Reading for Enjoyment

Gordon, C. (2010). Meeting Readers Where They Are. School Library Journal, 56 (11). 32-37. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=55092188&site=ehost-live

Gordon’s (2010) article, “Meeting Readers Where They Are,” poses two questions: “How can school librarians help students read with understanding in dynamic digital environments? And “How can they anticipate the help young people need to successfully negotiate new forms of reading?” Gordon (2010) examines “the underlying research-based beliefs that may or may not guide those practices,” but “can help improve our work today” and “help us create future practices.” Gordon (2010) outlines seven of the most prevalent beliefs about reading: 1) Young people get better at reading by reading, just as they learn by doing (Gordon, 2010 quoted Shin, 1998: Dewey, 1916); 2) The social aspects associated with reading are motivational (Gordon, 2010 quoted Guthrie and Wigfield, 1997); 3) Free choice is a factor in reading motivation (Gordon, 2010 quoted Guthrie and Davis, 2003); 4) Free voluntary reading is as effective, or more effective, than direct instruction (Gordon, 2010 quoted Greaney, 1970; Krashen, 1989); 5) People will read when they have access to reading materials (Gordon, 2010 quoted Krashen, 2004); 6) It is important to design inclusive summer reading for all students (Gordon, 2010 quoted Gordon and Lu, 2008); and 7) The pleasure hypothesis—reading is its own reward (Gordon, 2010 quoted Krashen, 2004). From the research, Gordon (2010) concludes that students like “interaction, hands-on experiences”; “they thrive on social interaction and inclusiveness”; “they are self-directed learners who know free choice is part of being creative”; and “teens expect access to books and computers.”

As a teacher-librarian, I will promote reading programs according to the findings of Gordon’s (2010) research. I encourage the English teachers in our school to do a regular book exchange every two weeks; students may sign out as many books as they like. Students are not limited to fiction books, or a certain level of book. Some students sign out non-fiction books, or magazines. Our English teachers have twenty minutes of silent reading at the beginning or end of their class every day. I provide a lot of award-winning resources and books, some suggested by teen readers; the students have a lot of choice in reading material. In collaboration with one English teacher this year, we have designed a book talk assignment. The students chose their book and then we put the students in groups of three; the students had a choice between several choices of book talks. For example, I noticed many students chose the book talk suggestion about talking about a character and the growth they experienced throughout the novel. The students could have chosen to discuss theme, setting, the title, and how it related to the story, personal connection, or an important passage and how it connected to the chapter, the book, and to society in general. I observed that the students had a positive interaction with the response to the books and their peers. I would like to encourage an activity like this using a Blog once I feel comfortable using Blogs.

A few activities to discourage are reading for rewards, choosing books that are old or that students do not like, and limiting choice or format of reading material.

I would also like to put together a summer reading list with the main goal of keeping students reading for the sole purpose of enjoyment. Currently, I am making up Read-a-like displays and pamphlets.