My teenage son and I recently took a day trip from Wisconsin to Chicago to visit family.
On the way there, I asked him if he wanted to listen to the audiobook version of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.
He had selected this murder mystery for a previous road trip. Also bringing a print copy of the story I had discovered in a lending library, he agreed.
As we listened to the mystery unfold - me driving, him following along in the text - I recalled how my wife and I started his journey as a reader.
Daily read aloud
Surrounded by books at home
Letting him pick whatever he wanted to read
As he has grown older, he has encountered the same challenges other teens face in devoting time and attention to a good book. Smartphones are certainly a main culprit, as well as the pull of social events, school and extracurricular activities, and a part time job.
Yet when his phone was off during the car ride and the audiobook played, the reading experience was similar to how it was when he was younger. And in some respects, better. For example, I would ask him who he thought the masked “plague doctor” was and listened to his theories. We also talked about the meaning of the title as we learned more about Evelyn Hardcastle. I don't recall having this level of conversation around a book with him when he was younger.
Would my teenage son be so open to reading a complex murder mystery with me had had he received the message that reading was merely the act of decoding text to acquire meaning?
My guess is no. If the joy of selecting a book to read together and having a conversation about it were not front and center in our and his teachers' approaches with him, my guess is reading would be viewed primarily as a technical skill.
I am glad this is not the case. That said, I also worry about all the advocacy for a simple view of reading that too many kids are hearing. They may grow up without a love for reading. I am aware of buildings where classroom libraries are collecting cobwebs and the school library is a ghost town because teachers are so focused on implementing a science of reading-based curriculum with fidelity to the program.
I'm not against explicit reading instruction, knowledge building, or structured literacy. I just define it differently than how it's typically described.
I believe explicit reading instruction includes being clear with students about what it means to be a reader.
I believe building knowledge best starts with students and what they bring with them to the learning experience.
I believe the best structures support deep thinking and develop a sense of community and belonging through conversation.
Teaching reading is simple if the reader is not the priority when preparing and facilitating instruction. Yes, teaching the reader first is more challenging and complex. Yet it has the staying power that simple approaches to teaching reading do not.
Take care,
Matt
P.S. I am hosting a conversation on Tuesday, August 22 at 5:30pm around recommended reading for new leaders. Full subscribers can join the initial discussion and RSVP here.
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