Trippe. Blog Post 1. Aug. Routman Ch 3: Share Your Reading Life

Routman’s examples, suggestions, and tips are all well and good, but these ideas may seem a bit overwhelming considering the additional demands and expectations of the classroom teacher in a 21^st century public school.  The classroom teacher should not think of these ideas as another series of tasks to add to the school day but as specific steps to incorporate into the framework of the classroom and school. These suggestions will lead to more responsible students who achieve more in the classroom and on standardized testing as well as in society as general while at the same time create avid readers for life.

I specifically liked Routman’s suggestions for teachers to model reading for pleasure, to keep and share their own personal reading logs, to keep and share their lists of books to read next, and to model reading for meaning.  While I do keep a list of books I want to read, I don’t always know which book I’ll read next. I liked the example of the principal frequently asking students and teachers:

                What is your “now” book?

                What is your “next” book?

And Routman’s addition:

                What is your “last favorite” book?

I’ve never kept a reading log of what I am currently reading but am starting one now. I like the idea of looking back at the end of the month and reviewing what I’ve read. I like Routman’s simplified reading log for adults and children. Teachers keeping a reading log with date read, author, illustrator, title, and genre and showing it to students is a wonderful way to show students a variety of reading and reading for work and pleasure. I have never thought of showing them to students. I now see the benefit of sharing them with students and encouraging students to keep their own lists of what they are currently reading and what they plan to read next.