Not+Reading

Happy New Year! In friendship and collaborative spirit, allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Trish McRae, Upper School Study Skills and 6th grade Language Arts teacher. You knew that, right? Prior to moving to the Upper School, I was the Lower School Writing Specialist, First Grade Assistant, and tutor. Some of you knew that. What you may not know is that prior to coming to Summit I taught junior high English and Study Skills, high school English and Study Skills, and was an adjunct faculty member in the English department at a community college.

I share that part of my story because I want you to include me in English department meetings as a full member, not just as the support person who works with students who have diagnosed learning differences, or with gifted and talented students, or with twice-exceptional students. Like you, I'm a teacher of students - of all students.

One thing my students - gifted and otherwise - have taught me is that adolescents value the truth, know the difference between the truth and a lie, and feel uncomfortable when placed in compromising situations. I'm talking about reading logs, specifically, and about required reading in general. While reading William Broz's article, "Not Reading: The 800-Pound Mockingbird in the Classroom", in the May 2011 issue of English Journal, I had to chuckle. Boz suggests that, "The activities should be based on student readings and interpretations. In these efforts, avoid right-answer activities such as quizzes and study guides." Seriously? My students have always told me that study guides and class discussions make it easy for students NOT to read. My students have also told me that their parents sign reading logs even when they know their student has not read. Okay, so we've all received falsified, parent-signed reading logs, and we've all had students turn in completed study guides despite the fact that the book never left the classroom or locker. What are we to do?

Boz endorses reading response journals that are 'mined' for DIs (Discussion Items). These are questions, comments or quotes that are entered in student response journals and sight-checked by the teacher BEFORE the student is allowed to participate in discussion of the reading. Consequently, students who have not read spend class time reading while those who have read participate in discussions. What is discussed? The usual: themes, characters, passages, personal connections, cultural connections. To make reading more social, we encourage students to read with people in their family, with a peer, or in a lunch group.

But wait! That's not all. Teachers invite student readers to use their reading response journals to record summaries of what they have read and discussed. Every student reader constructs knowledge within the social context that s/he craves. Win-Win. No lie!