Language Arts - all Twilight all the time?

More often, kids are being able to choose their own in-class reading material, according to this week’s New York Times Education article:

“The approach Ms. McNeill uses, in which students choose their own books, discuss them individually with their teacher and one another, and keep detailed journals about their reading, is part of a movement to revolutionize the way literature is taught in America’s schools. While there is no clear consensus among English teachers, variations on the approach, known as reading workshop, are catching on.”

As someone who has read Beowulf in four separate classes, I think it will be a really exciting change in education if its done well.

What Students Choosing Their Own Books Gains

As a teacher, I like to integrate pop culture and some less traditional texts to spice up the curriculum and motivate my students to read. Everyone favorite week of the semester is the “Reading for Fun” week when students share their favorite poems. We all get to learn more about each other and discover new texts.

Ideally, this will get students motivated to read and enjoy the experience of reading more, leading them to challenge themselves more with future reading

I also like that this movement is getting away from stiff classics and the lit of “dead white guys” because there is a lot out there being ignored to honor the classics. Honestly, I’d love to teach a class entirely on one or all of the Harry Potter books, but that’s a story for another day.

What Students Choosing Their Own Books Risks

As much as I’m excited by this notion, I’m also wary that it will lower the standard of children’s reading material.

If children are reading different books, it’ll curb classroom discussion and your involvement in guiding their reading. Your time, as a teacher, may also be taxed by expanding your texts 20 or 30 fold. (Perhaps using a classroom library, giving choice within those options would help).

Also, where do you draw the line of students’ choice in books? As I’ve come to learn with chick lit and other beach books, there’s a lot of fluff out there that’s fun to read but rarely expands my horizons or challenge me.

Some of my favorite books are ones I never would have read without a teacher’s prompting and never would have understood without a classroom discussion led by the teacher.

Peer Pressure & Student-Chosen Books

Another questions raised: Will peer pressure work for or against you?

• If all the cool kids are reading trashy novels, will those on the periphery want to go against the grain and read something challenging? Will this set kids apart even further?
• Or will students be more open to books because they’ve been recommended by their friends or peers?

There are certainly some pitfalls to consider, but I think teachers should be given the freedom to explore student-chosen reading programs and see the change it makes in readers!

Are you on board with student choice in books? Share your take in the comments section!