“Mr. Simpson, we can really read our video game books during independent reading.”
-Grade 4 boys, 2004, Virginia
March is upon us and anyone knows that this is a huge month in education, especially literacy. It is Reading Month. We celebrate Read Across America in the states, Read Across the Gulf in the Middle East, and World Read Aloud Day globally. The first of the 3Rs (Reading) remains just as important today as ever before. Of course with the rise of video games and the Internet reading has changed. As educators, parents, and stakeholders it is our job to make sure we meet students where they are. What does reading look like in their world? What is important for them to read? What do they want to know more about that can only be retrieved via text? Below I reflect on two of my favorite reading scenarios as a primary reading teacher.
The quote above stems from when I was a new grade four (year 5) teacher mid-year in Fairfax County, Virginia. I had a class of mostly boys. During my first week I listened closely to gather information about them and their interests. Many talked widely about video games they played at home. So I invited them to bring in the related books to go along with their video games. They did bring in these informational texts. This was introduced as something they could read during independent reading time. They were shocked. Usually these books would be confiscated by other teachers. But in our reading workshop these video game books constituted reading. It was text, something of interest, and they would use the information with a purpose. Would they read it everyday? No. As they knew the ritual of having a healthy reading balance of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc. as modeled by the teacher.
Another one of my favorite stories emerged from teaching grade five (year 6) Flint, Michigan. In a co-taught class of students my colleague and I constantly sought ways to engage all students in reading and books. Many of the boys were in love with the basketball player Michael Jordan. So my mother found six biographies and donated them to our classroom. Whenever there were new books added we would share them in the morning and tell where in the classroom library these books would be added. On the day Michael Jordan arrived in the classroom he was immediately popular. So popular that we had our own “reading war” as two students wanted to obtain the final copy during independent reading time. This almost resulted in a fight but the students calmed down. Imagine two boys almost fighting over who would get to read the Michael Jordan book first.
So…. how do we engage 21st century learners in literacy? Is literacy about us as adults or about the students? Do we ask them what they want to read about? What they want to have read to them? Are we listening for what they directly and indirectly share about themselves as readers? Are they able to BYOT or bring your own text? Is this done consistently? How do you engage all readers? What are some of your favorite reading stories from the classroom?
For more on the upcoming reading events visits the sites below…
Read Across the Gulf http://www.facebook.com/pages/Read-Across-the-Gulf/152381474825524?sk=wall&filter=12
Read Across America http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm
World Read Aloud Day http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday
