Docherty’s Blog Post Chapter 3 Share Your Reading Life

      I’m a reader and have always been a reader.  I grew up in a home full of books, a family that read constantly, and even in one house I lived in our family had a room that was referred to as the “Library.”  It was full of bookshelves that were filled with antique books, best sellers, and children books for all ages.  There were chairs for us to read independently and a sofa where I often remember reading to someone or just lying down reading a cherished novel.  We were not required to read but read because we all enjoyed reading.  Even to this day, my immediate family members read.  My older brother carries two things with him to the beach:  a cooler to sit on and a mystery novel of some sort tucked under his arm to read while enjoying the outdoors.  I read because I enjoy it!  My daughter reads because she enjoys it!  Books are a part of our family more so than the television. 

For years my child and I would read a favorite book aloud to one another.  It has only been this past year that we haven’t found as much time to read together as we once had.  At eight pm all technology would go off and we’d spend time lying in the master bedroom with books in hand.  I miss those days.  Now, I read alone in the middle of the night things like social media, the internet researching something, or read something pertaining to school and children.

      I enjoyed reading this chapter.  I often tell my students “The more you read; the better you get.  The better you get, the more you read.” I want my students to learn to LOVE to read, not just to learn to read.  Reading for pleasure is so powerful.  Reading shouldn’t always be something that is assigned or read to increase their reading level.  I read for pleasure and I’m sure I’m not reading on my instructional level all the time.  I’m reading what I enjoy. 

      I loved the author’s take on having parents sign reading logs.  Not only as a parent who hated to sign reading logs but also as a teacher of many students who don’t have the parent support, I always felt like it puts the responsibility on the parent not the child.  For years my child read daily.  I would have to sign daily and yet it just added more stress than anything because she’d read before bed.  One of us would have to remember in the morning to write down what was read and often we’d forget.  She’d get penalized for something she did do!  She didn’t do it for the assignment but read because I read and we both enjoy reading.  She didn’t need her mom to sign that she read each night.  She already had intrinsic motivation to read.  The SIGNED log was a burden and nothing else. 

It is important to help students find books that interest them.  Doing inventories or interviews help to find out what a child likes.  Then finding books on their level also helps.  Showing them that we care and take an interest in them also is encouraging.

     I love books.  Yet, instead of having a large library of what I read I share my books.  I have a bad habit of writing my initials in a book with a pencil when I’ve finished the book.  I use the library and spend a lot of time at Barnes and Noble.  Yet, I’ll find a book at the bookstore only to check the library to see if they have it first before buying the book---Yip, rather read a used book than a brand new book.  I like passing books on, especially the ones I enjoy the most!