and how it is necessary for students to experience this. It is also important for students to understand and comprehend what they are reading to, and how do we merge these two together? I love the idea of 50/50, which you brought up the possibility of allowing them to choose more than half, but half is seen as extreme in some schools. There is also the problematic issues that come along with this of how do you know they are reading the other 50% of the time when you allow them to chose? These are all questions that need to be grappled with for all of us, but especially those in the language arts classroom...
ReplyDeleteYour husband and I sound like kindred spirits. I love to read just about everything I can get my hand on. I have always loved to read, and still do it regularly. Math on the other hand, I never had ANY motivation for past basic Algerbra, and to this day struggle to see to point of understanding. I think that one of the observations we see reflected in your blog and ourselves are personality and preference. Those are very hard to teach and to change. However, I do think we can take a more students centered approach. I try to do independent book reports to allow my students freedom in their reading along with assinged readings. Then we will discuss each. This is a difficult topic in english with many questions and english teachers striving for answers. Thank you for your contribution.
ReplyDeleteI love to read, sometimes... I honestly cannot stand for people to require me to read. Its almost like a mental block. I think some students just need space. I mean, honestly, how many of us like to be told what we should like and what we shouldn't like. If I want to read, I will... and I will choose the topic. At least thats my opinion.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is the exact opposite of yours. He hated reading until last year when he realized that you can actually read books on bullet making, rifle shooting, etc. If its interesting, students will find it. And, if they are not interested, they won't. I don't think we need to force the issue. Reading will come in time when students or people simply want more information. (And, thankfully, today - you can download a podcast or a book on tape if you hate reading - technology is making the information more accessible than it used to be).