SCET Journal 2020

Reconsidering

Our Practice

ed by the characters in the book (Barry, 2013; Ivey & Johnston, 2013, Merga, 2014). Character gender and author gender also contribute to book selection, with male students desiring to read books by male authors (Lindley et al., 2016; Merga, 2014). Some students express interest in reading books from one series or a particular author, often reading all of the books in a series or by the author before looking for another book to read (Merga, 2014). Many students prefer recently published books over older books (Lindley et al., 2016; Merga, 2014). Environment also influences students’ selection of books (Ivey & Johnston, 2013; Lindley et al., 2016; Merga, 2014; Merga & Moon, 2016; Schüller et al., 2016). Access to literature through a classroom library, public or school library, family library, digital library, or bookstore increases the likelihood of stu- dents choosing to read (Barry, 2013; Blanton, 2015; Colwell et al., 2018; Ivey & Johnston, 2013; Lindley et al., 2016; Merga & Moon, 2016; Scholastic & You- Gov, 2017). Barry’s (2013) survey determined stu- dents would read more if the libraries included books affording them numerous opportunities to connect with and relate to characters. Similarly, the National Council of Teachers of English’s (NCTE, 2017) state- ment on classroom libraries delineates the need for classroom libraries to provide access to a wide range of texts reaching a plethora of interests and reading levels in an effort to motivate students to read inde- pendently. The people around them also influence students’ selections of books. Parents are the most influen- tial when it comes to encouraging students to read (Scholastic & YouGov, 2017) by demonstrating their value of reading and encouraging students to read (Blanton, 2015; Compton-Lilly et al., 2016; Lindley et al., 2016; Merga & Moon, 2016; Schüller et al., 2016; Scholastic & YouGov, 2017). Teachers mod- eling good reading habits and encouraging stu- dents to read are the second most influential (Ivey & Johnston, 2013; Merga & Moon, 2016; Scholastic & YouGov, 2017). In addition to teachers and parents, other family members, friends, peers, and social media all influence students’ reading habits (Blanton, 2015; Compton-Lilly et al., 2016; Lindley et al., 2016; Merga & Moon, 2016; Schüller et al., 2016; Scholas- tic & YouGov, 2017). Students’ reading habits can be negatively influ-

enced, leading to their refusing or not choosing to read. At times, the text itself can be a negative influ- encer. Text difficulty, reading level, word count, and page count can discourage students from reading (Durán Bautista & Rendón Marulanda, 2018; Lindley et al., 2016; Merga, 2014). Students may feel they do not have time to read because of other interests, such as video games, social media, television, sports, and other recreational activities (Merga, 2014). Com- pulsory reading and whole class texts also tend to discourage students from reading (Ivey & Johnston, 2013; McKenna et al., 2012; Merga, 2014). What Can We Do? Just because students are assigned to read books over the summer does not mean they will. Merga (2014), Merga and Moon (2016), Ivey and Johnston (2013), and Scholastic and YouGov (2017) all found students are more likely to read when given an abundance of options and encouragement to read what they choose. We need to change our summer reading programs. Instead of assigning that classic we would love to share with our students (and can actually share during the school year with guidance from us), we should ask them to read books they want to read with the intention of coming in to share one, two, three, or maybe more books with the rest of the class. We need to keep their brains moving, keep ex- posing them to new words, reignite a love for reading, and encourage them to share exciting new finds with their classmates. As teachers, we need to reflect on the impact of summer reading assignments we are giving our students. What is the goal of summer reading for high school students? Are our current summer reading practices benefiting or hurting our students? Can a summer reading program motivate high school students to read more and decrease the likelihood of summer regression? If so, what books should we assign? Or should we permit students to select any- thing they want to read? This article does not serve as an admonishment of current practices. Part of effective teaching is trans- ferring the passion you have for your subject to the students. Your school’s summer reading program may be successful because the English department and administration is supportive and encourages student participation. However, if you dread the be-

2018/2019

C CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

7