I need to admit something. I hate reading logs. I hated them as a student. I hated them as a teacher, and I hate them as a parent. However, I spent years as a student completing reading logs because I was a rule follower. Then, regrettably, I spent years assigning reading logs to my students because I thought that was the only way to ensure they were reading at home. Now, as a parent, I have “logged” more time arguing with my child to fill out his log than the amount of time his teachers have required him to read! As my disdain of this practice continues to grow I really think it is time that we set reading logs adrift.
Reading logs are assigned in good conscience with the best of intentions. Reading is a fundamental part of learning and as diligent educators, we want to make sure that our students are reading both in and out of the classroom. Considering that we can’t monitor students while they are at home, we assign reading logs. This way, the students are held accountable for reading outside of school hours. The issue with this, however, is completing reading logs simply does not cultivate a love of reading. In fact, reading logs can actually have the opposite effect as often times they produce unfavorable feelings about reading. Furthermore, reading logs encourage students (or their parents) to “bend the truth” to avoid consequences as reading logs are frequently punitive in nature.
So, let’s rethink reading outside of school hours. What is the goal? For me, the ultimate goal is for students to become stronger readers. We know that for students to become better readers they need to read more. So, how can we achieve this goal? Perhaps, the following ideas combined with appropriate in-class instruction and assessment just might do the trick.
Encourage a love of reading through conferencing. EVERY student CAN enjoy reading if both the content and difficulty level are appropriate for them. During conference time use targeted questions to engage with your students. Ask questions that show your genuine interest in what they have chosen to read. Additionally, ask questions that help you garner whether or not your students are comprehending, whether or not they are reading enough, and what they need to grow. The information you gain during the conference time (in conjunction with information from other formative assessments) will give you a far better idea of what the student needs than a reading log ever could.
Allow for authenticity. Don’t require students read a certain number of pages or minutes each night. Initially, encourage students to read ANYTHING in their free time. Yes, this includes magazines, online blogs, and even The Guinness Book of World Records. Through conferencing (see #1), you will gain insight into students’interests and preferred mediums. Then, you can use this information to help direct them to other reading sources (literature, non-fiction books, higher level news sources, etc.) that correlate to their interests.
Eliminate consequences for not reading. Instead of docking points or chastising students for not completing their reading, try rewarding accomplishments instead. Alex Corbitt gamified reading in his classroom. I think this is an incredible idea that pairs nicely with suggestions #1 and #2. In the infographic below you can see how Alex structures this proactive approach and start thinking of ways you might be to adapt this idea to work with your students.
What else? I would love to hear other ways that you promote independent reading in your classroom. Feel free to comment here or on Twitter. Together we can set our reading logs out to sea.
Want more like this? Last I Checked, Compliance Isn’t a Learning Standard