#9 Readicide

The very title, Readicide, tells the reader  that reading is dead or dying.  I remember a time in school where we had silent reading, and it was my favorite part of the day.  I also remember that standardized tests were not nearly as common as they are today.  I had teachers who loved books and taught students to read for gathering information, and also for the joy of the story.  Reading was an escape for me as a child, and I still love reading whenever I get the chance.  I find however, that I enjoy reading much more when it is my choice of what to read than if it was an assigned reading.  The one thing that is difficult for me as a future teacher is the idea that we read to be tested.  What happened to reading for fun?

I am lucky to have a master teacher who loves books as much as I do.  We encourage our students to read and keep reading.  Instead of reading just for the test (because there is always a test of some sort), we talk about what we have read and see how we can make connections to our world.  Kelly Gallagher gives some great ideas about reading and why we do it.  I understand that students need to be tested, and Like Gallagher, I believe that students don’t need to take as many standardized tests to prove they have mastered a particular skill.

I like the appendices that are included with this book.  The list of books that reluctant readers like to read is priceless for a teacher that needs to motivate kids to read.  If I use the hints and tips in this book, I am hopeful that I will be successful in creating lifelong readers who find as much joy in the story as they find in understanding what they have read by making connections to their individual realities.