The discussion went something like this. Do you know how many books "they" recommend you read every year? 25. How many of you are doing this? Why should you read 25 books a year. What does it do for you? How come you haven't read (since middle school, elementary school....ever). My personal mission: help every kid in my school find 25 books to read every year. But I need help.
Parents, relatives, teachers, friends.....we all need to build this philosophy in our kids. I focus on two main reasons students should read.
- Practice makes perfect. The one sure way to get better at something is to practice. Reading also increases vocabulary and helps with writing skills. Especially as work to increase the complexity of the text students are reading.
- Background knowledge. There is so much information to absorb in our world. Making connections requires understanding of complex thoughts and interactions. For example, I booktalked Benazir Bhutto's book Reconciliation. We brainstormed the assumptions students had of Bhutto's life based on her status as a woman in an Islamic country. What a revelation when it was revealed that she had served as Prime Minister of her country twice. While in the land of democracy we have yet to elect a female President.
Final thoughts: in the difficult economic climate of public schools many have chosen to no longer employee library media specialists, considering them nonessential. My question is: who is getting the books to the kids? Who knows how to choose a wide variety of books to appeal to our varied readers? Who is taking the time to read these books so that recommendations can be made to the individual students?
