From time to time, I will have a student say to me “I don’t like reading”. Why might a student resent having to read? There are many factors at play. We may be told that we have to read a certain book as part of our learning and that it doesn’t interest us, or we may feel that our level of reading is “not up to scratch” against our peers.
In the past fortnight, I have completed The Sky is so Heavy by Claire Zorn and Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French. I enjoyed reading both of them, and was quite tempted to not put the books down.
So how do you pick the right book to read? I recommend applying the PICK method (Purpose, Interest, Comprehend, Know the Words).
Purpose - Finding the reason/s why we are reading the book. Hopefully it is for fun or to learn something new.
Interest - What interests us in our lives like our activities and pursuits. There might be topics or themes that relate straight back to it. Have a look at the cover/s, read the blurb on the back cover or flick through the pages of a book to help you make a decision. In the library, books can be identified through genre stickers (Fiction) or by organising books by subject (Non-Fiction) to guide students.
Comprehend - Selecting a book according to our reading ability and being able to understand the information that is being presented.
Know the Words - Understanding the language or words used. If it is too hard, do not select it.
So how did I apply this model with my recent reading? I read the books for enjoyment, but also to recommend to students (Purpose). I enjoy reading Science Fiction and books set around historical events. For instance, Pennies for Hitler is set in World War II Europe and Australia (Interest). My understanding of the events of World War II also guided me in my selection of Pennies for Hitler while The Sky so Heavy allowed me to challenge my understandings of the outcome of a Nuclear War on society (Comprehend). Given that the books were written for younger audiences, I knew I would have little difficulty understanding the language (Know the Words).
There are other tools available to guide in the selection of the right book. The library catalogue is available online and includes reading lists to guide your reading. As mentioned, genre stickers have been placed on Fiction books to identify them by genre. Library Staff are there to assist as well.
