This Week’s Topic: Required Reading
Several weeks ago, Sophie was talking about assigned reading. Don't get me wrong, as a lifelong reader, I felt like this was an intrusion. How dare the teacher dictate what I was supposed to read! Believe me, I was the first to cry foul, when a new book was assigned.
When I was in grade school, I didn't mind having to read for my classes, because the books were my choice, but everything changed as I got older. I found myself stripped of my right to select the "literature" I wanted to consume.
Wasn't I supposed to be able to make more of my life choices as I got older. It seemed not, and with each new book, I grew more and more despondent as a reader, and saw my pleasure reading dwindle, as it was overtaken by my required reading.
Now that I am (much) older, I have reflected on my required reading experiences, and I will admit, I am able to attach many positive things to what I saw as suffering back when I was in school.
- I read a LOT of books I would never have selected for myself. As far as my reading tastes go, I was all about the romance as soon as I hit my teens, and I inhaled contemporary romances at an alarming rate. My love for those books runs deep. Therefore, reading a ton of classics or acclaimed literary fiction was not my plan. But, the good and docile student that I was, I read all my assigned reading books, and I even enjoyed a few.
- A lot of other people were made to read these books too. I was able to share my love or ire of one of these required reading books with a lot of other people. It was a great way to bond with new acquaintances, and provided a common thread for us.
- Even if people had not read the books, many of them were turned into very popular films. Yet, another way to connect with another person. I ate with my family growing up, and I would talk about what I was reading in school. Though my father was not a big reader, he DID watch a lot of movies, and we were able to share our thoughts regarding a majority of the literature I read for school.
I read a TON of books for school, and here are some I actually remember reading.
Now it's your turn!
Do you have any thoughts or reflections on required reading? Were there any standouts from your school days?
Do you have a favorite required reading book?
Let us know in the comments!
I totally get what you mean, Sam, but at the same time, what's a teacher to do? As a teacher, I try to select books I think my students might enjoy - but where there is also room for analysis and growth in them as readers. Of course, English is their third (or fourth...) language, so that sometimes makes it even harder for them.
ReplyDeleteThis year, with my 2nd year (of high school) students, I read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, because I think it's important to chat about the themes in that novel. With my 3rd year students, I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and also Every Day. Both made it easy to have class discussions, and it also helped them to have so many themes they could expand on when writing an essay or having an oral presentation or oral exam.
It's hard to choose books for class, though, and I know most of my fellow teachers tend to go towards the classics. I think that for foreign language students, it's easier to read something that's more contemporary, as the language is also closer to what they need to use when communicating with anglophones.
Great post! Thanks for sharing :)
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
I love that you use more contemporary literature featuring topics that are relevant to kids today. And, you have a good point, that contemporaries tend to use the current vernacular, which would better serve someone learning English. Though it's more modern, I consider Alexie's book a sort of modern classic.
DeleteI agree, Alexie is more of a modern classic...
DeleteI have used Animal Farm with my students as well, and I really want to give 1984 a go - because I want them to see that today, nobody has to come to our houses and install cameras and microphones - we do it ourselves with our phones...
I will say, I enjoyed Orwell's books. I think what impressed me most was thinking about when they were written and how relevant they were when I was reading them. I would say, certain aspects of his books are even more pronounced in the world today.
DeleteI don't mind that high school English classes push the classics; they're important reads. But I do wish that they would incorporate more modern books, even just one or two a year. I didn't mind reading the classics, but they can be so difficult to understand. I noticed for the summer reading at my old high school, the list of suggestions has mostly modern books, with some classics sprinkled in.
ReplyDeleteThat was my chief complaint. I went to high school 1986 - 1990, and I was reading books written in the 30s, 40s, and much older in the case of Shakespeare (though, that's a rite of passage in and of itself). Fast forward 20 or so years, and my daughter is still not really reading any more modern books. I think there are tons of newer books that have a lot to offer, and I think the teachers should make an attempt to include a book featuring a wide variety of protagonists. My daughter's school was 46% South Asian, yet they didn't read any books featuring any sort of Asian character.
DeleteI was so happy when I got to grad school and was able to choose my own reading lists and essay topics. Assigned reading did introduce me to a lot of books I wouldn’t have picked up on my own, but I still prefer choosing my own stories. I wish schools would teach some current books. Pretty much all of my assigned reading was classics until I got to college. Most kids don’t care about classics because they can’t see how those books are relevant to their lives.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
A mix is a happy medium, and when I was still teaching, my students were reading some more modern books in their English classes, though, I know one book made one of my students uncomfortable (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). The YA catalog is overflowing with so many amazing options for teachers, and I would be ecstatic to see them picking one or two for a classroom guided reading book.
DeleteI get where you're coming from. I never felt like I was being forced to read the books, but maybe it's because I actually enjoyed them. And we had such great in-class discussions. Literature period was definitely one of my favorite classes. I'm not sure how it is in the US, but we also read fairly slowly back home, so it wasn't like we didn't have time to go read other books if we wanted to!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school, we moved through the books rather quickly. I read so many books in my American Lit class. It was overwhelming, though, that was probably the first class, where the class discussions were interesting. I would not attribute that to the book selection, but rather, to the fact that I was finally in a class with my intellectual peers, because Lit was an elective and not a required class.
DeleteI hate required reading. I think that forcing someone to read a book that they are not enjoying is one of the reasons that so many people get turned off from reading. They see it as a chore and not something that could be enjoyed. I understand that classics may have a place in the educational setting but I think that kids should be offered some kind of choice. If we make reading feel like homework to students, they will often think negatively of the activity. I want to see more readers that share my love of books!
ReplyDeleteI would like to see a balance. A few hardcore classics mixed with some newer "classics". You can broaden a kid's world without having them read a stack of books they have no interest in.
Deleteto me, education is about expanding your interests, learning about new things. how would you know you like YA if all you read was the thrillers you love, like me. I never would have thought I could fall for a series like Twilight, but....
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
But, a mix of books could accomplish that as well. Classic combined with some modern books could open doors as well. I just hate that schools seem to ignore all the great books that are currently being published.
DeleteI've discovered that if I pick up a book that might later be required I enjoy it more, because I made the decision to read it first.
ReplyDeleteI always think I pick the best books, but sometimes it's good to be pushed in another direction, and that's what required reading did for me. I KNOW I would not have touched those books. I was all about the teen romances (still am) back then.
DeleteAs a homeschool teacher, I think that kids should have *some* assigned reading, but I want them to read some things they like too. When my boy was younger we'd go to the library and the only books he'd want were the Minecraft books, so I'd let him get some of those *if* he also got another book.
ReplyDeleteI watched my daughter's love of reading wane, when she got into high school, because of all the boring books she just could not connect with. Thank goodness for The Hunger Games, because it brought my little reader back.
DeleteLots of good points here. I hated assigned reading (and still do haha) but I also see the other side- left to my own devices, I was NOT going to sample certain literature or classics or whatever. And probably would have been the poorer for it? So yeah- I can see it, kinda. It's a fine line though, because the flip side is- what if a child's nascent love of reading is squelched by all the assigned "boring" reads? That would be a tragedy. So I'm not sure there's an easy answer. :)
ReplyDeleteIdeally it would be tailored to each child, I guess, although in a school setting that's obviously not going to be entirely successful. And interestingly enough, the last part of your question- does any of the required reading I had stand out to me? Thinking back, I have to say largely no- I have very few thoughts about any of the stuff we read in high school lit. Hmmm... although then again I am glad I was exposed to Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, others. I guess it did expand my horizons.
That really is the downside to assigned reading. What I saw, when I was working in a high school, was that more reluctant readers were given choices, whereas the college prep kids were assigned books. A mix of books would be nice. A few classics, but also more modern classics or newer books, that the kids have a say in selecting as a class.
DeleteI can get VERY worked up about this topic. My reading class is mostly independent choice, and it's incredibly powerful to actually let kids read what they want--and for those who don't know what they want, to bring them all different kinds of books and formats to try. We do book clubs each semester, in which they read together with 2-3 others, and that requires some kids to go outside their comfort zones. But it makes it social, so they're willing to try, and several kids found new favorites that way. I also do 2-3 read alouds each year. I let classes vote from a range of books that I know are short enough to not be miserable, engaging enough to pull most kids in, and have some other sort of hook--first in a series, in a unusual format--something that if kids love it, it will encourage them to find other books that relate somehow.
ReplyDeleteAs for classics, I always liked them. The assigned books I didn't like were usually early to mid 20th century authors, like Steinbeck, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Camus. I loved A Separate Peace, The Chosen, The Color Purple, Cry the Beloved Country, and Death of a Salesman though. But I was already a reader. I don't think those books are going to create readers out of kids who don't already like books. And I could power through the ones I hated without thinking that it meant I hated reading. Something I think gets forgotten is that the classics once were modern novels, and not necessarily particularly high-brow ones either. So why not read The Hate U Give instead of Chaucer?
I was one of the few in my class that like A Separate Peace. I read The Color Purple by choice, when I was older, maybe college, but it was fantastic. I love that you have so many different structures in place. You have choice and then you have guided choices, which I think is fantastic. I think it's good to have kids read about people different from the, but I also think it's nice to have them read books that feature characters like themselves. My daughter's classes were predominately South Asian, yet, they read no books featuring Asian protagonists. My daughter is biracial, and read zero books featuring biracial people. Do you stick so closely with the classics, that you fail to connect with your students? I understand, that some themes are timeless, we can see that with Shakespeare, but there are more modern books featuring more diverse characters feature those themes too. Part of me thinks some English teachers are just going with the flow, and like to use books that have been analyzed to death, because it's easier for them.
DeleteI never read any of the "required reading" when I was in school. I found I could easily pass the tests without reading the books. I didn't like being told what to read. If I could go back, I would read them, though. As an adult, I'm now trying to read all the things I should have when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteOne of my co-workers said the same exact thing, and she's a reader. Her mother is a librarian, and ironically, she eventually read those books, but she wanted it to be her choice. I do think some of the books were over my head, and when I reflect on them now, I appreciate them more, because I have life experience, which allows me to better understand the book.
DeleteI barely remember my required reading. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing but wish they would add more relevant, diverse and recent books to the mix.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
Same. A mix would be a great start. Some old, some new, and some that reflect your population. That was something I remember my daughter complaining about when she was in school.
DeleteI didn't like any of the books we were forced to read at school-The Great Gilly Hopkins, The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, Pygmalion, Animal Farm, Laidlaw, Death of a salesman, Sons and Lovers...I stopped reading for fun while all this was going on as I didn't want to read when I didn't have to, and it nearly destroyed my love of reading! Thankfully I was rescued by Stephen King and Richard Laymon!
ReplyDeleteI also stopped pleasure reading, when school reading took over. The books were hit or miss for me, but I did enjoy some. Glad King and Laymon were able to lure you back to reading.
DeleteI see that you were inspired here! But you are right with sharing something with other people! I would also add that some of these books educated me on how people lived in the past, their struggles, the power play etc.
ReplyDeleteAnother good point. They definitely were a window into the past, but honestly, I appreciate these books a lot more now, then when I was a teen.
DeleteThat's awesome that you had some positive experiences with your required reading :-) I can't say I feel very positively toward my experiences. I also read all the books assigned. I enjoyed a few in middle school, but I don't think I enjoyed any in high school except for Catch 22. And a lot of people just didn't read the assigned books, or we didn't like them, so it didn't create a whole lot of conversation. But I do remember my crush and I flirting with each other using Romeo and Juliet quotes while we were reading that one in class, so that's a fun memory 😂
ReplyDeleteI went to Catholic school for my elementary grades, so the only required reading was the Bible 😜 I don't remember any group "reads", except from our reading text book. Yep. That was a thing. It's definitely not fun being part of a discussion that NO one prepared for. The cricket noises become quite overwhelming.
DeleteI'm always torn about required reading. I hated having someone else tell me what to read, but at the same time, I ended up reading some books I loved that I never would have picked up on my own so in that sense, required reading had its value.
ReplyDeleteSame for me. I think a mix would be perfect. Some choice, but also, some required reading. It would be great to see new classics thrown into the mix more often too. I have been out of teaching since 2014, but from what others are saying, not much has changed in schools.
DeleteI think teachers should give students more freedom in choosing what they want to read. I understand there is a curriculum that needs to be followed, but I think it's important to get kids interested in reading in the first place. So many kids and teens hate reading. I think a great first step would be finding popular books that will spike their curiosity and make them want to be lifelong readers.
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
I think part of the challenge is that the teacher has to have read the book in order to be able to analyze it properly with the students. In grade school, I had choice because it was just about reading, but in the upper grades, it's about understanding and identifying themes, motifs, etc. Maybe give some choice via a list of books versus a set list.
DeleteBack in the day, and by day I mean almost 3 decades ago they gave us a list every summer of books they required us to read over the summer. This geek loved the lists... I was also reading Dickens, Gone with the Wind and other books my friends just blinked at me in astonishment for as if someone forced me. My children however had some required books, but they could also pick books and have them approved which I found to be cool.
ReplyDeleteI am sure there will always be readers, who enjoy some or most of the books they are required to read, but I can tell you, my daughter dreaded it.
DeleteI have ambivalent feelings towards required reading - like you mentioned, it can be so frustrating even for avid readers to be forced to read something, and I do think it can turn people off from reading. I know quite a few people who were so put off by what they had to read that they lost their motivation to read anything at all, and only gained it back later, if ever. I also believe that, as you mentioned with romance books, people tend to fall in love with reading because of books they themselves select, not because of required reading. One of my problems is that most of what I had to read - rather different from yours because we were reading a lot of Hungarian classics, of course - is about the straight, white, male and ADULT experience, which isn't exactly relatable for most students. Also, the discussions in elementary and high school were always according to 'what the textbook said' or what the teacher thought was the right interpretation, which is quite boring for teens and pre-teens. At university we've had actual discussions about aspects or topics of novels and personal feelings/opinions, which was a lot more interesting than the type of education I encountered beforehand. Anyhow, sorry for the loong comment, haha, this was an interesting discussion!
ReplyDeleteI definitely appreciate both sides of the argument. When you are younger, the point of reading is to get better at it, which is I think I had more choice then. In the upper grades, we read more for understanding and to become critical readers. Therefore, the teacher would have to be well versed on the books, and that's why they always chose the books they read during their studies. I will say, that the teachers did allow us to really discuss what we thought the text meant, and we would study multiple analyses for each book.
DeleteI hated having set texts for school. it almost always meant that after dissecting the book I would hate it by the end of English class. I think there are just two books from school I can say I liked. We studied King Lear and it was really good and I enjoyed Handmaid's Tale. I hated Lord of the Flies after studying it. I hated Wuthering Heights. If I had to read the same scenes in Great Expectations one more time it was going out of the window and that book is big! It could do damage. I think any book being read for school is the kiss of death. I was guaranteed to hate it by the end, but I also hate being told what to do so maybe I'm just awkward like that?
ReplyDeleteI was never made to read your favorites, but I was a Lord of the Flies fan. I guess I have my teacher, Dr. Noel, to thank for that. Some teachers really can beat the horse to death with certain book, and I was so happy to move on.
DeleteI loved required reading as back then I loved reading, I loved classics and I loved getting to try books outside of my comfort zone... And all of those things still ring true to me today. It's a shame when you end up not liking a book but having to anyway, but I think in the end required reading is worth it!
ReplyDeleteI know there are classic loving readers out there (eg: you), but there are a lot of people, who are not huge fans. A mix could cater to both types of readers, but I never felt like I got that, when I was in school.
DeleteI was very much NOT a fan of required reading. The thing that got me is, they all seemed like the same exact TYPE of book. Like okay if you want me to be "well read' or whatever, fine, but then don't just shove the same old white-guy books at me because some OTHER old white guy said it's good! I routinely hated anything I was forced to read, and I think the reason was BECAUSE I was forced. I feel like there has to be a better way, Idk!
ReplyDeleteI do think I read a mix of books, but I attribute that to my American Lit teacher and the theme of year, which was prejudice. I accepted that my "job" was to go to school, but I think more choice would have been nice. I know they try to offer more options these days, but not back in the 80s.
DeleteI kind of avoided required reading and now, as an adult, I regret that. I haven't read a lot of the classics so I have tons of catching up to do because now I WANT to read them. >.<
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think the book is just better because I wanted to read it. I hope you get to some of the one's on your list.
DeleteThere was only one or two books that I remember that disliking when it comes to required reading! I actually really enjoyed required reading, but I think I got lucky when it came to the book choices that my teachers/school made. I also appreciated how I learnt how to analyze books through my literature. I read Jane Eyre on my own, and then reread it in high school for my English class, and it was really interesting for me to see how the two experiences differed!
ReplyDeleteI was never a big classics reader, so I was NOT picking those books on my own, but like you, there are many classics lovers, which is what my required reading was overflowing with. The discussions were only as good as my classmates, and the best were in my American Lit class. It was an upper classman elective, and mostly the smart kids took it.
DeleteOMG, I am super happy that my teachers required certain books to be read or I would have never had read them or even cared to have read them. When was I ever going to read The Great Gatsby? MacBeth? Never! Well, maybe I would have later on but this way I did. I am glad they required us to do it and analyze them with each other and give different perspectives on the readings. It made me a better reader. I wish I could go back and do it again. It was a life lesson and so worth it.
ReplyDeleteMary
I can honestly tell you, that I would never pick up any of these books on my own. For that exposure, I can thank my school district. I hope they mix more new classics into the curriculum these days, though.
DeleteI'm one of the few people who actually loved reading the classics (even the assigned ones) when I was a teenager. For some reason, I liked them more then than I do now---not quite sure why that happened!!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I definitely knew some people, who enjoyed the classics, and I still do, but I always gravitated towards contemporaries, and many of the books didn't even feature teens. Because of that, they were a hard sell for me. I read way more classics on my own as a kid too. Maybe I am burned out on them? Maybe I just want to live in the now instead of the past? Don't know why, but I have no desire to pick up any of them these days.
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