It’s amazing to me really when I consider my relationship with reading, this relationship is truly a relationship with learning and I remember the first flutter of my heart as a little girl when I walked into a library it seemed like I could literally taste the beauty of each adventure hidden deep in the pages of the books that line the shelves. I recall quickly making my way through the books in the children's section and by first grade I was working my way through the Boxcar Children, Sweet Valley High and the Babysitters Club series, these books were my favorites, I owned each one and believed deeply in my spirit that books were my friends. I recall spending hours in bookstores and the pull of my heart when I had to choose only 5 books to take home, I think that’s why I so loved the library because I could take 30 books home at a time.
Then, it happened, I remember when I first discovered books with characters who looked like me, I remember reading Roots by Alex Haley and this was the moment my love transferred from flutters to a deeply fulfilling comfortable love
I felt a connection that was deeper than my love for Jesse from the Babysitters Club or my desire to see what adventure the Boxcar Children would take next. When I discovered books about people who lived in places similar to my neighborhood and had friends with names that sounded like mine, I felt at home. I remember devouring every book by Omar Tyree, Toni Morrison and Terry McMillan, I was in love, settled. Diverse Literary options open the door for every scholar in our classrooms to find herself and connect with themselves in a deeply fulfilling experience. What happens though if a scholar finds no place to settle? They become jaded and their love will flicker out. It is our job to ensure that Literacy Ignites Transformation.
Connection is key, one great idea is to survey students to determine their interests, their desires, and pay attention to the things they may be struggling with, the things they never say out loud. Reading is an avenue that can open a world of opportunity and perspective to students. Diverse authors and stories allow every student to gain perspective and become change agents in the real world. Imagine a student who wants to be an engineer but feels that dream is unattainable reading The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind By William Kamkwamba. Consider a student who has never met anyone who graduated from college and feels that education is worthless reading I Am Malala or Becoming. What I believe is that through their love for reading, students will begin to realize change in fact begins with each and every one of us. Literacy is more than calling words, students who love to read, find purpose and decide how they can make the world a better place.
As educators it is our duty to create an environment that supports Literacy Igniting Passion in our scholars. One of my favorite TED talks is by Rita Pierson, in her talk entitled Every Child Deserves a Champion she states “no significant learning can take place without significant relationship”, not only is this true of the connection between student and teacher in the classroom but it is also true of student and the text. The student must be able to derive significant relevance from the material if it is to move beyond the four walls of the classroom into an actionable course.That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
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