Choice and Possibility in Summer Reading
Dr. Julia Reynolds is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. She is also the mother of an 18-year-old son who loves to read, despite any barriers he may have faced due to his book choices or reading abilities. She values summer reading and advocates for students to have choice in what they read.
NOTE: Dr. Reynolds' post is in response to the introduction post, "What Should "Count" for Summer Reading". We will be posting a response each Tuesday and Thursday for the next few weeks from various experts on literacy and literature.
Choice
Choice plays a large part in our lives. We choose what we wear, what we eat, and maybe even what we watch on TV or listen to on the radio. That same idea applies to reading. Choice matters. Readers enjoy choosing books that appeal to their interests. They are more willing to stick with a book if they want to read it.
Scholastic summarizes key findings in an article about research on reading choice, including (1) children being more successful by high volume, high interest reading, (2) increases in motivation and engagement, and (3) use of reading strategies.
When it comes to summer reading, choice should play a role in book selection. Students will be more engaged and excited about reading. That aligns with also not placing limitations on what counts as actual reading.
Leveled Limitations
Imagine a student being excited to choose a book to read for summer reading. Yet, when the teacher saw the book on the list, it was not counted because it was not at the student’s “reading level.” This happened to my son when he was 9 years old. He chose a nonfiction book about American presidents. This was a huge interest for him (and still is!) so he chose a book with detailed text along with colorful pictures. He loved this book. He spent hours reading the chapters and looking at the pictures. We talked about the book throughout the summer, and I was able to gauge that he was using all the reading strategies he’d been taught by working on the text. He grew exponentially as a reader by being challenged and using his knowledge on what good readers do, all with the motivation to keep reading the book because he chose it himself.
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Edutopia cautions against limiting students with reading levels. The “encouragement to stretch” (as in the case with my son) can be extremely impactful to student reading development. Leveled books play a role in reading instruction but should not be a factor in choice reading, including during the summer.
When my son told me that the book (and the hours spent working on the text) would not count for his summer reading total, I knew I couldn’t stay quiet. I reached out to the teacher and explained everything I saw in him as a reader with that book. I also shared some librarian expertise about the subjectivity of leveling systems and the power of book choice. The teacher allowed the book for my son, but I want all students to have that advocacy, especially since many won’t have a mom as a librarian.
Summer Reading Programs
The public library that partners with the school district where I work does an amazing job planning summer programming for students. They honor the choices that students make for summer reading, including an expansion of the idea of “text” to include being read to, audiobooks, reading with a friend, and finding words in the community. This work values student choices and makes summer reading a joyful and purposeful activity.
References
Edutopia (February 27, 2020). If we want bookworms, we need to get beyond leveled reading. Retrieved on August 20, 2024 from https://www.edutopia.org/article/if-we-want-bookworms-we-need-get-beyond-leveled-reading/
Scholastic (January, 2015). The power of reading choice, time, and pleasure. Retrieved on August 20, 2024 from https://teacher.scholastic.com/education/classroom-library/pdfs/The-Power-of-Reading-Choice.pdf
