Donalyn Miller has said many things that totally make sense, both as a reader and as a future teacher. I have continued reading the book, Reading in the Wild, and the author has brought up many great points about how to get students to enjoy reading. The book starts by introducing the five key points every wild reader should do/follow…
Chapter 1- Dedicate time to read
Every student needs to spend quality time reading inside and outside school. As teachers we need to set time apart for the students to spend reading. It is also very important treat all students the same, including those who need the extra help.
Chapter 2- Self-select reading material
Isn’t wonderful when we as readers get the opportunity to choose our own reading material according to our interests? When students get this opportunity, they are more encouraged to continue with their reading, as they have the freedom to make choices.
Chapter 3- Share books and reading with other readers
Share a community of readers. Those people who like to read, also enjoy sharing their reading material with other people. This is a great opportunity to share, discuss, and find reading material. A great example of this, is using WordPress, Feedley, Twitter, and Goodreads among other sites to share good books with other people.
Chapter 4- Have reading plans
It is important for readers to learn how to choose a book and to know why they want to read it. Setting goals for yourself and having a plan to read beyond your current book will pursue the person to continue reading more and more books the minute they get done with one. But how does this happen? A good strategy is continuing with the same author, same series, recommended books, or simply books that catch your interest!
Chapter 5- Share preferences for genres, authors, and topics
Having the freedom to choose your own reading material is more exciting that being told what you have to read! However, this chapter talks about how to challenge students to expand their reading horizons. It is also very important for students to try something new in their reading, such as a change in author, and fiction or nonfiction books.
It is extremely important for every child to get a “taste” of reading in order to become a lifelong reader and to succeed in the outside world! I believe that if students are introduced to the wonderful world of reading at an early age, they will begin to learn to love and enjoy the world of reading.
Mayra Pelayo 