Reasons to Vary Reading

"Don't Confuse Reading for Pleasure With the Study of Literature"

This section of Carl Jago's chapter, "Seven Guiding Principles for Literature Teachers," states that teachers much teach students to differentiate between classical novels and novels that they read for fun. Jago states that students must read more than classical literature in order to proclaim that they have, indeed, studied literature. And while I do agree that students should read classical literature, as it opens up many different scenarios for adventure, I don't necessarily believe that there has to be a differentiation between classical, typical, study of literature and studying literature through "fun" novels. Books are books, regardless of the time period or subject matter. Themes that existed in the 1400's still exist in literature today, and all authors take inspiration from past authors. If a student is reading, they are learning how to read and will learn about the world through reading, regardless of whether the book is classical or not.

I believe that, with the right set of students, "fun" reading will lead to the study of classical texts on its own, without direction from the teacher.For me, I began studying classical literature (outside of my high school classes) because my friends, who either had different teachers or were enrolled in different English classes, would recommend classical books to me that they had read that they enjoyed. Typically, they would discover the literature through their English classes, but occasionally they would just pick a book up because they heard about it through other students or just found interest in the subject of the text. Meaning that I didn't need the assistance of a teacher in order to discover classical texts that I enjoyed and understood.

But I know this isn't the case for every English student. Some students don't understand the intricacies of the classics. Some don't have interest in reading novels from the past. Some simply just don't enjoy reading. And for those students, why not simply stick to "fun" novels? While I don't completely agree with the statement "read something rather than nothing," I do believe that every student can enjoy reading if the student discovers the right book. Reading many different types of literature is very important for becoming an educated English student and an overall educated person, but in order to read a variety of books, students need to first enjoy reading. In order to get students "hooked" on reading, they must first read books that appeal to them. And if that kind of book is a "fun" book, then so be it. After they have found a genre of book they enjoy, the teacher can then suggest classical books with similar themes or genre that the student could enjoy. This, I believe, is the proper approach to getting a student involved in worldly reading, not simply by forcing classical literature down students' throats. If forced, the students will not care enough to learn from the books they are told to read.

"Reading Literature Requires Language Study and Builds Vocabulary"

Jago states, "For me to invest instructional time on a text, I need to be convinced that the book will be worth students' time in terms of complex, engaging content." Yes, yes, YES. The point of reading any sort of book is to learn vocabulary, create more complex sentences, and broaden the mind to new themes and ideas that will allow for more developed thinking. Why teachers pick texts that don't accomplish any of these goals is beyond me. Throughout my reading career, I have learned many new words that help broaden my vocabulary and enhance my ability to speak to others intelligently through the books I have read. If students are given only simple books to read, they will never become more developed conversation partners and, more importantly, will never become any more fluent in the English language than they were in, say, the third grade.

This inability to speak properly not only 'dumbs down' conversations in society, but it will lead to many self-worth problems throughout the individual student's life. I've met many peers who think of themselves as dumb or not capable of learning simply because their vocabulary has never been broadened and they have never been challenged to try to do things that are difficult for them to accomplish. They will carry this feeling of inadequacy for the rest of their lives, because they have finished school, have jobs, and now have no reason or ambition to challenge themselves any farther than school may have forced them to do.

Not only are teachers meant to challenge students so that they do well in school and on tests, but teachers are to challenge students so that they continually challenge themselves outside of school. Having school as a difficult affair that offers assistance through teachers encourages students to challenge themselves throughout their lives with the assistance of their peers, elders, or many sources of information available to the public. Without the challenge school is supposed to offer, individuals are left with a fairly easy, simple lifestyle that leaves them feeling unaccomplished and, often, dull and uninteresting. School is necessary to give people the incentive to learn more than what is necessary to 'get by'.