As Zach and Kylene Beers have put it: ""But for it to be
really good, I think that's gotta be for me to decide." The inevitable struggle
for English teachers is the struggling reader. Zach is an adolescant boy being
talked about in the article "Matching Struggling
Readers with Books" and he talks about his experience with books and book
recommendations. Like many other struggling readers, Zach struggles with reading
and finding enjoyable texts because his experiences with literature are limited.
This is something that teachers have to overcome if the love of reading can even
begin to blossom in the hearts of students like Zach.
Zach brought up interesting points that I hope to discuss with fellow classmates and peers. Zach spoke of how people approach him with "good" book recommendations that he has not liked in the slightest. This brings to light the question of "what makes a good book?" If only this question could be answered simply. Unfortunately, tastes for literature are so varied that it is impossible to pinpoint a collective canon of universally loved works. My question to everyone is "what defines a good book to you?"
Teachers, according to the article as well as my own thoughts about this subject, should not judge the "goodness" of a book by its complexity or awards. In fact, books with simple plots and many pictures are good scaffolding tools for instilling the love of reading in students that struggle. The biggest goal of teaching is motivation since it is key to understanding, enjoyment, progress, and retention. Starting small and building up to harder reading is not a crime. In fact, it may be the best way to help struggling readers.
(PS: TO EVERYONE. I accidently placed this on my personal blog instead of the class blog. Sorry for the confusion.)
Zach brought up interesting points that I hope to discuss with fellow classmates and peers. Zach spoke of how people approach him with "good" book recommendations that he has not liked in the slightest. This brings to light the question of "what makes a good book?" If only this question could be answered simply. Unfortunately, tastes for literature are so varied that it is impossible to pinpoint a collective canon of universally loved works. My question to everyone is "what defines a good book to you?"
Teachers, according to the article as well as my own thoughts about this subject, should not judge the "goodness" of a book by its complexity or awards. In fact, books with simple plots and many pictures are good scaffolding tools for instilling the love of reading in students that struggle. The biggest goal of teaching is motivation since it is key to understanding, enjoyment, progress, and retention. Starting small and building up to harder reading is not a crime. In fact, it may be the best way to help struggling readers.
(PS: TO EVERYONE. I accidently placed this on my personal blog instead of the class blog. Sorry for the confusion.)
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