Growing up, I can always remember reading a bedtime story with my mom. Even when I was old enough to read on my own, for the longest time we would read to each other, whether it was Harry Potter or Redwall series. Throughout school, I read more of adolescent literature like Holes and Speak. I do not believe I was exposed to enough of the classics. I never really used to read for pleasure until recently, and I still probably don't read as much as the average English sec ed major. But when I do, I really enjoy reading nonfiction accounts. Right now I'm working on Shantaram and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I also like reading science fiction, like A Wrinkle in Time.
Although I don't get as much time to leisurely read as I would like, I recognize how important reading is both from an English perspective and out of it. Reading skills are important in any subject to get a solid education. Outside of the classroom, you need to be able to read in order to communicate whether it is in your career or any other everyday application. I also believe reading is important for the creative mind. When you're watching TV, you're passively taking in everything on the screen just like everyone else does. But when you're reading, you're actively constructing the story in your mind, painting a unique picture in your mind. I want to convince my students that reading is important for all these reasons, and that they can read about whatever they are interested in.
I still enjoy being read to! When adults are willing to model reading to the young people in their lives, they reinforce that reading is fun--that it's a worthwhile and rewarding experience.
ReplyDeleteGood to have you in the class!
So, what kind of nonfiction do you like to read? Is it primarily biographies? My dad started reading a biography a month, which is a project I want to emulate. Still need to get on that... Haha :)
ReplyDeleteIf only we had the time! :) But usually it's more like recalling specific parts of the authors' lives, if that makes sense. I really liked First They Killed My Father when we read that for Dessants. I also liked Wolf at the Table which was written by Augusten Burroughs, same guy as Running with Scissors (the former is mainly about his dad and the latter his mom). Bastard Out of Carolina was exceptional, even though I probably cried 30 times reading it. But definitely some good ones to check out!
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