Patty’s Web 2.0 Blog

Free voluntary reading is a concept to which I subscribe in a limited way.  I enjoy Stephen Krashen’s writings and regularly read Donalyn Miller’s blog, The Book Whisperer.  Both of them have changed my ideas regarding summer reading for our students, with caveats.  Miller’s June 22 blog posting references a post by Kate Messner, In Defense of Summer Reading Freedom, as well as a previous blog post of her own on the topic, both defending free choice.

However, leaving our students, all of whom struggle with reading, to their own devices over the summer results in very few books read at all.  I have gradually rethought my ideas on this topic and try to create reading lists that contain books students actually want to read rather than just those deemed good literature.  And yes, we do offer an incentive to do the reading in the form of a one subject homework pass for returning all required postcards and a whole day homework pass (redeemable in September) for proof of completion of a public library reading program.  Postcards the students return have a 1-3 smiley face rating which helps us track unpopular books and to identify the ones most attractive to students.  Our lists are organized so that parents/students can identify reading levels by a 1-4 rating, but we do not group all the like numbers together so that students can actually find books they want to read and perhaps use a recorded book to supplement their reading.  Follett Library Services has given us permission to use the summaries/reviews posted on the Titlewave site so that students will know more before they choose a book.

In the fall, we discuss the students’ choices and solicit their input on what they read.  They also have the opportunity to make suggestions for the list throughout the year, and many of their suggestions wind up on the list after the suggestions are read by my co-worker or me.   This is not a perfect solution, and the lists are always a work in progress, which means that much more time spent dealing with them.  But it is worth it.  One of my long term goals is to compare spring and fall reading scores of  those who completed their summer reading and those who did not. I hope that I will find a positive effect.

Here are our Summer Reading FAQs which contain links to other research and articles regarding the summer reading slide.