To Teach Readers, You Must Love Reading
To Teach Readers, You Must Love Reading
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A couple of years ago, I attended a virtual meeting with literacy leaders from a variety of positions.
We were sharing what we found working for us in our respective schools regarding our literacy initiatives. I kept quiet at first. I wanted to know where other leaders in the room were at philosophically, in light of the emergence of the science of reading (SoR) movement.
As the sharing commenced, I noticed something peculiar: educators were seeming to one-up a previous speaker on how “SoR” they were in their schools. For example, one school leader stated that not only were they using decodables in every classroom, but “we were also partnering with our local library to put them in their catalog as well”.
It came to a head with one leader:
“Personally, I don’t care if students love reading. Our job is to make sure our kids can read.”
I caught my jaw before it fell to the floor.
I don’t recall ever leaving a meeting before the end because I was upset and feared losing my cool. And I didn’t this time. But it was the closest I’ve been.
As I readjusted my poker face, several reactive thoughts popped into my head:
Is everyone else in the room thinking the same thing?
I’m thankful my own children didn’t go to this school.
How did this person arrive in their position, working with kids?
In retrospect, my mental reactions were laced with judgment, and maybe unfairly as I didn’t know their full story.
I did pause long enough to assume not everyone felt the same way in their school.
I even arrived at a point of appreciation:
With regard to the science of reading movement, this person said the quiet part out loud.
I’ve read and studied this topic enough to understand not only what is considered scientific, but also to see what is not prioritized or valued with teaching readers.
Motivation and engagement
Student voice and choice in what to read
Time to read and talk about one’s reading with others
All of these elements have plenty of research to support these practices, yet are not included in the conversation. What other logical explanation can there be for their exclusion? I keep coming back to a lack of love for the entire reading experience.
I could be wrong, and I also don’t want to overgeneralize. Maybe these individuals do love reading in their own lives. But why doesn’t that joy and commitment translate to their identities as teachers?
What I do know is students take on the attitudes and beliefs of their teachers. A teacher can be an excellent reading instructor from a technical standpoint. How they present themselves - as a teacher of readers - is a different matter.
Teachers who love reading don’t treat it like a utility, a useful tool. They put skills and strategies in the context of their own and their students’ reading lives, showing the many purposes and benefits that extend beyond cognition.
Teachers who love reading don’t put it in a box, a set to directions to follow like a manual. They embrace the complexity of becoming a reader and honor the different ways we grow while sustaining curricular coherence.
Teachers who love reading don’t control the experience. They understand that the only way to become a reader for life is by sharing the power of selecting books, exploring interests, expressing novel ideas through writing and speaking based on what was read, and instilling a sense of curiosity as lifelong learners.
This isn’t something we can purchase or create a script for; kids need to write their own stories and feel supported as the authority in how their future will be shaped. It's best taught through demonstration and disposition. Readers teach readers.
Related Resources
Last month was our first article study. We read Part 1 of Maren Aukerman’s three part series on The Science of Reading and the Media (Literacy Research Association). You can find links to the discussion thread and recorded conversations here.
This month, we are reading Parts 2 and 3 in the same series by Maren Aukerman. Full subscribers will be able to comment in the discussion thread (February 14) and engage in the real time conversation via Zoom about the content.
Text: “The Science of Reading and the Media: Does the Media Draw on High-Quality Reading Research?” and “The Science of Reading and the Media: How Do Current Reporting Patterns Cause Damage?” by Maren Aukerman (Literacy Research Association, 2022)
Discussion Thread (to be posted February 14)
Virtual Conversation (Zoom, February 21, 5:30 P.M. CST)
Podcast (recorded conversation to be posted February 28)
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