When I was an 8th grade English teacher, I heard it from my students all the time: “I don’t like to read.” My response? “You just haven’t found the right book yet!” And I truly believe what I was saying. I don’t like to read science fiction, and I can imagine that if the only books I ever read were science fiction, I wouldn’t like to read, either.
I encouraged my students to find books written on a topic they enjoyed, in a style they liked. I asked them which books they had enjoyed in the past, and we tried to find similar ones to read. I wanted them all to discover the joy that can be found in the pages of a book.
That’s why I was so pleased to find teacher Vicki Davis’ blog post the other day, “How a School Threw Out Their Reading Program and Finally Got Everyone Excited about Reading.” You can read the entire post and listen to her podcast with Principal Todd Nesloney, the leader of the school referenced in the blog.
At Nesloney’s school, his goal was to raise the students’ reading level and instill a joy of reading in his students. The basic premise? Everyone at the school, from students to teachers to custodians to the principal himself, had to read 20 books over the course of the semester. Here are a few aspects of the initiative that I just love:
1) They could read ANY 20 books. There were no limits on grade level, topic, length, or format. Many schools implement reading initiatives, but often everyone has to read the same book. The idea here is for students to learn to love reading, so they were given the freedom to find books that they would, indeed, love to read.
2) Audiobooks count! This gave students who were interested in a particular book the opportunity to “read” it, even if their reading ability wasn’t quite up to the complexity of the book. And I’m betting that some students who started off with audiobooks ended up reading a few print books as well.
3) There were no prizes or awards given. The flaw of “reading for prizes” programs is that the students who were already avid readers end up winning all the awards. Readers who worked hard to increase their reading ability are left in the dust and discouraged. At Nesloney’s school, instead of prizes or awards, every time a student finished a book, he visited the principal’s office and got his picture taken with the book. The picture was then posted on the wall in the cafeteria. In the podcast, Nesloney mentions that the wall currently has 400 pictures on it! The joy of seeing their picture on the wall with everyone else is the reward!
4) If a student realizes she doesn’t enjoy the current book she’s reading, she doesn’t have to finish it. Has that ever happened to you? You begin a book thinking that you’ll love it, but it becomes a chore to read. One of the reasons students develop a distaste for reading is because they are under the impression that when they choose a book for independent reading, they have to finish it, no matter what. Instead students here have an “out” to move on from a book they aren’t enjoying.
5) Finally, the school is fully immersed in and committed to this program. Everyone is reading. At any time, a student can talk to anyone about what book they are currently reading. Students can see the wall of pictures continue to grow as they eat their lunch in the cafeteria. Every day as part of the morning announcements, a faculty member briefly shares the title and a little bit about the book he is currently reading. The school librarian even started a “Secret Society” where different students are invited (by other students) each week to a clandestine meeting underneath the tables in the library, to talk about the books they are reading.
Now, what works at one school doesn’t always work everywhere. And certainly there are other approaches that also serve to develop a child’s love of reading. But this school’s approach really struck a chord with me. I’m picturing the school where every student is carrying around a book, reading whenever they can, discussing books with their teachers and peers, and loving it all. In the spirit of this school, I’ve posted a picture of myself with a book I just finished. I encourage you to do the same. Post your picture in the comments below. Let’s all share the joy of reading!
Jennifer Caldwell
Executive Director
Standards Solution
Standards Solution
