The not-reading epidemic: reflections of a mid-service English teacher

Purpose - The purpose for this paper is to encourage teachers to change the way they approach teaching literature to proficient and accelerated readers or alliterates. With class time devoted to quiet reading, student-selected materials, meaningful discussions and quality assessment, a change can be made about in students who avoid reading.Design/methodology/approach - In the selection, several ideas are discussed: cognitive and social needs of students that may affect why they do not read and three scenarios common to a high school English classroom of high-achieving students. A problem is introduced through each scenario, and a solution is suggested to improve the situation, ultimately resulting in students being engaged in reading.Findings - Through experimenting with several methods of encouraging students to read, the author has discovered three elements that truly reach non-readers: consistent coaching for difficult text, class time to read the text and higher-order assessment that requires first-hand engagement with the text.Research limitations/implications - The nature of the narrative as reflection leans toward practical methods and incorporates researched elements as support. No formal research studies were conducted in the classroom, but many years' experience is infused in the discussion.Practical implications - Teachers with limited technology, in particular, can benefit from the ideas presented. Rather than requiring students to have access to the internet, etc., which many students in rural public schools do not have, for example, the essay focuses more on slowing down and using the quiet moments in the classrooms as time for reading.Originality/value - The following narrative outlines these scenarios along with commentaries and strategies the author has discovered through her last several years of teaching. The author believes that those who avoid reading can be assisted through varied classroom techniques and reflective, meaningful moments with the students.