I wrote about how transformational this practice was in an Edutopia post called вЂњ Start a Reading Revolution.вЂќ I decided to give my students a say in what they read and how they responded to it. I discovered the importance of giving students choice four years ago when I completely revamped independent reading. Gallagher introduced this need for change in Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It: вЂњShouldnвЂ™t schools be the place where students interact with interesting books? ShouldnвЂ™t the faculty have an ongoing laser-like commitment to put good books in our studentsвЂ™ hands? ShouldnвЂ™t this be a front-burner issue at all times?вЂќ Choice Matters Kelly Gallagher, author of numerous books on reading and writing, noted in a tweet earlier this year: вЂњFor the 3rd year in a row, 90%+ of my seniors have admitted they have fake read their way to the 12th grade. Some had read enjoyable books recently, but some had to go back to middle school to find a book that excited them. Many had not read a novel cover to cover in their three years of high school. I polled my students-150 high school seniors-at the beginning of the year. And this ultimately kills their motivation. Often, when students have no agency over what they read, they stop enjoying it.

Within this model, they often learn to play the game of paying attention in class and regurgitating what the teacher wants on a test or quiz. Students feel less invested when theyвЂ™re handed books and told to dive in. When students have no choice about the books they read, it can harm their independence as readers. Whole-class discussions are more vibrant and engaging since everyone has (theoretically) read the same book, and everyone has the potential to participate. While I may be painting a uninspired picture, this traditional approach certainly has its benefits: With a common text, skills can be targeted and taught with examples that everyone recognizes.

Readings for january 5 2017