Reading

Ever since I can remember, reading has always been one of my favourite pastimes. I have no shame in telling people that I started reading the Harry Potter series in Grade 2, or that I tend to finish about 5 novels in a month or so! I absolutely love to read! However, I've found out that many people do not like to read for fun, or read in general for that matter. Just hearing that makes me sad, but, I have (hopefully!) found a way to encourage all people, of every age, to read!


What's the big deal with Reading?

Growing up, I read from hardcovers and paperbacks. I would occasionally pick up the newspaper if I had already finished my current book, but I always had something tangible to read from. However, over the past few years, it has dawned on me that there are now different things to read, and different ways to read! Things such as Kindles and tablets are becoming increasingly popular, and are just as effective to read from as books! Also, there are so many resources out there that can help students, teachers, and parents learn concepts and ideas just from reading! For example, on the Edugains site, the article titled "Make Room for Inferring during Reading" says it all! This specific resource helps students learn how to "read between the lines". For adolescent learners, not only does this idea help them to "connect the dots", but it also explores many different points in the Ontario Language Curriculum including teaching students to think critically about their work and relate their own every-day life experiences to passages they have just read.

[Online Image]. Retrieved from Edugains.com.

How can we relate reading?

I find that if students, or anyone for that matter, are interested in a certain subject, they'll put more time and effort into completing a project or task to do with it! I can't tell you how many book reports I did on the Harry Potter series, but that was only because those books brought joy to me when I read them! It still brings joy to my heart when I see students and teachers in my placements reading some of my favourite books. There must be a reason why these resources are still being used. I personally would like to believe that such "classics" are able to integrate both a captivating storyline and useful ideas and resources that will help students with not only elementary and high school language, but with necessary life skills that will help them well after they've finished with their schooling.

Some of my childhood favourite including the Harry Potter series, The Secret Garden, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Emily Giffen novels, and The Fault in our Stars. [Personal Collection].

How will I integrate Reading?

As for my future classroom, I hope to have it stocked full of books, technology, and resources that can help students to proudly exclaim "I love reading!". If a student is passionate about what they are learning, they will continue to want to learn! Even if a student looks up a word or a phrase that caught their eye in class, they will still be reading up on something that interests them. (Please raise your hand if you have also surfed through an abundance of Wikipedia pages that have interested you!) I hope to read books to, and with my class, and will encourage them to pick up a book, as it can benefit them in so many ways outside of the classroom!