Unliterate

"You know, I really don't know why you hand out this book. Nobody reads it. As a matter of fact, I barely opened the book and passed easily." The sense of pride in Devin's mini-lecture to me I discern, also has a tone of comeuppance. It certainly isn't the only time I've heard this refrain, and not only sung as solo, but duet, and sometimes an organized chorus. "You have got to be kidding! Ten pages to read! Nobody reads that much!"

Some students offer appealing reasons for my own self interest. "You really shouldn't waste your time making all these reading assignments. You could be doing something more productive with that time. Nobody pays attention to them." Even more shocking (at least for me), and it never seems to be less so, is the conversation with students revealing that it isn't just the book they don't read, but, rarely read much of anything.

"I really liked that book, but I just got bored and couldn't finish it. I have other things to do."

When a ten page reading assignment traumatizes student sensibilities as excessive, reading is in trouble. I'm not one of those reading purists who believe that reading opens up the world to enlightenment and salvation. But it does have a very important place. And I don't really blame students, or video games, or TV. At the core of my lesson planning, even if almost unconscious, is the knowledge that I assume that many students won't read and adapt accordingly. If students can pass my class with barely reading, I have enabled it to be so.

But I can't blame myself either. Students will rarely be brow beaten into reading, and failure is often a less costly option to them than actually applying the time and effort to study. How do I explain to my administrators and parents that 80% of a class has grade "F" because I have structured independent reading as a requirement of passing? Believe me, I wouldn't have support.

Being able to read is a far cry from being a reader. A few students have an aptitude and talent for reading. But what about the rest? How do you take students proficient at reading, mix in personal responsibility and motivation, enhance curiosity, bake in the heat of discussion and create a curious reader. Letting students chose their interests was a solution in the past (and still promoted). But that has two critical problems. Students still rarely become readers, in my experience, and, most importantly, are not challenged out of their reading "comfort zone." Exclusively reading Sports Illustrated is not lifelong learning.

Clearly, we, in education, are trapped in a system that creates literate non-readers. I don't see clear way out. But I am convinced it is absolutely critical to keep looking.