Teachers As Readers: Promoting the Joy of Reading to Students

by

“My seventh graders will love this book!”

“Do you think spirit bears are real?”

“I liked the voice of the main character but was the problem solved in a realistic manner?”

These are some of the discussions heard as my Teachers As Readers (TAR) group meets, sipping a glass of wine and discussing the latest book we have read. Teaching children to read isn’t just about spelling and grammar. Sharing the joy of reading should be a huge part of what we do as teachers. One of the most pleasant ways for teachers to become familiar with good books is to read to them! And what better way than by forming a TAR group in your school. Teachers As Readers are book groups that meet, on a social basis, to read and discuss Young Adult (YA) novels.

Sandy Buyze and Grace Morgan decide which title their YA book group will read next.

As a writer, I loved joining my book group because it made me a much more critical reader. Now I have to analyze why I like a story or what I didn’t like about a character. Gayla Clark is an educator who has been instrumental in starting up TAR groups for 16 years. “I like to stretch my mind,” she says, “to read books I would never have chosen on my own and hearing diverse interpretations of them. The social aspect is also rewarding.”

A TAR group can meet in any comfortable setting: your local children’s book store, a library meeting room, a member’s home, even a restaurant or a quiet corner in a cozy pub. Start by inviting teachers in your school or from across your district. Invite a public librarian, parents, a local bookseller. Having up to ten or twelve members is great since not all of them will make it to each meeting.

Alexa Parker teaches children’s literature and belongs to a TAR group. “I like the range of people in the group,” she says. “Some are teachers, some are retired, some are librarians but all of us love to read YA novels.” Belonging to a TAR group has affected her reading in a positive manner. “I pay more attention to style and plot. I mark sections I want to discuss during our meetings.”

Set a meeting day and time that best suits most people. This can be shortly after school or during the evening. Most TAR groups meet once a month. Next, decide on titles to read. You will need access to 10 or 12 copies of the same book so select titles that are readily available in libraries or can be ordered in paperback. Ask teacher/librarians for recommended titles. These can come from Best Books for Kids & Teens catalogue (Canadian Children’s Book Centre), Red Cedar lists and other award-winning lists such as ALA and Newbery. Select six to ten titles—one for each of the next six to ten months.

TAR group members agree that they are better equipped to recommend books to their students. Reading and discussing YA novels gives teachers an understanding of what is out there and helps them discover titles and authors that their students will be interested in.

Sharing the joy of a book is contagious. And once your students are hooked on good books, the sky is the limit!

Starting a TAR Group

  • Invite about 10 others, including teachers, librarians, parents, any booklovers.
  • Select a comfortable meeting place.
  • Set a monthly meeting day and time.
  • Decide mutually on titles to read for the next several months.
  • Set guidelines for listening and discussion skills.
  • Read and enjoy!
Resources

Teachers As Readers starter kit with video, IRA (http://marketplace.reading.org)

Find Recommended Titles Here

www.bookcentre.ca/publications/best_books_for_kids_and_teens/2009

www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/09bbya.cfm

www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm

Recommended YA Novels

After River by Donna Milner

Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson

Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby

Cages by Peg Kehret

Chanda’s Wars by Allan Stratton

Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane by Polly Horvath

Daughter of War by Marsha Skrypuch

Dooley Takes The Fall by Norah McClintock

Flood by James Heneghan.

Gotcha by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Gravity Journal by Gail Sidonie Sobat

Grist by Heather Waldorf Haddix

Hubcaps and Puppies by Rosemary Nelson

I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven

Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson

Jesse’s Star by Ellen Schwartz

Keturah & Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Little Brother by Corey Doctorow

Log Jam by Monica Hughes

Mountain Girl/River Girl by Ting-Xing Ye

No Fixed Address by Maureen Bayless

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Surviving The Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan

The Baby Project by Sarah Ellis

The Blue Helmet by William Bell

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

The Droughtlanders: Book One in Triskelia Series by Carrie Mac

The End of the World as We Know It by Lesley Choyce

The Freedom of Jenny by Julie Burtinshaw

The Smell of Paint by Sheryl McFarlane

The Song of Kahunsha by Anosh Irani

The Space Between by Don Aker

The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi

The Warrior’s Daughter by Holly Bennett

Throwaway Daughter by Ting-Xing Ye and William Bell

Torn Away by James Heneghan

Tweaked by Kathryn Holubitsky

Voices by Eric Walters & Deborah Ellis

What’s a Serious Detective Like Me Doing in Such a Silly Movie? by Linda Bailey

Witch’s Fang by Heather Kellerhals-Stewart

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margriet Ruurs 
Margriet Ruurs is the author of 28 books for children. She conducts author presentations in schools around the country. MARGRIETRUURS.COM


This article is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s March 2010 issue.

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