Time to read and to become a reader

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Last night, I looked at the weather forecast and felt confident that tomorrow would be a snow day. (It was.)

So I told myself that I didn’t need to feel guilty as I stayed up later than normal to read the final 100 pages of The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera.

It’s an excellent middle level novel, blending the world building that’s common in science fiction with timeless themes such as identity, story, and trust.

As I reflect today, it seems silly to associate reading for enjoyment with guilt. Yet it’s common, especially in schools. We don’t feel like the students really “got” inferencing after the lesson, so we reteach it. We respond to every email message even when we were only Cc’d. We say yes to what feels urgent and, by default, no to what’s important.

How can we develop readers without time to read, for ourselves and for our students?

Matt Renwick @ReadByExample

Effective teaching and leading is as much about what we don't do as what we do. "Music is in the space between notes."

Applying the themes from The Last Cuentista, I revisited my beliefs today.

• I trust students will make good use of the time provided to read.

• I believe in the power of story to engage anyone in reading.

• I know that time to read daily is the pathway to becoming a reader.

Take care,

Matt

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