Reading and Engaging Students

When our small but passionate group met to discuss "I Read It But I Don't Get It" we talked a great deal about motiviation for kids to read and the ability to tap into their background knowledge as they read.

I've come to learn and believe that the best readers are ones who make connections while they read. Reading isn't like watching television - sit down, take it in, turn it off - nothing left. (Unless, of course, you are watching Lost!) We need to create mental images as we read - as those are based upon our experiences. Think about David's comments in the previous post about each time he read Dickens - and why the second time was so much more meaningful.

I've posted some anticipation guide samples at the companion wiki since we talked a great deal about them. They worked with my students - even if they didn't believe they had any background knowledge, these helped them to look for certain things in the text. Even my most reluctant readers responded to this.

And I think that the new technologies available to us can help us to connect students to what they are reading. Here is a lesson from a colleague: John J. has integrated blogs into his Honors 10 class and has started posting some "critical lens" type questions for students to respond to. And they get into some pretty good discussions!!! Here's what I noticed - the students are making some powerful connections with their own lives and interests, they are responding to one another in a meaningful way, and - this one is important - they can weigh in with their true opinions on some books. What works and what doesn't. I think they read it and they get it!!

Literary Histories

We will soon be embarking on a great journey into the land of reading with our next book study, I Read It, But I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani. I have to admit that this book was chosen because it is one of my favorites and I refer to it often.

Cris Tovani is open and honest in what she shares with the reader, but also in what she shares with her students. She openly tells them of her struggles as a reader and I think that in part, it is this honesty with her own struggles that makes the strategies she teaches so meaningful. You can read Chapter 1 "Fake Reading" on-line here.

From this book, I have borrowed the idea of "Literary Histories" and often open my reading/writing workshops with this. So I thought we could start by sharing our own literacy histories before we meet!! Post your responses in the comments below - and be sure to comment on what others write as well. (I'll post my own reflections in the comments section.)

Most everyone can remember a book that has had an impact on his or her life. Often this book is connected to a pleasurable experience. It could have been the first book you learned to read. Or it could have been a book that troubled you. An important book doesn’t necessarily have to be well loved. Think about your history as a reader. Recall a book that sticks out in your mind and share with us the title/author and two reasons why this book is important to you.

Literary histories can often determine how we read and write. Past reading experiences influence our reading and writing. What are some positive or negative reading events that affect the way you read today.

I've also posted a Word document of these questions on our wiki if you'd like to use this with study groups or students in your own districts.