I returned to my office after dismissal on the Friday before December break to find a holiday present -- a pile of books left by our WMS librarian, Sara Ravid. Knowing my penchant for young adult fiction (affectionately known as YA), Sara always offers me a selection of titles to peruse during school vacation weeks. This vacation did not disappoint. I delighted in
A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying
by Kelley Armstrong and shed a few tears over
For Black Girls Like Me
by Mariama J Lockington. My heart was full of hope following a re-read of
Harbor Me
by Jacqueline Woodson. Yes, reading for pleasure is one of my true joys in life, and I greedily gobble up books whenever I have the chance.
Walk into any ELA classroom, and you will find our school-wide commitment to growing readers in full force. Our carefully curated classroom libraries house well-over 800 titles each, as we regularly benefit from the generosity of the Wayland Public Schools Foundation and the WMS PTO. We are incredibly fortunate to have the resources to build our collections and keep current with highly desired, relevant titles.
Some students come to us voracious, excitedly devouring new books as quickly as we can get them into their hands. For other middle school readers, however, the fit of the book is critical, and our teachers’ vast expertise in the scope of young adult literature is the key to being able to suggest a wide range of titles based on interest and readiness. We have on hand graphic novels, audiobooks and Kindle e-readers to ensure accessibility for all. When children are immersed in a rich collection of independent reading titles and activities, we are best positioned to successfully engage all readers in authentic literacy experiences. Children who love their books, read more.
Our classroom libraries are inviting places in which students can recommend good books to peers, a practice our teachers encourage. In addition to peer recommendations our ELA teachers and librarian give book talks to offer students a taste of plots and characters to spark interest. The ability to choose books well is an essential skill that ensures engagement so that students make the most of time spent reading. Skillful teachers who know their students and know books can help them select titles that foster not only joyful but skillful reading. Therefore, each classroom library must house books to entice readers with a variety of interest at range of reading levels.
So important is independent reading that all our ELA teachers dedicate precious instructional minutes each week to having students engage in it during class. The consistent time spent on our practice across the grades speaks to independent reading being a top priority, as instructional minutes are coveted, given the challenge of teaching both reading and writing during a 53 minute block. Additionally, teachers in our study halls and FLEX periods carve out independent reading time to strengthen this important habit.
Study after study in the field of literacy confirm our convictions around independent reading. In her review of the research literature Bernice E. Cullinan of New York University highlighted two key findings that enhance our sense of urgency around building capacity for independent reading. First, “The amount of free reading done outside of school has consistently been found to relate to achievement in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency, and general information. Students’ reading achievement correlates with success in school and the amount of independent reading they do.” Second, “numerous surveys show that many students do not choose to read great quantities, nor do they choose to read often.” These findings support our commitment to nurturing literacy through independent reading. We want to foster curiosity and encourage students to read regularly from a variety of sources. Reading enables us to better understand the world and our relationship to it -- including our responsibility in it -- so we can best participate as informed citizens in a democracy.
In our fast-paced world where immediacy seems to be the norm, reading need not be a lost art. As families, you can join us in our mission to prioritize reading. Here are some ideas of how you can help:
- Help your child build in independent reading time to his or her daily schedule. Our ELA teachers require twenty minutes of reading at home every day, in addition to the reading done in class and study hall.
- Make regular trips to the public library to choose new books.
- Model good reading habits and talk with your children about your reading experiences.
- Engage in family read alouds. Long car rides are great times to delve into good audio books together.
Novels can help parents and guardians broach a wide variety of tricky topics with their middle schooler. Literature is a safe way to explore developmental challenges emerging adolescents face.
Your actions around literacy speak volumes. As Cressida Cowell author of
How to Train Your Dragon
writes in her article, “Reading for the Joy of It,” published in the January 3, 2020, edition of
The Boston Globe
,
“Books read to you by your parents live with you all your life. It’s a shared joy, and sends an important message to a child: Books are powerful, magical things that can make your dad cry, or your mom laugh, and have the sort of wisdom that can change your life.”
Even though my daughter is in high school and my son in middle school, they are still eager to have me read aloud old favorites -- like the Harry Potter series
narrated in my best British accent -- when we embark on family road trips. We are never too old to listen to a good story. Reading for pleasure is a gift to last a lifetime, so I encourage you to partner with our amazing teachers to pass along that gift.
Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron
