MWSubstack 023: Reluctant Readers

Whether they're reluctant readers or reading reluctantly, how can teachers help these students become independent readers with a passion for books?

Welcome to MiddleWeb Substack. It’s a twice-monthly, two-topic, five-minute read for middle grades educators, featuring a selection of MiddleWeb’s most popular and influential articles, a book review, and a noteworthy 4-8 resource or project we’ve spotted. That’s it!

---

►RELUCTANT READERS
Accepting the challenge to make reading a habit.

We've heard teachers say they don't care for the expression "reluctant readers," and we get that. We can all list reasons why they're reluctant, but the question before us here is how can we help students develop a love for reading in our classrooms? Consider these quotes from three MiddleWeb contributors featured in this issue:.

From Kelly Owens —

"Author, reading champion and former middle school teacher John Spencer suggests we flip the term "reluctant reader" to “reading reluctantly” (DeMarco, 2022). It shifts the label from the individual to the behavior. Spencer also challenges us to investigate why the child dislikes reading. Then work on fixing it.

From Laura Robb —

“I hate reading.” “It’s boring.” “You’ll never make me like to read.” Student comments like these echoed through the room every time I asked, “How do you feel about reading?” At first, like me, you might bristle each time students spoke such words, for deep in our teaching hearts you and I always hope that our students will love to read.

Their responses left a trail of frustration and disappointment within me. However, I quickly recognized that I had to move beyond students’ comments and explore ways to help these developing readers – students reading three or more years below grade level – move forward and enjoy reading."

From Jennifer Serravallo —

"As teachers of reading, I believe our number one priority is getting books kids will love into their hands. And as we know, that task is incredibly hard at times! But if this year is going to be the year for our students to discover their all-time favorite books and have positive experiences reading them, then it can help to have some strategies in our back pockets."

Here are a dozen pockets full of strategies we've updated and curated!

Sharing the Joy of Reading with Students
To motivate students to embrace independent reading, Kasey Short recommends we help them find the right books, use authentic assignments for accountability, and provide the time to read – all to help build a classroom climate where reading is valued, enjoyed and celebrated.

What Kids Gain When We Don’t ‘Teach’ Books
Choice in reading is about student autonomy and motivation. It’s especially effective with kids who don’t like to read. Stephanie Farley’s well-honed system lets 8th graders read any text they choose AND meets standards – even though they never all read the same book. Included: Tips on convincing administrators.

5 Adaptable Activities That Really Engage Readers
ELA teachers are always looking for fresh ideas to encourage students to read closely and think deeply. Here are five adaptable activities from teacher-author and NBCT Marilyn Pryle to add to your toolbox and keep students creatively interacting with texts.

How to Nurture a Passion for Reading Nonfiction
What can we do to encourage kids to choose nonfiction more frequently for personal enjoyment? Cate Gerard and Sunday Cummins share what Cate discovered when interviewing middle graders about their reading habits and recommend strategies and sources for nonfiction texts.

Ideas to Match Kids Up with Stories They’ll Love  
Could this be the year our students begin to discover their all-time favorite books? Jennifer Serravallo, literacy consultant and bestselling author of The Reading Strategies Book, shares 10 “back pocket” techniques that can help teachers match kids with great stories.

Rebrand Reading for Your Reluctant Readers
Is reading a treat or a chore? The answer depends on the reader’s experience. In preparation for summer reading opportunities, literacy interventionist Kelly Owens suggests some favorite strategies teachers and parents can sneak in to give under-motivated readers a reboot.

How to Fill Our Schools with Eager Readers
Developing a schoolwide culture of reading, like any change initiative, takes commitment, leadership, collaboration, communication and consistency. Literacy leaders Laura and Evan Robb describe a model middle school that is “full of reading” and share 10 starter ideas.

How We Use Book Clubs to Empower Our Readers
Working together in small groups using a book club model has helped sixth graders in Sara Kugler’s K-6 school shift from passive and disinterested to engaged and self-reliant. They’re eager to read and ready to “talk books,” writes the literacy coach and co-teacher.

Book Talk Videos Let Peers Encourage Peers
“Ultimately book talk videos recorded by peers are beneficial if we want to inspire middle grades reluctant readers. They need to witness peers having fun with books. It nurtures the idea that reading is worth a try.” School librarian Kristen Day shares how her “EGGs” are doing it.

Kids Need Feel-Good Middle Grades Books
Written during the pandemic to help kids find refuge in feel-good books, Megan Kelly's many suggestions of graphic novels, short stories, mysteries and more are sure to engage middle grades readers well into the future. Are these in your classroom library?

Regie Routman: On the Level with Leveled Books
To level, or not to level? Like many educational dilemmas there is no simple right or wrong answer. Literacy coach and author Regie Routman explores the limited role book leveling might play in supporting students to become engaged, deeply comprehending, joyful readers.

Student Book Talks Help Motivate Readers
We often turn to friends when we’re looking for new books to read. The same is true for students. Making book talks a regular part of your classroom gives kids a platform to recommend books they love and want to share. Lynne Dorfman and Brenda Krupp offer helpful tips and tools.

We have so many good articles about helping students become life-long readers. Here are six more!

• Penny Kittle: Nurturing Readers for a Lifetime  (Tan Huynh)

• Build a Joyful Bridge to Independent Reading  (Duermit & Cummins)

• Grow a Love for Reading with an Ocean of Books (Laura Robb)

• Helping Kids Design Personal Reading Goals  (Katie Durkin)

• A Way to Increase Free Reading Outside of Class (Laurie Miller Hornik)

• Can We Talk About Sustained Silent Reading? (Amber Chandler)

---

Regie Routman “believes that we are most fully ourselves when ‘teaching, learning, and living are interwoven and seamlessly integrated.’ To show us this full self, she shares stories that might help us navigate our own worlds.“ – Read Sarah Cooper’s review of The Heart-Centered Teacher.

---

►ELSEWHERE
Diverse books can engage reluctant readers.

This banner at the homepage of We Need Diverse Books sums up its purpose: "Founded by marginalized authors, We Need Diverse Books strives to diversify the publishing industry and make bookshelves more equitable—all to promote literacy, build empathy, and reduce bias." You'll find an array of programs sponsored by WNDB, ideas about getting involved in the diverse books movement, and a place where you can support the non-profit by purchasing merch and school-friendly short story anthologies – including the latest, On the Block: Stories of Home.

►OUR BOOK REVIEW
Finding Your Leadership Edge: Balancing Assertiveness and Compassion in Schools. By Brad Johnson and Jeremy Johnson.

Beginning with reflective exercises to help readers identify their leadership tendencies, Brad and Jeremy Johnson offer a nuanced exploration of the tension between assertiveness and compassion in school leadership, writes reviewer and school leader William R. Driscoll, and then provide actionable strategies to achieve a balance that promotes collaboration and growth. Read the complete review.

►NEXT TIME
We'll devote the entire issue to innovative teaching with articles that might spark some a-ha moments for teachers and instructional coaches across the curriculum.