All teachers want to instill a love of reading. We all want our students to willingly pick up books and read for pleasure. As I stated in an earlier post, I have given up awarding prizes and providing incentives for reading. I want students to read for the joy of reading, not for a prize and certainly not because I tell them to.
I don't even ask students to do book reports anymore. Last summer I read Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniel's 'Comprehension & Collaboration' and had an 'AHA' moment. After reading the chapter on literature circle inquiries, where a spoof dialogue was presented with 2 adults talking about how they make dioramas of each book they finished, I felt embarrassed. I have been guilty of assigning book reports at the end of each month. I thought I was progressive when I gave a choice of book report options. I changed my monthly book reports to book circles and have never looked back. (see next post!)
I do however, have a reading log. Reading every night is the only homework that I give--and I want the students to record their reading. I ask the students to give up a half hour of television a night and read instead. Being a mom of 3, I know how much 'screen time' can exist during the after school hours until bedtime. Even with extra-curricular programs and meal time, kids still spend a lot of time on the computer, playing video games or watching television shows.
However, whenever I collected these reading logs at the end of each month, I wondered how contrived they were. Was it really possible that students clocked and recorded exactly 30 minutes every night? I questioned when they recorded reading the same 140 page book 30 or more minutes for 10 nights in a row. ( I do ask them about this in my comments!) Am I encouraging students to 'fudge' their reading time at home by telling them that I will be recording their minutes read and marking them for their effort? (I just realized that this was a rhetorical question!)
So last year, probably in March, I moved from recording minutes to recording the books they read during the month. (My theory was that by then, they were in the daily habit of reading 30 minutes ) Then I asked the students which reading log they preferred, and it was unanimous...they all preferred just to record the books that they read rather than the minutes. And when I thought more about it, I realized that I don't need students to record the minutes that they read every night. I just want to see what they are reading and encourage their reading. I want to make recommendations for more great books that might interest them. I want to steer them to authors they may like and see if they are choosing books that are at the right level for them.
This fall, I am going to try trust that my students will forego a half hour of screen time to read every night. I am going to try my 'darndest' to convince them and their parents that reading nightly will be the best homework they can do. I am going to show them this blog entitled "Reading homework is the best homework." (http://www.family-homework-answers.com/reading-homework.html) and give them all the support I can.
I really would appreciate any comments about reading logs and expectations regarding at-home reading. Thanks :)
Please do not do reading logs. Parents fudge them, students forget them and they just become another piece of paper used to check up on your students outside of school. The truth is, although we can rule over the students while they are at school, once they leave we can only hope that they will read and learn. So focus your energy on showing love of reading rather than expecting book logs. Some kids will read, some will not but they will all be thankful they are not given one more thing to fill out when they are home.
ReplyDeleteI am torn. It is interesting that you moved away from them. I feel that I really use them to explain lack of improvement or to show success, however, I do understand all of the problems...
ReplyDeleteI stopped doing reading logs and simply assigned read 20 minutes each night, trusting that my students would. I agree that spending more time and energy sharing your passion for reading and hooking kids to the love of reading yields better results. Have you read these books? The Book Whisperer and Igniting a Passion for Reading. Great ideas to build lifelong readers. One idea to think about for the home reading is having Buzz Groups where kids discuss the books they are reading with the same group. It holds them accountable because their peers know if they read or not. You can read a summary of it on my blog post http://rebeccabookhooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/buzz-about-books-quick-and-effective.html
ReplyDeleteRebecca
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ReplyDeleteHmmm....I know for sure I won't ask students to record minutes anymore but I agree with you Darrel, reading logs provide a springboard for relaying the importance of 'at-home' reading to both parents and students. I also really like the insight into what each student is reading and reading logs give me a quick visual. Over the years I have learned that some kids need the 'homework of reading'--and if I am doing my job, they soon get hooked on a series or an author. I love it when they come to me and tell me that they stayed up late because they had to finish a 'page-turner.' So this year, I am going to 'trust' that students are reading at home but I am still going to ask them to be accountable for their own learning and have them record their books. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the Buzz Group idea--thanks for sharing Rebecca and Donna.