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From: Killeen, Erlene <Erlene.Killeen_at_Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:46:35 -0600
I grew up reading those really terrible childhood biographies about famous (mostly men) Americans. I read them like most kids read Nancy Drew or any other series gobbled up because they were similar. I, of course, found out as an adult that most of what I had read was total fiction and not worth r eading!
What did that do to me? Well, biographies are still my favorite reading. I love historical fiction as well. It seems that my childhood tastes remai n even today. This summer, I spent the entire time reading fiction and no n-fiction based on the Alcott family. I was surrounded by them all!
Did my parents develop this interest? No, but they stayed out of the way an d kept encouraging me to read. Neither of these genres would have been seen as appropriate by my mother an d my father kept handing me classics of all kinds and many before I probabl y should have been reading them. As an 11 year old, I was reading Cannery Row by Steinbeck -- hardly age appropriate but that was the summer we went to Monterey and it just worked! If I had only been reading what my parents could provide, I would have been stuck with Reader's Digest and Dale Carne gie!! We couldn't afford enough books to keep up with my appetite. The pu blic library and the bookshelves in the corner of my classrooms saved me!
So, what am I trying to say? I think that we (librarians and teachers) mus t just work with our students and encourage any kind of reading we can. I think we must follow-up on students' interest and "Feed" them the books tha t will keep them reading. If they get interested in the holocaust, find al l you can to let them read about the events, people, and countries involved , both through non-fiction and fiction stories. Will they pick up some co ntroversial things -- of course! Will they love some and hate the others - - yes!
Our jobs are not to be scientists. We are educators -- a mix of science an d art with psychology! Isn't that why we love it?
Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
Received on Mon 28 Nov 2011 03:46:35 PM CST
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:46:35 -0600
I grew up reading those really terrible childhood biographies about famous (mostly men) Americans. I read them like most kids read Nancy Drew or any other series gobbled up because they were similar. I, of course, found out as an adult that most of what I had read was total fiction and not worth r eading!
What did that do to me? Well, biographies are still my favorite reading. I love historical fiction as well. It seems that my childhood tastes remai n even today. This summer, I spent the entire time reading fiction and no n-fiction based on the Alcott family. I was surrounded by them all!
Did my parents develop this interest? No, but they stayed out of the way an d kept encouraging me to read. Neither of these genres would have been seen as appropriate by my mother an d my father kept handing me classics of all kinds and many before I probabl y should have been reading them. As an 11 year old, I was reading Cannery Row by Steinbeck -- hardly age appropriate but that was the summer we went to Monterey and it just worked! If I had only been reading what my parents could provide, I would have been stuck with Reader's Digest and Dale Carne gie!! We couldn't afford enough books to keep up with my appetite. The pu blic library and the bookshelves in the corner of my classrooms saved me!
So, what am I trying to say? I think that we (librarians and teachers) mus t just work with our students and encourage any kind of reading we can. I think we must follow-up on students' interest and "Feed" them the books tha t will keep them reading. If they get interested in the holocaust, find al l you can to let them read about the events, people, and countries involved , both through non-fiction and fiction stories. Will they pick up some co ntroversial things -- of course! Will they love some and hate the others - - yes!
Our jobs are not to be scientists. We are educators -- a mix of science an d art with psychology! Isn't that why we love it?
Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
Received on Mon 28 Nov 2011 03:46:35 PM CST
