Closing Thoughts Global Teacher award-winning Nancie Atwell (2015) also considers reader’s choice, time, and pleasure essential. In her classroom and school (Center for Teaching and Learning), choice is a given: “Kids choose what they read because children who choose books are more likely to grow up to become adults who read books. Students who read only a steady diet of assigned titles don’t get to answer, for themselves, the single most important question about book reading: why does anyone want to? (2007). She writes: Every day, smart, well-meaning teachers erect instructional roadblocks between their students and the pure pleasure of the personal art of reading. There it is: the P word. I know, because I’ve felt it, too, that there’s a sense of uneasiness among teachers and parents about an approach like a reading workshop. Shouldn’t there be some pedagogic strings attached here? Some paper and pencil and small-group activities that look like schoolwork? Because otherwise, isn’t reading class, well, too enjoyable? We need to get over it. When we teachers embrace our role as literate grown-ups who help children seek and find delight and enlargement of life in books, they have a good chance of growing into adults who enjoy and love reading.
References
Allington, R., and Gabriel, R. (2012). “Every Child, Every Day.” Educational Leadership. Vol. 69 (6). Allington, R. (2002). “What I’ve Learned About Effective Reading Instruction from a Decade of Studying Exemplary Elementary Classroom Teachers.” Phi Delta Kappan . Anderson, R. C., Wilson, P. T., and Fielding, L. G. (1988). “Growth in Reading and How Children Spend Their Time Outside of School.” Reading Research Quarterly . Vol. 23.. Atwell, N. (2007).“The Pleasure Principle.” New York: Scholastic: Retrieved from: www.scholastic. com/teachers/article/pleasure-principle Atwell, N. (2007). T he Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers. New York: Scholastic. Edmunds, K., Bauserman, K. (2006). “What Teachers Can Learn About Reading Motivation through Conversations with Children.” The Reading Teacher . Vol. 59.
Kragler, Sherry. (2000). “Choosing Books for Reading: An Analysis of Three Types of Readers.” Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Vol. 14. Gallagher, K. (2009). Readicide. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Gilmore, Barry. (2011). “Worthy Texts: Who Decides?” Educational Leadership . Vol. 68 (6). Guthrie, J., and Humenick, N. (2004). “Motivating Students to Read: Evidence of Classroom Practices that Increase Motivation and Achievement.” In P. McCardle, and V. Chabra,
(Eds.), The Voice of Evidence in Reading Research. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Hiebert, F. (2014). “Frank Views on Literacy and the Common Core.” Santa Cruz, CA: The Text Project. Retrieved from: textproject.org/library/ books/frank-views-on-literacy-learning-and- the-common-core
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THE POWER OF READING CHOICE, TIME, AND PLEASURE
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