Blog #2

One idea that Miller stressed is the importance of choice when it comes to reading. I really like this idea because in my own experience, being forced to read a book that I do not want to read with the intention of being tested on it at the end is what made me dislike reading altogether. Looking at the assignments that are often given in correlation to reading, Miller says that “teachers might realize that instead of encouraging students to read, these mindless assignments make kids hate reading” (p. 3).

Because I am not a huge reader myself, I am nervous about teaching reading to my students. I find that I do not make the time to read as she says is a problem for many wild readers. How can I recommend that my students read for a certain amount of time at home while I myself do not follow my own advice? She also says that wild readers don’t keep track of their reading through specific amounts of time or reading logs, but how can I make sure that students are reading if I cannot track their reading? But she addressed the fact that reading is not all or nothing. Reading for a couple minutes a few times a day is better than not reading at all because I can’t find thirty minutes straight to read. I can read for a few minutes instead of the time that I spend uselessly on my cellphone. Though I am nervous about teaching reading when my own reading habits are not in check, I hope that through her advice I can improve my own literate life before I begin teaching.