BLOG POST 5 (Module 3 Reading Week): Philosophically, there has to be a reason why students don't like reading...right?

 


When we think about why students may shy away from reading, we consider things like: their aptitude, intellect, attention span, environment and even their personal values. I've also began to reflect on how I/teachers can contribute to a (dis)interest in reading, and the role we can play in nurturing a desire to read. However, it's important to note that history and philosophy can also play a factor in the reasons that students don't like reading AND they can provide solutions and strategies for igniting the desire to read independently. 

According to Smeyers, "...by telling stories novels may allow us to describe uncommon situations and develop a new perspective on everyday situations. Thus they provide the context necessary for exploring not only the grammar of our language, but also the limits of our form of life" (2006). 

Smeyers' view of the power of novels and story-telling has undeniably caused me to rethink my approach to promoting reading (both collaboratively and independently), as it can be used to help students better understand situations that they experience on a daily basis. Many times novels are selected simply on the merit of being deemed 'worthy' of study, or 'classics'. Unfortunately, using this narrow view of literature may cause students to feel a disconnect from what they are reading - and therefore, a loss of interest in continuing to read independently. 

If we (as educators) take time to carefully select texts that are culturally and socially relevant to the lives and experiences of our students, I am confident that that would provide a greater connection and interest to the power of reading. Further to that, promoting texts that are able to provide a new perspective on topics, experiences and material that surrounds our students will invariably allow them to seek literature as a source of clarity for unfamiliar situations. 

We need to stop isolating every literary device, technique, grammatical choice and stylistic choice - and instead, change our philosophical view and use of literature. When students make connections and find meaning - it becomes interesting... It becomes something more than just 'work'. 


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