Chapter 14 "When Kids Can't Read"

"If we can't use ourselves as guides for what makes a good book, then we're left with using what students tell us. If we listen, we'll hear very specific criteria for what makes a book appealign to a reluctant reader."

Getting students to read, especially pre-teen to teenagers, can be quite a challenge. By listening to what they find appealing, we can save time by giving them novels that they either can relate with or have interest in. Growing up I found books over kids my own age and also deal with situations that I could relate with to be interesting and capture my attention. In WK, Beers talks about different books that students will typically choose such as fiction stories that are thin with short chapters, a lot of white space, and some illustration and intriguing characters. When we read "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" in our literature groups we found a lot of different things to talk about, such as the struggles Greg was having with his family, fitting in at school, and playing soccer. This story would be a great first novel to use as a read for your class because it is fiction, includes a lot of illustration and can relate to its audience. I think it is also crucial to make sure and ask the class what they thought of the story as a group so you, as the teacher, can make some modifications for your next group of students.


"Suggestion #4: Take Students to Your School Library"

Beers took a survey of how many English teachers took their students to the library and many of them answered with NONE! I found this to be shocking but not surprising. Being in in 6th grade, we never took trips to the library, and to this day I am still unsure on how to properly check out a book in the library, therefore avoid going to the library. I think it is crucial to go to the library at least every month and show students the proper way to check books out, where to find interesting books, magazines and articles, and also how to find a book that is appealing without having to read the whole novel in the library.