This evening, while my son lay soaking in the tub, I was immersed in my copy of the December edition of School Library Journal; specifically, I was reading an article by Rutgers University professor, Carol Gordon, entitled “Meeting Readers Where They Are”.
Jackson, ever the inquisitive one, asked me what I was reading.
I answered that was a story was about “ideas to help librarians help students to read more books. It’s suppose to help daddy do a better job at school.”
Without missing a beat, Jackson offers, “I have some advice, Daddy. You should make sure the kids love the books they’re reading. And [they] are age appropriate [his words, honestly!], you know, teenagers like to read books about love, vampires, and fighting. Age sevens [his age] like books on cars, warplanes, adventure, and stuff like that. And they need time to pick what they like to read…like in our library.”
[wow.]
He so eloquently framed what Gordon and hundreds of other reading and literacy professionals have been espousing for decades. A modern day Krashen our little guy?
But, now I need to take this intuitive advice and seek out more student input with my students. I’ve been toying with the idea of a school library advisory council and now the time has come to forge ahead.
What have I been waiting for?
Thanks, Jackson.
Thanks, son.
GETTING CURIOUS 