Engagement and Reading
Newsletter
This week we take a look at the concept of engagement in the world of reading instruction.
In my first post of the week, I share my belief that for anyone to learn deeply, they first have to be engaged in the work.
The quote from Azar Nafisi comes from the excellent anthology Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process, edited by Joe Fassler.
Two of the books our faculty are reading regarding reading instruction are What are the Rest of My Kids Doing? by Lindsey Moses and Merideth Ogden and Conferring with Writers by Jennifer Serravallo and Gravity Goldberg.
The book I am reading with faculty members is The Comprehension Experience by W. Dorsey Hammond and Denise L. Nessel.
Check out this post by Rachel Tassler, literacy specialist and instructional coach in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, as she shares her professional learning experience of engaging her faculty in examining their beliefs about reading instruction.
In my last post, I am reminded of the importance of context and relevance when reading informational text.
Naveed Saleh’s book The Complete Guide to Article Writing is the text I reference in that post. It’s a helpful resource for bloggers and other writers.
Dr. John Guthrie has a body of research that supports the academic importance of engagement in reading instruction, including student choice and collaboration. Click here for one of these studies. ($)
Dr. Gay Ivey has also studied engagement and reading instruction. She describes in this study the social and emotional benefits that students gain during these types of literacy experiences, such as improved relationships with peers. ($)
For a practical resource on engagement in education, check out Real Engagement by Allison Zmuda and Robyn Jackson (ASCD Arias, 2015).