Books in Their Hands

Just a quick thought for today, but it occurred to me that the materials that get the most attention and positive reaction from my remedial reading students are--drumroll.......NEW NOVELS! Whenever I go to Barnes and Noble, I pick up an extra book or two for my classroom. I try to get the coolest, newest YA novels (and those with the most buzz) when possible, and this really pays off.

The only problem is that I have a wait list for the new books a mile long and my students tend to take a longer-than-average time (several weeks to a month) to finish a longer-length book. Sometimes, by the time the student with the book is finished, students on the list have lost interest. You really have to have the book to back up the hype it generates. Not sure what to do about this dilemma as I have a limited book budget (and most of the "new" books I get throughout the year come out of my own pocket money).

But the bottom-line lesson that can be learned here is, the best way to get kids to read is to get good books into their hands. It's all about access. It would be great if they'd seek out good books on their own, but struggling readers often do not have reading for pleasure at the top of their list. When given good books to read and a stretch of time in which to do it, though, it happens!