Creating Passionate Readers

Believe it or not, guided reading programs, Accelerated Reader, and reading interventions don't create voracious readers.  As much as publishing companies try to pack their programs with high interest stories, they are still forced down many children's throats.  Kids earning points for reading takes away the genuine sense of accomplishment in finishing a book.  Most kids I have worked with that struggle in reading don't read on their own because they essentially view it as "work." It is for this reason that I highly agree with Cynthia Rylant and her beliefs about reading:



With the best of intentions, I think teachers sometimes feel that they have to discuss everything to death.  They are trying to help kids infer and retell, which are fantastic higher order thinking skills.  However, doing this with EVERY book just makes kids hate reading.  Sometimes we have to shut up and just let kids enjoy reading.  It's ok to read to kids just for fun.  It's fine to not ask questions and just teach them that it's awesome to get totally wrapped up in a story.

The following are some ideas that follow Cynthia Rylant's philosophy of inspiring readers.

1. Host a Read In: Students bring in blankets, pillows, flashlights, and of course, books.  They use a little time to build forts and then get to read in these forts for an hour or two.  Is this wasting class time?  I don't think so because you are sending two messages.  One is that reading is fun.  The other is that it is so important that you should sometimes do nothing but reading for a couple of hours.  Plus, don't we do this as adults?
2. Read Aloud to Your Class Without Asking Them Questions:  I know administrators everywhere are cringing, but I'm not saying to do this every time.  Set aside a couple of days a week where whatever you are reading you are just going to read.  Let the kids stretch out, listen, and enjoy.
3. Find Each Child That One Perfect Series:  When you pair kids with books that are just right for them, their reading takes off.  I have seen second graders who hated reading pick up an American Girl book and suddenly take off reading the whole series.  I have seen fourth grade boys grab a book by Rick Riordan and then read everything he has ever written.  Usually you want to make sure it's something the child is capable of reading.  But, if the child has the right support don't limit them to only books that are at their independent reading level (especially if they are gifted children).
4. Give Your Students Books as a Present:  On holidays I will sometimes wrap up books and give them to my students as gifts.  They almost always drop everything that they are doing and read.  Scholastic often has great promotions that make this possible.  For Halloween a couple of years ago I was able to get each of my kids their own copy of The Teacher From The Black Lagoon.  Sure, it was a simple story, but it was special because it was a gift.
5. Close the Book You Just Finished and Keep Your Mouth Shut: This one is by far the hardest for me.  There is nothing better than the look on a my students' faces when I close a book at the end.  They almost all have something to say or ask.  I have just sat there smiling at them for over five minutes before and let them run away with their thinking and feelings about the end of a book.  Some of the best conversations have come out of me shutting up!

What ideas have you used in your classroom to inspire your students to LOVE reading?

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