RES 5530: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Spring 2009)

While I have always thought that reading is a wonderful way to escape, I have just started to realize the power it provides for relationship building. Two people with very little alike can share the commonality a book creates. Is this what is at the heart of most book clubs? Is it the desire for the connection people feel when they share a book together? Perhaps reading does provide one of the greatest ways to "bridge a gap" in the classroom. Instead of using literature to help one group of students understand and appreciate the other group, maybe we should take all of them to places/experiences that are new to all. In this way, reading may be an equalizing force.

Sharing with our students our passion for reading and why we read is a great way to make it real to them. One thing that a mentor taught me several years ago was to let my students see me read. It was something I didn't do in the beginning because there is so much to get done. However, after reading this chapter I see why she felt it was important. It truly shows the kids that books are to be enjoyed. I also think, when the book is appropriate, that we should share with the kids what we are reading and when we are excited about a certain part or something we have learned just as they do. It would help teach our kids that reading is for life and an enjoyable activity, not just something done in school.

As soon as I read your post, I thought of the following quote. I had found it as I searched for another quote that I couldn't quite remember. "I would be most content if my children grew up to be
the kind of people who think decorating
consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." (1993)
~ Anna Quindlen~
This would be true for my own children (someday soon) as well as my students. Just like you mentioned, we want our children to see reading for its lasting promises of adventure, excitment, deeper learning, etc. etc. So many days are spent telling our students that they HAVE to read because its on a test and they HAVE to pass that test - or they have to read to get enough points to get that prize or to get a good grade on their report card. We are models of what a fluent reader should sound like and should be like, but we are also models of what reading adds to our lives. I'm going to end with another of my favorite reading quotes -
"It is not enough to simply teach children to read;
we have to give them something worth reading.
Something that will stretch their imaginations-
something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people
whose lives are quite different from their own."
~ Katherine Paterson

I love how you use books to come to a better understanding of your father. My mother died when I was 17. Although I got to know her more than my younger sisters, I still never felt as if I knew her "as an adult." However, as I have gotten older, I have really started to pay attention to her favorite music, television shows, reading, and other hobbies to get to know her. It is wonderful how we can use mediums such as books to learn more about our parents, and our pasts.

Reading aloud is an important part of my day as well. I teach third grade, the big testing year, and had thought about giving it up because I can't seem to find time in the day to get everything done. As I was contemplating giving it up I ran into a former students parent, and she explained how my reading chapter books aloud to the class has inspired her daughter to begin reading chapter books and now two laters is currently reading well above grade level. She wanted to thank me for reading aloud and introducing new worlds and ideas to her daughter. Needless to say I still read aloud everyday.

First of all, as Heather has stated, our mother passed when we were teenagers. (Yes, we are sisters in case anyone was unaware.) We have had a million conversations about the ways we remember her and learn her adult personality. I think books are a great way to do this. I hope people can one day browse my bookshelves and learn about the type of person I was.

Also, I really enjoy reading aloud to my students as well. I have several kids who simply are not strong readers. They often become frustrated when trying to read; however, they absolutely love the time at the end of class when I read to them. We are actually reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" right now. They all know that Roald Dahl is my favorite author!

Sarah, reading aloud to my students is also my favorite part of the teaching day. You can imagine that I was in teacher heaven the 1st year that I taught 1st grade when my pricipal announced that we should read-aloud to our students at least 4 times a day and she wanted to see it built into our lesson plans. At the time there was research to support that students K-3 should be read aloud to 6 times a day!!!! The 6 read-alouds should come from a variety of sources and each read-aloud serving a different purpose and interrelated strategy. Some days I am lucky to fit it in twice, other days, not so much.

Sarah,
What you wrote about your father I could apply to my mother! My mother and I are constantly exchanging books. While she barely has a high school diploma, she is an avid reader, and always has been. That is the one way that we have constantly and consistently connected throughout my life.
My husband and I are both voracious readers, and our house is full of books! I hope that both our boys grow up with lots of memories of reading that you and your colleagues have written about.