Throughout the year we work with the students on selecting books that they can read and that they will enjoy. We talk to them about three categories of books. Some books are “easy reads.” These are also referred to as “holiday books.” Easy reads are good for relaxation and for enjoyment. Some books are hard or challenge books. These are usually chosen because they are interesting to the student. These are difficult for the student to read independently, but work when the student is motivated to read them and when some help is provided. Then there are the “just right books.” These are the books that we hope students spend most of their time with. A just right book is one the student can read most of and can understand readily. It should also be one the student enjoys. All three types of books have their place as part of a well-rounded reading diet. Easy books are great when students are working on reading with smoothness and expression. Hard books can offer a wealth of information and can work with support. Research shows that just right books are the ones that support a student’s growing skills the best, while easy books reinforce their confidence as a reader and their enjoyment of reading.
We work to support students as they explore all of these types of books. If you think about yourself as an adult reader, you will probably realize that you read a range of books as well. After a long day of work you might relax with what is an easy book for your reading level. At other times you may choose a book that requires more thought and effort. And there may be times when you tackle a book which is more challenging. For myself, I am interested in physics. I can enjoy reading a book such as Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time, or a fiction book that incorporates quantum theory such as Neal Stephenson’s Anathem, but the concepts involved are hard for me to wrap my mind around. Books such as these are not what I want to read when I am ready to relax!
We want our students to develop the ability to identify the books that they can read and that they will enjoy. They need to look at and try a range of books in order to get a sense of what works best for them. It may begin with the leveled books sets we have in the classroom. Eventually we want the students to move beyond the leveled books to try a wider range of books. This process supports their growing independence as readers. It helps insure that reading becomes a rewarding part of their everyday life, rather than just a school assignment.
