I think we can create cultures that have reading as something that is highly valued. I think when students are a part of that culture where they see that there is value in reading after all, that it’s a way that we can draw in some reluctant readers.

It Starts with the Teacher

And the first thing I’ll mention is that I think it starts with the teacher. We all can say, “Reading is important. You should read. Here’s a book. You should go read it.”

It’s something completely different for your students to know that you’re actually practicing that yourself, and that you personally also value reading, and you’re not asking them to do something that you personally aren’t doing yourself. And so, it starts with the teacher. One of the things that I found to make this really practical, the very first thing that my students do at a school day, after lunch, we come back. Everyone’s had really great time of visiting with their friends and eating their food. A little bit of recess. They come back in, and I find that reading can be a really great way just to kind of settle everybody down and get them ready for the afternoon of studying. And so, I will take a minimum of 10 minutes, sometimes a little bit more. If we have time to just play some really quiet, gentle music. And everyone’s supposed to have a book in their desk to read. And it’s easy for me to want to go around and start prepping and planning a whole bunch of stuff for the afternoon. I’d make it a matter of discipline for myself to actually sit down in the front of the room with a book and to read, too. And to me, I don’t know if that’s impacting any students if they see that. But part of me knows that I have to model this myself if I’m going to expect them to do it. It starts with the teacher.

Make Books Easily Accessible

It also requires books. It is really hard to develop a culture of reading if your students don’t have access to books. Feels rather intuitive. But it can be a challenge. Books aren’t cheap. If you’ve ever been to a bookstore, even one as wonderful as here, it still is an investment. And so, I think we have to come to terms with the importance of that investment, though, and that if we think through the real, true value that comes from reading, and I think if we have a real good perspective of what that is, those prices do seem a little bit, in my mind, a little bit more. Yeah, I think that’s worth it. I’m willing to invest some money in that book because I think my students are really going to enjoy it. I will Also say, I feel blessed to live in an area that has access to so many wonderful book sales.  Just recently I was… There was a… Our local public library. They collect books throughout the school year.  Or not just the school year.  Throughout the year.  And they have one big sale in the summer. I think probably every single teacher in several counties is probably there. And you can get books for like $2 or $1. They’re wonderful times to go and walk out with bags full of stuff.

I’ve even heard of teachers who   want to expand the number of books in their classrooms or in the school library. And so just… It might be worth just checking with school leadership first, but just putting a little notice out that says that “I’m interested in some gently used books.  If you have any at home that you’d be willing to part with, I would love to have them here for the students.” And I’ve heard of quite a few teachers who have been tremendously blessed with what they have received in response.

So just making books easily accessible, I think is tremendously important. If you don’t have access to a lot of books in your room, I would find ways that your students can have more regular access to your school library. I know my students for many years have had one time period a week whenever they were able to go, and I try to open that up a little bit more so that they don’t have to wait a whole week. Which in some ways isn’t that long, but if you’re itching to get another book, to me it’s like, well, the book is right there. Let’s find a way for you to get that book and get that into your hands so that you can get started. Make books accessible.

And this is one that I think was hardest for me to learn. Out of all of these. I thought I knew what good books were. These are the books. You should read the things that I like, because those are good, and this other thing is maybe not so good. And I had to actually step back and realize that actually, you know what? Some of these books that my students are wanting to read are actually good books. They’re just not. It’s just I’m not interested in that thing at this point.

Provide Access to a Variety of Genres

Another one that I think I’m actually struggling through right now. One of the things that I found that really gets some of my students, some of the most reluctant ones, like everything I tried, felt like it was not working. We have a person in our school who orders a lot of books, and she found recently some really great graphic novels that are picture based.  Picture, like really elaborate comic books only not comic books. And I think what really challenged me to my core was that they were graphic novels of books that I would love as the book. I’m like, someone turned the Secret Garden into a graphic novel. Whoa. And actually, I got excited about graphic novels for the first time from that. I was like, Secret Garden is one of my favorite stories. And I opened it up and sure enough, there was Dickon out on the moor and all these wonderful things in this book. And I’m excited for my students to have access to that. And there’s a variety of other stories that I think are really great entry points for students into reading.

And so, find access to a variety of genres. Don’t just limit access to just what you personally feel good. Now be discerning. I’m not saying give access to books to your students that are on questionable topics or whatever. That’s not what I’m saying. But consider broadly, what is it that you could include?

Provide the Time (and Structure!)

And another one of the big challenges, but I think it’s something that is vital to building a culture of reading is to give the students the time to develop it. Where in our school days can we find opportunities for students to just spend time reading for pleasure? And maybe school isn’t the primary place where that should happen. I might be able to pose a good argument that, you know, we’re really trying to develop pleasure reading at home as much as we can. I agree. It’s just we’re not at home to help with that. And so, it feels like in many cases we as the teachers have a really good opportunity, really good, an excellent opportunity for, for helping to instill a lot of those values while they’re at school. And so, I personally, in my belief, it’s worth taking time out of the school day, finding 10 minutes here to just have everybody read. I have it as one of the things… I have a list I usually keep on my board of, you know, “You [are] finished with your work, now what?” And one of those things is always spend time with a great book. On the bottom of that list is to find a great book. I don’t want you to go and, you know, filter through the library here for the next 10 minutes either. But just where can we put more reading into our days using trade books?

Incorporate Reading into Celebrations

And the last point I have here is to incorporate reading into the things that students look forward to.   How can we incorporate the reading of different books into our school day as a (I mean, technically as) a tradition. Having taught for a while and having some books that I read every year that my students, I found really enjoy.

It’s interesting. Some of the questions that students will have whenever they come the first day of school.

“Where do I put my backpack?”

“Where do I put my lunchbox?”

“Where’s my desk?”

“What am I supposed to do with my pencil?”

“And Mr.  Brode, are you going to read this book this year?” I kid you not, that that’s a question that some of my students will ask me on the very first day of school because they’ve heard about some of these books, and they’re just looking forward to so much that this book is going to be read. That is something that students can get excited about. It can be a part of your classroom. Books have a tremendous power of building positive culture.