So, I had an interesting twitter conversation with a member of my PLN. The conversation involved teaching reading as a skill versus building a student’s passion for reading. We discussed the use of reading logs as part of a student’s reading routine. These reading logs include daily grammar checks where students list sentences, from their reading, that contain different parts of speech. For example, after reading, the student would find three sentences that contain a personal pronoun or adverb. I developed these logs to align with some professional development I attended. In this PD, it was stated that reinforcing grammar skills as part of a student’s daily reading builds comprehension, confidence, and grammar skills. My assertion was(is) that, a well-rounded reader must have well-developed grammar skills. I also want something to validate that a child is doing their daily reading. Accountability is important, and I feel as though a task like a reading log is a way to validate that the student is reading. If for nothing else than they are completing the log. Pretty basic right…But it seems others do not share this philosophy. Some feel that reading should become a student’s passion, and by making reading “work” it kills the potential to build that passion.
I continue to maintain my point-of-view, but I can also see the viability of the other side of the coin. Is there a happy medium, should there be a happy medium? In the article Motivating and Engaging Students in Reading by Jenna Cambria and John T. Guthrie the author's state, “A student with skill may be capable, but without will, she cannot become a reader. It is her will power that determines whether she reads widely and frequently and grows into a student who enjoys and benefits from literacy.” These are some powerful words and certainly a challenge to my perspective.
The authors go on to talk about a reader’s motivation. “An interested student reads because he enjoys it; a dedicated student reads because he believes it is important, and a confident student reads because he can do it”. I guess it comes down to what type of reader are we looking to build. Do we want a dedicated reader, a confident reader, or an interested reader? Which is best? Is there a best? The article goes on to list six techniques that help build passionate readers. I look forward to implementing some of them in my 2017 classroom.
After reading this article, I am now a believer that building a student’s passion for reading is the key. As with everything we do in the classroom, there is no single “best practice” method of building a passionate reader. As Guthrie and Cambria state, “research says that skill and will (motivation) go together. Usually, students who are gaining in skill are gaining in motivation as well.” So perhaps reading logs can and should be part of the solution? As we move into the new year, I will dedicate more of my time building passionate readers, but I will also continue to use reading logs to build reading skills and build confidence. Perhaps there is a happy medium!
The article can be found here: http://www.literacyconnects.org/img/2013/03/Motivating-and-engaging-students-in-reading-Cambria-Guthrie.pdf
My Reading Logs can be found here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Weekly-Reading-Log-and-Grammar-Check-2885507
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