September 2011

He Read, She Read: Getting Students Excited About Books

Christie Beving

As an avid reader, I am at a complete loss about why my sixth graders don't enjoy reading. During the past few years I have required my students to read different genres outside the classroom, and although they did the reading, they weren't as excited about the books as I thought they should be. After three years of refining my teaching, I think I finally may have hooked them.

I still require my students to read 14 books of various genres during the year, but have found a few ways for them to share that reading in way that is getting them excited about reading and books: reader's notebooks and must reads.

Reader's Notebook. At the beginning of the year, I introduce the reader's notebook. Set up as a log, it's a place for students to record what they read (or abandoned), how they felt about the book, how difficult the book was for them to read, and what books they want to read. The students turn in the notebook at the end of the year.

I, too, keep a reader's notebook log and display it prominently on my classroom door so all my students can see what I'm reading and how I rated each book. On my log I include young adult books, adult novels, and professional books. Most students check my log weekly and often want to discuss books we have in common.

I also share why I rated some books harder to read than others. For example, I read Brad Thor's The Apostle, but my background knowledge on weapons and military tactics isn't very strong, so it took me longer to read that particular book than other fiction books on my list.

Must Read Time. On our double-block literature/English days we have Must Read time during the first 5-10 minutes of class. During this time, students get up in front of the class and share books they think other students should read. They record their recommendations on a card that we post on our Must Read bulletin board. I also post book reviews that my students might find interesting.

Going Deeper. The final piece of the puzzle is related to the reader's notebook. Twice each quarter, the students share in detail what they are reading and what they think about the literature. I respond to them, asking probing questions to get them to think more deeply about the books and gently encouraging them to spend a little more time reading.