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TEACHINGTHEREADINGLIFE:MAKINGTHEINVISIBLEVISIBLE

MARIEPUTNAMHAVRANABSTRACTTeacherscanfosteraloveofreadingintheirstudentsbyregularlymodelingtheirownreadinglives.Thissortofmodelinginvolvesbothhelpingstudentstodevelopreadingskillsandsharingpersonal stories that illustrate the importance of reading in adulthood. The present studydescribes the impact of purposefully sharing my personal reading life with my first-gradestudents in a suburban elementary school. I first identified as a problem of practice in thisclassroom students’ unawareness ofmy reading habits outside of school. Over a semester, IintroducedmystudentstothebooksthatIwascurrentlyreadingandwasplanningtoreadnextinadisplaycase.Thefollowingdiscussionprovidesanoverviewofthecreationofthisreadingdisplay,itsuseindailyinteractionswithmystudents,anditsimpactonthestudents’attitudestowardandpracticeofreading.

hentheirteachersareactivereaders,studentsaremorelikelytolearnanddisplayeffectivereadingpractices(Brooks,2007).Whenteachersbringtheirexperiencesandpassionintotheclassroom,theyshowtheirstudentswhatareadinglifeisandpositively

impactlong-terminterestinreading(Miller,2009).ApplegateandApplegate(2004)cautioned,however,thatitisnotenoughforteacherstojustsimplybereaders;inordertoinstillaloveofreadingintheirstudents,theymustdemonstratetheirownloveofit.Inexploringtheseissues,thepresentstudybuildsontheworkofFountasandPinnell(2000),whoarguedthatbeingareadermeansreadingvoluntarily,recommendingbookstoothers,knowingarangeofauthorsandillustrators,andreflectingonwhatisreadbymakingconnectionsandthinkingcritically.

AccordingtoRosenblatt’s(1978)transactionaltheoryregardingtherelationshipbetweenreadersandtexts,themeaningofatextresidesinneitherthetextnorthereaderalonebutrathercomesintobeingthroughtheinteractionsbetweenthem.Duringtheseinteractions,readerschooseastancethatguidestheirselectiveattentionandtheirpurposeforreading.Thistheorydistinguishedtwotypesofstancesthatreaderscantake.Theefferentstanceinvolvesaconceptionofreadingwherethepurposeisgatheringinformation.Miller(2009)explainsteacherswhoassumeanefferentstance“maynevertalktotheirstudentsaboutlovingbooksandcravingreading,buttelltheminsteadabouttheneedtoreadwelltogetalonginschoolandinlife”(p.109).Theaestheticstance,bycontrast,involvesaconceptionofreadingasanemotionalandintellectualjourney.Teacherswhoassumeanaestheticstanceencouragetheirstudentstobecomeabsorbedinatext

W

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andtorelatethematerialtotheirownlives.Earlierscholars,suchasRenouf(1990),alsospokeofanaestheticstancethatnurturesandenhancesreaders’emotionalinteractionswithtexts.Ruddell(1995)likewiseassertedthatanaestheticstancehasthepotentialtomotivatestudentstoread,increasetheirattention,andaidintheformationofmentalrepresentationsthatenhancereadingcomprehensionandhelpstudentstomakethemostofinstruction.

BECOMINGAWAREAsareaderandanearlychildhoodadvocatewhoviewsreadingasagift,Iseektocommunicatemyenthusiasmforreadinginordertoinstillthesameenthusiasminmystudents.Inparticular,Iwantmystudents,astheirreadingidentitiesexpand,todevelopaloveofthisvaluableactivityandengagedeeplywiththetextsthattheyread.Iwassurprised,therefore,duringarecentclasswhen,inthemidstofdiscussingabook,mystudentsrespondedwithpuzzledgazesandblankstareswhenIsharedthatIhadreadWishTree(Applegate,2017)overtheweekend.IwassurprisedattheirreactionbecauseIhadalwaysassumedthatmystudentswereawareofmyreadinglife.Breakingthesilence,astudentnamedRey(allnamesarepseudonyms)raisedherhandandsaid,“Ineverknewyoureadbooksathome,too.Ithoughtthat’sonlywhatkidsdid.”Stunned,IlookedtotheothersandaskedwhethertheywereawarethatIreadoutsideofourclassroom,andanotherstudent,Kate,concurred:“Ithoughtyouonlyreadatschool.Ididn’tknowyoureallylikedtoread.”

Fordaysfollowingthisexchange,Ikeptreflectingonthefactthatmysix-andseven-year-oldstudentswerecompartmentalizingreadingasanactivitythatmainlytookplaceatschoolandwasperformedbychildren.Atlength,IrealizedthatIneededtolooknofurtherthanmyclassscheduletounderstandhowmystudentscouldcometothisconclusion.IsawthatthetimethatIdevotedtosharingmyreadinglifewaslimitedand,inpractice,oftenneglectedowingtootherschedulingdemands.Ratherthanauthenticallysharingmypassion,IfoundthatIhadbeenrepeatedlytellingmystudentsabouttheimportanceofreadingandthebehaviorsofgoodreadersandencouragingthemtofindtimetoreadoutsideofschool.However,Ihadneverdemonstratedforthemhowreadingimpactsmydailylifeandthejoythatitbringsme,whichiswhyIwantedthemtobecomelife-longreaders.Infailingtosharemyownreadinglife,itoccurredtome,Iwasreinforcingtheadage,“DoasIsay,notasIdo.”

Theseconcernshavereceivedsomeattentionfromscholars.Thus,inayearlongstudy,Creminetal.(2009)examinedteachers’personalknowledgeandunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobeareader,therebybuildingonresearchbyCommeyras,Bisplinghoff,andOlson(2003)aboutthe“readingteacher,”thatis,ateacherwhoreadsandareaderwhoteaches.Throughprofessionaldevelopmentandactionresearch,Creminetal.(2009)soughttodevelopteachers’knowledgeofchildren’sliterature,theirconfidenceinusingliteratureintheclassroomandawarenessoftheirrolesasreadingteachers,andrelationshipsamongreaderswithinandbeyondschool.Astheteacherswhoparticipatedinthatstudyreflectedontheirownreading,theybegantoreframetheirpractice;thus,

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bysharingtheirreadinglives,theydemonstratedtoyoungreadersthepleasurethatreadingcanbringandformednewrelationshipswiththemthroughdiscussionsoftexts.

Similarly,asMcCrackenandMcCracken(1978)explained,ateachermodelsreadingnotsimplybybecomingengrossedinatextbutalsowithregardtohisorherresponsestoatext.Itis,then,importantforteacherstotalkaboutwhattheyhavereadandtoshareideasthattheyhaveencounteredintexts.Theseresearchersfoundthatwhenteachersreadpassagesfromstoriesaloudtotheirclassestosharetheauthor’sexactwords,thestudentsbegantodothesamething.Atthesametime,theyurgedteacherstonotrequireanythingfromchildrenthattheywouldnotdothemselveswillinglyandnaturally—whichmeanseliminatingsuchactivitiesasbookreports,listingunfamiliarwords,andfillingoutworksheets.Instead,studentsshouldtalkaboutthepleasureofreadingandtheideasthattheyencounter.Itwasalsosuggestedinthestudythatchildrenwhoseeadultsreadingmaynotunderstandallthatisinvolved,forwhichreasonteachersshouldmakeclearwhattheydoduringandafterreading,servingasmodelsfortheirstudents.

Havingreflectedonmyexperienceintheclassroomandtheliteratureon“readingteachers,”Iwantedtocreateaclassroompracticethatwouldcommunicatemyreadinghabitsoutsidetheclassroomtomystudents.Inotherwords,Ilookedforameansofpositioningmyselfasareadingrolemodelandsharingmylife-longreadinghabits.Iwantedtoshowstudentsthejoythatreadingcanbringincontextsotherthanthoseinwhichtheyusuallyseeme.

THEBOOKDISPLAYINACTIONInordertomodelmyreadinglifeandreframemyteachingpractice,Idecidedtomakemyactionsclearafterbycreatingareadingdisplay(seeFigure1).ThepurposeofthedisplaywastoshowcasemyreadinglifeinaconcretewayandsothatIcouldserveasamorecompleteexampleformyyoungstudents.Idisplayedthreebooks:1)thebookthatIhadmostrecentlyfinishedreading;2)thebookthatIwascurrentlyreading,and;3)thebookthatIplannedtoreadnext.MychoicetoconstructthedisplayinthiswaywasinformedbyMiller’s(2009)descriptionoflifelongreadersasindividualswhonearlyalwaysarecurrentlyreadingabook.Thedisplayofferedanewperspectiveforstudentswhohadnothadtheopportunitytomakefuturereadingplansandmaynothaveknownwheretostartconsideringtheirfuturechoicesorhowtonarrowthemdown.ThereadingdisplaytooktheformofaledgeonwhichIplacedacopyofeachbookunderalabelreadingeither“Finished,”“RightNow,”or“Next.”Ithenusedthistoolinmyclassroomasameanstosharemyreadinglife.

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Figure1.ReadingDisplay

INTRODUCINGTHEREADINGDISPLAY.Havingestablishedthatmystudentswerelargelyunawareofmyreadinglifeintheconversationpreviouslydiscussed,Iemployedthedisplayasaphysicalreadingmodelformystudents.Thefollowingaccountofmyinitialinteractionswithmystudentsaftertheyhadbeenintroducedtothedisplaymakescleartheinterestthatitinspired.

Teacher:Iwouldliketosharewithyoumyreadinglist.IjustfinishedreadingTheWorldAccordingtoHumphrey(Birney,2004).AssoonasIfinishedreadingthatbook,IstartedreadingChopsticks(Rosenthal,2012)becauseIreallylikedthebookSpoon(Rosenthal,2009),whichisbythesameauthor.Also,IalreadyknowthebookthatIamgoingtoreadnext;it’sTheFirstMarathon(Reynolds,2006).That’sright,Ialreadyhavemynextbookpickedoutandreadytogo.IchosethisbookbecauseIliketorun,andIthinkthatthisbookwillbereallyinterestingandteachmemoreaboutthesportthatIenjoy.IhavelabeledeachbooksothatyoucanseewhatIamreading,andIwillchangeiteverytimeIfinishabook.Josh(studyingtheledge):Isthatthebookyou’rereadingrightnow?You’rereallyreadingthatbook?Teacher:Yes,Iamreallyreadingthisbook.IthinkthatIwillfinishittomorrow,andthenIwillstartreadingthenextbook.Iwillmovethebooksontheledge,andyouwillseewhichbookIhavechosenasmynextbooktoread.Josh(eyingthenextbooktoberead):Youhaven’treadTheFirstMarathonyet,socanIreadthatbooknow?Ireallywanttoreaditbeforeyou.

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Teacher:Ofcourseyoucan.Wecantalkaboutitafterwebothfinishreadingit.Josh:Ijustreallywanttoreaditbeforeyoubecauseyouhaven’treadityet!Rey:CanIlookatthebookyoualreadyfinishedreading?Ithinkthecoverlooksinteresting.Didyoulikeit?Teacher:Ireallydid.Whenyou’refinished,wecantalkaboutwhyIlikedit,andyoucansharewhatyouthought.Josh:Iwilllooktomorrowandseewhatthenextbookis.Iwonderifit’soneIhaveread.

Merga(2016)advisedthatstudentsshouldbeawarethattheirteachersliketoreadanddosoactivelywhennotatschool.Inordertocreatethisawareness,teachersneedtotalkaboutreadingasapleasurableactivitywheneverpossible.Inthiscase,thereadingdisplayprovidedthenecessarypointofdepartureforsharingtheimportantplaceofreadinginmylife.WheneverIfinishedthebookidentifiedas“RightNow,”moveditunderthe“Finished”label,andaddedanewbookunderthe“Next”label,Iwascarefultodrawtheirattentiontothefactthroughanintentionaltalk.Thestudents’attentiontothedisplaywasevident.Katetoldmeoneafternoon,“Youforgottochangethebookyouarereading.”Wantingtobuildonthismoment,Iwalkedwithhertothedisplayandpointedoutthatthebookpositionedunderthe“RightNow”labelhadnumerouschapters.Iexplained,“Thisisalongerbook,anditwilltakemoretimetofinish.YouwillseeitmoveassoonasIfinishit.”Kateexaminedthewidthofthebookandthenplaceditbackontheledge.“Thatmakessense,”shesaid.“Itmighttakeforevertofinish!”Ilaughedandsharedwithherthatitwasmyhopetofinishthebookovertheweekend.Inthiscase,thevisualreadingdisplayprovidedacontextinwhichmystudentscouldfeelcomfortablediscussingmyreadinglife,whichbecamenoticeableandfamiliartothem.

NEXTBOOK.Inthesamemanner,asthedisplaykeptmystudentsalertedtothetimethatIspentreading,theybegantoadoptthepracticeofchoosingabooktoreadnext.Theexampleprovidedbythedisplaywasespeciallypowerfulforstudentswhohadnosimilarexperiencewithbooksthatcouldinformtheirfuturereading.Thus,thesequenceofbooksbecamethebasisforaclassroomroutine,withstudentsself-selectingbookstosustaintheirindependentreadingduringourreadingworkshop.Atonepoint,however,onestudent,Jean,revealedthatshewasstuckanddidnotknowhowtobethoughtfulinmakinghernextselection.Notingthatherbookbinwassparse,Ichosetousethereadingdisplayassupportformyinquiryintoherplans.

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Teacher:Itlookslikeyouarealmostfinishedwiththebookyou’rereading.Doyouknowwhatyou’regoingtoreadnext?Jean:No,I’mafraidI’llgetdistractedbythebooksthatIhavewaitingformeandnotfinishwhatI’mreading.I’llwaittopickoutmynextbookbecauseIdon’tknowwhatelsetoread.Teacher:SometimesthebookthatI’mgoingtoreadnextisinaseries,anditmakesmehappytoknowthestorywillcontinue.WhenIreadbooksinaseries,Ican’twaittoseewhatwillhappennext.Itreallymakesmehappytoknowthatthestorywillcontinue.Jean:IthinkIhaveabookpickedouttoreadnext,butitgetsharderwhenyoudon’tknowwhatyou’regoingtoreadnext.Youmighthavetoreadsomethingyoudon’twanttoreadbecauseyoudon’tknow.Butyoucanreadthebookyoujustfinishedagainwhileyouwaittopickoutanotherone.

AsMcCartheyandMoje(2002)explained,readerscometounderstandthemselvesbyengaginginliteracy.Thus,throughthereadingdisplay,Jeanwasabletoreflectonherapprehensionregardingthechoiceofhernextbook.ItookupthesubjectagainwithJeanthenextdaybyaskingwhethershehad,infact,selectedhernextbook.Shesaidthatshehad:“Ipickedthisbookbecauseofthefrontofthebook.IthinkIwilllikeit,butIamnotsureifIwilllikeit.”Takingtheopportunitytoestablishcommongroundwithmystudent,IsharedarecentstrugglethatIhadhadwithplanningmyreading.Oneevening,ItoldJean,IwasdiscussingthebookthatIwascurrentlyreadingwithfriends,andoneofthem,afellowloverofbooks,recommendedabook.ThoughthiswasnotabookthatIwouldnormallypickup,Ibeganreadingitwithhighexpectationsbasedontherecommendation;afterseveralchapters,though,Iwasstillunabletoappreciatetheauthor’swritingstyle.AsIsharedthisstory,Jeanleanedinandhungonmyeveryword,anxiouslywantingtoknowwhatIdidnext.IsharedwithherthatIhadputthebookdownandstillhadnotfinishedit.Hereyesgrewwidewithsurprise.Bybeinghonestandsharingarealstruggle,Ihadcapturedherattentioninagenuinewayandbeenabletomakeateachingpoint.Inthismoment,asJeanwasbeginningtoknowmeasareader,Iwasgrowingaswellbygettingabettersenseofherreadinglife.

BOOKRECOMMENDATIONS.AccordingtoCommeyrasetal.(2003),inordertobecomeengagedreaders,studentsmustseeothersenjoyingtheexperienceofreading.Inanefforttoadjustmypracticeasitrelatedtosharingmylifeasareader,Ihypothesizedthat,oncethereadingdisplayhadbecomeanestablishedpractice,studentswouldbeginsharingtheirownreadingliveswithoneanother.Tomysatisfaction,theydidindeedstartthinkingabouttheplansoftheirpeers.

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ThusAndy,havingjustfinishedabookonthesolarsystem,excitedlyannouncedtome,“IknowReywouldlovethisbook.Shelikesbooksaboutplanets,andIthinkshewouldliketoreadthisnext.”Honoredthatsomeonehadthoughtaboutherreadingpreferencesenoughtoofferherasuggestion,ReyacceptedthebookfromAndywithouthesitation,tellinghim,“Ican’twaittoreadthisbook.Thanks!”Theotherstudents,havingwitnessedthisexchange,wereintriguedandaskedtoborrowthebooksothattheycouldlearnandtakepartintheconversationanddiscoverwhatothersfoundsointeresting.InthewordsofCommeyrasandcolleagues(2003),“There’ssomethingreallyspecialaboutafriendofyoursgivingyouabookandtellingyoutheycan’twaitforyoutoreaditsoyoucantalkaboutit”(p.14).AswasrevealedinmydiscussionwithJean,Itoohaveasociallifethatrevolvesaroundreadingandincludesfriendswhoarealwaysreadytoofferarecommendation.ThesearethereaderswhomIlooktowhenmylistofbooksneedstoberefreshed.Readingisafundamentalpartofmyrelationshipswiththesefriends,andourconversationsalwaysleavemewantingtoexploretextsthatIotherwisewouldnothaveconsidered.Iwantmystudentslikewisetoexperiencereadingasasocialactivity,startingwithinthecontextofourclassroomcommunity.Seekingtomaintainthemomentumcreatedbytheexchangereportedabove,IaskedAndyandReytosharewhattheyhadlearnedtogether.Theyeagerlydiscussedtheirinterestinthesolarsystemandwhattheyhadlearnedfromthebook.Listeningintently,membersoftheclassbeganraisingtheirhandswithquestionsaboutthesolarsystemforournewlymintedexperts.Inaninstant,ourclassroomhadbecomealivewithconversation,allthankstoasimplebookrecommendation.ThisexperiencecorroboratestheassertionbyKiuruetal.(2017)thattimespenttalkingtopeerswithsharedinterestsinreadingcanfosterasenseofbelongingandreinforcestudents’thoughts,values,andidentitiesasreaders.

NEXTSTEPSAsareader,then,Iwasabletosharewithmystudentsboththenatureofmyreadinglifeandwhatbeingalifelongreadermeanstome.Asmallbutmeaningfulchangeinmypracticehadasignificantimpactonmyclassroom,asIwasfurthermotivatedtoreadoutsideoftheclassroominordertomaintainstudents’interestinthereadingdisplay.Indoingso,Ihadtoprioritizemyrecreationalreadingtostrengthentheinstructionalaestheticstancethat,Ifound,positivelyimpactedmyliteracyinstruction.Further,insharingmyreadinglife,Icarvedoutclassroomtimeforthediscussionofstudents’readinglivesinanewway.Refusingtoallowperceivedprioritiestohindermygrowthasaneducator,Itookcontroloverthisportionofmydaybyexaminingwhatwasstealingthosepreciousmomentsaway.

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Movingforward,Iplantointroducethereadingdisplayatthebeginningoftheyearandtoencouragestudentstosetgoalsasreadersbasedonthismodel.AsIcontinuemodelingmyownreadinglifeopenly,IwillalsosearchforadditionalwaystolearnabouteachofmystudentsasreadersandwaysinwhichIcanassistthemontheirpersonaljourneys.Simplyput,itisnotenoughforteacherstoreadrecreationallyandtelltheirstudentsthattheyenjoyreading;theyneedtomaketheirreadinglifeexperiencesvisible.Inimplementingthereadingdisplay,IhavehadtheopportunitytowitnesstheinfluencethatsharingmyreadinglifeandthevaluethatIplaceonitcanhaveonmystudents.This,Ithink,isthekindofgrowththatLassonde,Stearns,andDengler(2005)hadinmindwhentheycalledonprofessionalslikemetobe“teacherswhoreadandreaderswhoteach”(p.43).

REFERENCESApplegate,A.J.,&Applegate,M.D.(2004).The

Petereffect:Readinghabitsandattitudesofpreserviceteachers.TheReadingTeacher,57(6),554-563.

Boehm,S.(2019,February13).Fortheloveofreading:Developingateacherreaderidentity.Retrievedfromhttp://www2.ncte.org/blog/2019/02/teacher-reader-identity/

Brooks,G.(2007).Teachersasreadersandwritersandasteachersofreadingandwriting.TheJournalofEducationalResearch,100(3),177-191.

Commeyras,M.,Bisplinghoff,B.S.,&Olson,J.(2003).Teachersasreaders:Perspectivesontheimportanceofreadinginteachers’classroomsandlives.Newark,DE:InternationalReadingAssociation.

Cremin,T.,Mottram,M.,Collins,F.,Powell,S.,&Safford,K.(2009)Teachersasreaders:Buildingcommunitiesofreaders.Literacy,43(1)11-19.

Fountas,I.,&Pinnell,G.(2001)Guidingreadersandwriters.Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Kiuru,N.,Delay,D.,Laursen,B.,Burk,W.J.,Lerkkanen,M.,Poikkeus,A.,&Nurmi,J.(2017).Peerselectionandinfluenceonchildren’sreadingskillsinearlyprimarygrades:Asocialnetworkapproach.ReadingandWriting,30(7),1473-1500.

Lassonde,C.,Stearns,K.,&Dengler,K.(2005).Whatareyoureadinginbookgroups?Developingreadinglivesinteachercandidates.ActioninTeacherEducation,27(2),43-53.

McCarthey,S.,&Moje,E.(2002).Identitymatters.ReadingResearchQuarterly,37(2),228-238.

McCracken,R.A.,&McCracken,M.J.(1978)Modelingisthekeytosustainedsilentreading,TheReaderTeacher,31(4),406-408.

Merga,M.K.(2016),“Idon'tknowifshelikesreading”:Areteachersperceivedtobekeenreaders,andhowisthisdetermined?EnglishinEducation,50(3)255-269.

Miller,D.(2009).Thebookwhisperer:Awakeningtheinnerreaderineverychild.NewYork,NY:Scholastic.

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Rosenblatt,L.(1978).Thereader,thetext,thepoem:Thetransactionaltheoryofliterary

work.Carbondale,IL:SouthernIllinoisUniversityPress.

LITERATURECITEDApplegate,K.(2017).Wishtree.FaberandFaber.Birney,B.G.(2004).TheWorldAccordingto

Humphrey.PenguinGroupUSA.

Reynolds,S.(2006).Thefirstmarathon:ThelegendofPheidippides.CNIB.

Rosenthal,A.K.(2009).Spoon.Scholastic.Rosenthal,A.K.(2012).Chopsticks:Notexactlya

sequeltoSpoon,morelikeachangeinplacesetting.NewYork:Disney/HyperionBooks.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

MariePutnamHavran,EdD,isanelementaryliteracyspecialistinGreenville,SouthCarolina,andanadjunctprofessoratFurmanUniversity.Marieearnedherbachelor’sdegreeatIndianaStateUniversity,hermaster’satFurmanUniversity,andherdoctorateinCurriculumandInstructionatTheUniversityofSouthCarolina.Herresearchandinterestsarefocusedonissuesrelatingtoadolescentliteracyeducation,instructionalapproaches,andcriticalliteracypractices.Heremailaddressishavranmarie@gmail.com.