What's New

Well it has been a loooooooong time since I've posted, but I've been busy cooking up new ideas for my high school reading class (now called "Strategic Reading") as well as developing the curriculum for my new advanced elective reading class for juniors and seniors: "Collegiate Reading."

We (teachers, admin) felt that now that we had the struggling readers somewhat covered (and good 'ole "Tier 2" in place if you are familiar with Illinois' RTI model), we needed to branch out and meet another need that was becoming apparent: advanced readers. Since implementing the reading-oriented classes for freshmen and sophomores over the last few years, more and more students are trying to get into these classes even though they are not struggling. Their motivation is that the MTHS reading classes are known as fun, relaxing classes where you can improve your reading skills and not to the detriment of a full load of difficult classes (very little outside of class homework). However, so many non-struggling readers are trying to get into the classes that they are currently (for the 2010-2011 school year) overflowing. Literally. In fact, we are going to have to go through the course rosters for Strategic Reading and remove about 1 out of every 5 enrolled students. The priority is of course struggling readers; it's sad that non-struggling readers--kids who just want a time and a place to read and to explore reading strategies--don't have an elective class where they can do this. Until now!

Starting this fall we will offer Collegiate Reading to juniors and seniors. The focus of this class will be three-fold: (1) advanced critical analysis ("deeper," more evaluative reading to prepare for college level analysis), (2) increasing reading speed, and (3) reading for pleasure. Two sections of the class were offered for this school year, one each semester. Both classes are brimming and will have to be capped now, in July, because they are already so full.

What does this tell me? WHY don't students have time to read on their own? WHY are they so desperate for a budgeted amount of time in which they can read what they want? I think we would all agree that as standardized testing pressures increase, and more and more "knowledge" is crammed into our curricula, more and more time is taken away from students to read for pleasure.

Many experts agree that reading widely and frequently is one of the best indicators of success on standardized tests, school grades, and performance in college. You'd think it would be a no-brainer that more classes like this would be implemented. Or maybe even a 20-minute "reading period" for all students, every day. I know at our school that would be very difficult to implement because of graduation requirements, personnel/staffing, etc., but it seems to me that this is what is needed.