Pytash: Chapter 3

Choosing Which Books To Read

I really liked this chapter because it was very informative about deciding what types of books students should read during school and how many. I really enjoy reading and so it is often hard for me to choose just one book to read. This chapter made me think about what kinds of books I want to teach in my classroom. Personally, I prefer to read books rather than short stories. I think books allow me to get to know the characters better. I was really surprised when Jago said that she had her sophomore students reading twenty books. When I think back to my sophomore year in high school, I know I didn’t read nearly as many books as that. I liked that she had her students reading outside of class for their choice project. I also liked that she paired the choice reading project with literature circles. I know a lot of times when students are reading difficult texts on their own outside of class, it really helps to have a space where students can come back together to ask questions and discuss the text. This section made me excited that I will be able to choose the books that I want my students to read. I don’t know that I’ll have my students reading twenty books in a school year, but I am going to have them reading a lot.

One quote stood out to me in the reading in the empathy section. It said, “Literature allows for close, almost scientific analysis of individuals under duress” (Jago 52). I really liked this quote because I think it captures why a lot of people like to read. For me, I like to read because I like to see how characters handle complex situations. Overall, I found this chapter to be hugely informational as to what I should include and not include in my classroom.