"Struggling readers need:
- knowledge of different types of texts and the best strategies for reading them."
This quotation causes me to reflect. Not only does this suggest a strategy for struggling readers but it also aligns with the Ontario secondary school English curriculum which says that students are to read a variety of texts.
My pause for reflection comes from the fact that I'm not sure we're doing this very well with today's students in mind. Sure, when I was in the classroom, I offered them a variety: fiction (novels), short stories, poems, drama scripts (most often Shakespeare), and a few short non-fiction articles, but is this what our students need?
When students graduate high school, what will be their reading world? They most certainly will be reading more non-fiction than fiction. Only those going on to major in English Literature in university will read more fiction and I would bet their reading skills are strong enough to not need a high school teacher's assistance to the extent that we offer it.
What I'm saying is our secondary school English program is out of balance with reality. If our purpose is to make students better readers, they need to practice and they should practice on texts relevant to their lives. We should teach students to read social media texts, online blogs, consumer reviews, comments sections to news stories, online news platforms, eBay posts, and articles. Most, going onto college or university, need help with scholarly articles, research papers, and textbooks. Shakespeare won't be in their world.
Secondary English teachers need to re-think what they provide for students when they select different types of texts. Even better, we should let students negotiate with the teachers and select their own texts.
K.J.W.