Both texts, written by Cunningham and Allington, agree that reading often is the most important, whether that is while reading an assignment or having a designated reading time in the classroom. This leads to improvement in student's literacy and reading ability.
How do teachers know if students have improved? Allington's article recommends testing the students on an individual basis for a pre- and post assessment to look for improvements. Both Cunningham and Allington in the text recommend having time for sharing with other students. Students best comprehend what they read when they explain it to someone else and share with their classmates.
As a teacher, having an assortment of books will allow students the opportunity to choose titles that are more appealing to them. For example, as pictured above, I could create a "Readbox" similar to Redbox movie rentals. This well known logo would appeal to students while giving them the freedom to pick books of interest to them. Also, I want to have a reading corner so that students can feel comfortable in their environment and willing to take risks when reading new books. Lastly, I want to create a small group setting where students can share with other students about the things they find interesting in their books.
Allington and Cunningham both made great points about how to help create an environment that is suitable for young readers and how to best help them improve their literacy. But, I am still left with two questions:
1. How do you best encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and start a new book that may seem challenging at first?
2. Why do some students, like me, dislike reading in primary school then grow to enjoy it by the time they reach secondary school? Can something be done differently to prevent the delay in finding the enjoyment in reading?
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