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Reading Life Choices by Nancy Jo Lambert
My reading life has been marked by choices. Choices in what I read, when I read, and why I read. When I am not given these choices, my reading life suffers.
Books and reading have always been a part of my life. My grandmother and mother always read to my brother and I as kids. We always had books and enjoyed a rich life of words and print even though money was scarce. I loved escaping into great stories as a young child. The choices on what was read to me was always up to me.
Over the course of my education I attended 3 elementary schools, 2 junior highs, and 2 high schools. Every one of those was in a different state because my dad worked for the railroad and got transferred, a lot. At my second elementary school, it was discovered that near the end of 2nd grade, I could not read, at all. I was put in a special reading class for the rest of the year. I have few memories of this, but I do remember learning to read 1-on-1 with a reading teacher and using some kind of story cards to build my fluency and comprehension. I remember missing getting to watch Reading Rainbow with the rest of my class twice a week because I had to go to my “special class.” I came to dislike reading through this process. It was a lot of work, and the things I was being made to read were not interesting, and not my choice.
I was always in the low reading group, the green book. It took me years to move up even one level. In 4th grade, I got to move up to the purple book, which was not the lowest anymore. However these terrible reading workbooks were not my choice. They continued to work with me and it was in the 4th grade that I had my reading life breakthrough. I desperately wanted to read The Secret Garden, but the librarian would not let me check it out because she knew I was a “struggling reader.” I distinctly remember the day she wasn’t there, and I checked it out. This was my choice, and I was going to read this. Another girl in my class, a much stronger reader, had read it and told me about the magical garden, and I desperately wanted to read it.
It was hard for me to read, BUT it was the first big book I had ever read by myself where I saw “the movie in my mind” that my teachers kept trying to explain to me. That moment when I realized the joy in reading and I saw the world through Mary’s eyes and experienced other places and people and the magic of that story, it changed me. It changed me forever.
I became a reader in that moment, and I truly believe it was because I chose to become a reader. I wanted to read that magical story, and I made it happen.
I taught 7th grade English Language Arts and Reading for 5 years, and this is my 4th year as librarian. I hate being told I have to read something. Anything. As soon as someone forces me to read something, any interest I may have had in that text goes out the window. There are books that I am just not interested in. No matter how much someone else may love it, I know when a book is not for me.
(I have a rather unusual reading tool for fiction. When I start a book, sometime early into the rising action, I flip to the end and read the end. If it is a really good book, I will flip around and scan parts of the entire book before I even get 50 pages in. I always read it sequentially, eventually. If I get 100 pages in and have not employed this reading tool, I know the book is not a good choice for me, and I will abandon it.)
When I was in the classroom choice was a huge part of our reading ways. We still had to read certain things, but I allowed for a lot of choice in my classroom because I understood how much that mattered. I try and employ the same philosophy in the elementary library I share with K-5 students. I have learned that there are some restrictions that must be placed, but overall, student choice is allowed.
Every child, every student, every reader that I encounter in the library, is in their own place in their reading life. I know that some need to be handled with care. My elementary reading life was plagued with reading obstacles. I try and nurture those kiddos as much as possible. I know how important those moments can be to their reading life. I try and help them make good choices, but also try and provide the books that will provide them with great reading choices no matter what stage they are in as a reader.
In order for readers to grow and start making genuine reading choices, they have to be allowed to decide what they will read, when they will read, and why they are reading. Choice is the vehicle through which real readers grow. Will you make the choice to let your readers make their own choices?
Nancy Jo Lambert is a K-5 librarian in Frisco, TX. Her students sometimes wonder if she is crazy about reading or just crazy. She is passionate about reading, technology, and helping kids with both. You can find her online at http://www.rbelibrary.com and on Twitter @NancyJoLambert.
Nerdy Book Club 
Thank so much for sharing your story, Nancy Jo. I was going to say that all literature teachers should read this post, but I think it would be even more important for all administrators to read it. I am a librarian who has been assigned to teach reading intervention groups this year. After my experiences first quarter, I decided that for second quarter, I would dedicate our Fridays to independent reading. It has helped me build rapport with my students by showing I respect and encourage their reading choices. Even though we still have things we HAVE to read, we are still making time to work on becoming wild readers.
Thank you! It was a little scary sharing this part of my story, so I really appreciate the positive feedback.
Nancy, this is a beautiful post and one SO worth sharing so, for whatever you feared, it was the right choice to also hurdle that obstacle!
I feel that the books we were MADE to read in school of absolutely NO interest to me whatsoever. Of course, I wasn’t passionate about school after 6th grade ANYway, but reading never became a big part of my life after that ’til I was an adult.
There’s no question, in my opinion, too, that choice is critical in developing the desire to read! It’s one of the reasons I hated reading during high school!
How appropriate that it was THE SECRET GARDEN that brought your “Reading Garden” to life 😀
Thank you! I really appreciate your encouragement. I have slipped in and out of being a reader since my reader awakening. Ultimately though, I want all my student readers to have the skills to be a life long reader, even if they aren’t all the time! Thank you for sharing with me about your reading life too.
Nancy, I enjoyed your post. It’s a fine line we walk as K5 librarians and suggesting books for students. In my building, the kids are expected to have at least one good fit book and then they have choice.
Yes, at least 1 Just Right book is important, and it is a very fine line. Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the post!
Nancy,
I loved your post! Thank you for sharing your reading story! We all have one, don’t we? I think in knowing other readers, we know ourselves more.
Also, I loved what you said about how each reader that walks into your library is “in their own place in their reading life”. It is so true! They each need something different. Thanks for that reminder.
Thank you for your post!
Ah thank you Cynthia! You are one of my reading heroes, and your story moves me so. Our love for readers bonds us, and I am so thankful for you and your support! #TLBFF
I love this post! Your description of the immediate disinterest in reading a book based on the assigned task speaks directly to my reading heart! I especially love that you included your past struggles as a reader. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Brittany! At first I thought I should hide my reading struggles, but students have showed me that I need to share my story. I need to remember this myself when I get caught up in the daily education grind.
This was a great post. My mother is a librarian and has told me many sad stories of kids being told by their teachers to check out boring books that are below their age level- only because their reading skills aren’t strong. No wonder they struggled! Luckily she feels the same way you do and is no stranger to sneaking contraband novels in the interest of finding something the student can latch on to. All literature teachers should read this.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I regularly start books and then read the ending to decide if I want to read the whole book. As a teacher librarian I am often overwhelmed by the numbers of books I feel I should read, so I have great empathy for anyone who feels forced to read anything.
My challenge in the library is to foster some kind of balance between choice and reading level. Since research shows us that kids need to read at their reasonable reading level to get practice at becoming a better reader, I try to provide enough choice for them at whatever level they are at, as well as letting them take home whatever book they want to tackle.
Hey Nancy Jo! Always a bit of special happiness when seeing TL posts on Nerdy Book Club-especially when they’re TL’s I know! Have you shared your struggling reader story with your students? I think they would so appreciate hearing it-especially those that are struggling. I’m ashamed to say that I wasn’t a reader growing up. Even sadder is that my mom was a teacher and major reader. I think I sort of fought against it, maybe in spite of my mom, but also because a whole book just seemed oh so overwhelming. I also think I had an attention deficiency long before anyone considered ADD. My mind just wouldn’t stop long enough to allow me to concentrate. I regret not having a reading life as a child and I tell that to my students. I think they appreciate my honesty and maybe that their librarian has a sort of secret past. Great job Nancy Jo!