Each year, every child shudders at the thought of hearing two dreaded words: required reading. Unfortunately for them, nearly every school requires students in any grade to read the same book as their classmates and participate in classroom discussions.
But some teachers are moving away from that approach. An article in the New York Times explores the idea of reading workshops in classrooms. Instead of requiring specific books, teachers are allowing students to choose whatever they want to read.
There are obviously proponents and critics of this trend. Critics argue that required reading gives students a “shared literary culture” and provides a strong literary foundation, rooted in classic literature. But proponents of the reading workshop point out that some students struggle with required reading, either because of their reading ability or because they don’t like the book. The risk, proponents say, is of children developing a distaste for reading when they should be learning to love it.
The article hit a nerve in the education/literary blogosphere, with teachers, parents, librarians and authors chiming in with their two cents. Popular YA author Meg Cabot argues against mandatory reading on her blog, using her own adolescence as an example:
I cannot think of a single book I enjoyed that I was required to read in school…But I still remember and love all the books I discovered on my own, or that librarians or my parents or friends or teachers recommended to me. I think the classics should be made available for kids to discover on their own during quiet time for reading. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with reading “junk” if that’s what the kid needs to be doing, for whatever reason.
Meanwhile, blogger (and mom) Kristin Tennant likened the debate to food. She described the classic literature some kids just don’t like as broccoli and the free-choice books as dessert: “I think kids should be eating some vegetables and reading some classic literature…[but] there’s always room for dessert after dinner.”
I think, as Kristin suggests, the answer lies in the balance. Classic literature is important, partly because it’s classic for a reason, but also because so many contemporary authors use those stories as inspiration. Twilight probably won’t show up on any required reading lists any time soon, but Meyer did draw from Jane Austen and Shakespeare when writing her books.
Faithful readers of this blog know how much I love Pride and Prejudice. But when it was first assigned to me, as a sophomore in high school, I hated it. I barely finished the book at all and eventually succumbed to the charms of Cliff’s Notes. The book was required reading and for whatever reason, I resisted. While I finally overcame my initial prejudice (much like Lizzie Bennett) with that specific book, to this day, I still dislike Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, both required reading in high school.
However, at the same time, I would constantly read and re-read Shakespeare plays, often ahead of when they were assigned in school. When I was allowed to take charge of my reading, I gravitated towards what I wanted to read, even if it meant alternating between Danielle Steele and the Bard.
I don’t think classic literature is going to disappear from schools nor do I think everyone will give up required reading entirely. But there is something to be said for balancing between requirements and choice. Giving students a say in the matter helps them take charge of their own education, a skill they will need in the “real world.”
Furthermore, popular and contemporary literature can help bridge the gap and introduce students to classic literature they might have overlooked. Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson series, for instance, could stir up an interest in Greek mythology and, eventually, the classic epic poems, “The Odyssey” and “The Illiad.”
And when it comes right down to it, if faced with a choice between reading anything at all or not reading, wouldn’t we much prefer children and students to read, even if it’s something we wouldn’t have chosen for them?
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
