Professional Reading

Sarah Herman
TCH_LRN 322
October 21st, 2016
Why I chose the book:

The Book I read is titled The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell. The reason in which is

selected this book originally is because it was one of the books I could find for free online, and I

could not afford to buy another text book. However, what made it stand out to me out of the free

ones I could find online, was I really wanted to know what the reading zone was. I made

assumptions before reading through the pages and was satisfied when I realized my assumptions

were correct.

Summary:

The book I selected is titled The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell. This textbook

focuses on the ways in which the effects of reading workshops can help strengthen students as

individual readers as they step inside the readers zone and find themselves being the character of

the books in front of them.

Chapter One is titled The Personal Art this chapter begins by focusing on the silence of

the students in the room during a reading workshop and discusses the challenging books in

which the seventh and eighth graders have selected themselves with the helpful guide of the

teacher. This is put in place in order to help the students find books in which they connect with

so that they can become skilled, passionate, habitual, critical reader (p. 12). It is a teachers job

to provide their student with mass amount of books so that they can choose a book that strikes

their interest and then encourages them to read more. Therefore, if the children are selecting their

own books in the readers workshop it is averaged that in a high-cap classroom over 40 titles can

be read in a readers workshop experience. This is something that many find daunting however,

due to the fact that it is not a pencil and paper workshop, however it is also not S.S.R. like many
believe it to be. However, if the student is provided the proper instruction during a readers

workshop it can be the most beneficial way to allow students to love reading.

Chapter Two is titled Reading in the Zone. This chapter focuses on the different levels

of readers that these seventh and eighth graders enter the authors classroom at. However, by

November they all reach a point called the zone (p. 21). Basically what the zone means is the

reading state in which a child is fully enriched in the text in front of them. She asked the students

to discuss ways in which they can get into the zone, and said that she was happy to hear that a lot

of the students found benefits in her nightly homework of reading for 30 minutes. The ways in

which she checked is she records the pages of the students during the workshop and if the

student is not at least 20 pages ahead of where they were the last time she checked, then the

student cannot be recorded for completed homework. Her students understood the importance to

be quiet and comfortable in order to allow them to feel as though they are in the zone, either

playing the role of the main character, or the role of the characters best friend.

Chapter 3 is titled Choice. This chapter focuses on the need to allow students to select

their own books. Something that stood out to me in this chapter was the mention of how there

needs to be at least 20 books available for each student. As the teacher, the author made it clear

that when she goes book shopping to update her library she keeps direct students in mind. She

also mentions how the students react to her selecting books that she believes will interest them.

Although she doesnt have the time to read every book she will ask students to preview the book

and talk to her about it so that she could later reference the book to someone else who will enjoy

it.

Chapter 4 is titled Ease. The main focus of this chapter is to allow reading to be taught

with ease rather than cramming students with information that can overwhelm their reading
experience. She mentioned how many times teachers teach one book at a time and break it down

so much that it makes students not enjoy the book. She then discussed how she believes a

classroom library needs to be organized in a way that is inviting for students. Something she does

that invites students is she allows students to pick books that go on her display as the books we

love portion of her classroom library where the students can see the images. Another factor that

goes into the ease of reading is allowing the students to have easy access to bringing the books

home. At CTL they have special book backpacks in which they are able to carry the books from

home and back to school. To continue to allow the child to enjoy the book it is important that a

teacher does not include busywork along with the books that they are bringing home for their

thirty minutes of reading.

Chapter 5 is entitled Comprehension. The author begins by telling a story about when

she focused everything she has taught about comprehension on the seven approaches. She said

that it felt as though it was successful for three weeks, however, with time, the student was not

able to reach their zone anymore while reading and it ended up creating a rebellious approach

against reading within her classroom. Much of the concern today when teaching reading is that

the students are not focused on loving literature, yet they are focusing on discovering main points

even if they are not focusing on the main connection they feel to the book. She believes that if

you make students aware of comprehension they will work with a book in which they find a

connection and they can then become stronger readers utilizing these skills when necessary.

Chapter 6 is titled Booktalking. Booktalks are what the students saw as the most

important factor when it comes to indulging in good books. A booktalk is when the teacher or

students mention what the books are strengthening the opportunity that the child can find a book

in which they connect with, or be able to speak passionately about a book they have already read
in order to pass it on. This way students find connections to books, but the teacher is also able to

share the love of books they have.

Chapter 7 is titled One-to-One. This chapter takes away from the tension of teaching

and focuses on how a student can take more from a one on one conversation in which each

student is able to talk with the teacher about how reading is going. The students then did letter

exchanges with the teacher as well as their peers in which they were able to discuss their reading

experience. The students may write in the middle of their reading process, however, it was noted

that the best responses came after a student finished a book. With this the students have the

ability to write about reading which helps enhance the experience of their connection from the

books. Another thing is reading conferences. Rather than asking what the book was about

however, and receiving a summary, the author asked her students to describe how they were

feeling throughout the process. This allowed more insightful conversation between the student

and the teacher.

Chapter 8 is titled Boys. In the beginning of the chapter it discusses how the success

rates of boys in school is declining. The author believes it to be due to the fact that textbooks are

reaching out more to the female gender now a day, and with such a female dominated profession

it is more likely that the classroom libraries are filled with girlier materials in which boys do

not feel as inclined to read. She notes one of her students however that found a passion for

writing because he was able to write about the things in which he was passionate about. Because

he indulged himself in writing and literature it allowed him to venture out of his clich stereotype

and find books that he loved and took so much from. The author puts a lot of emphasis on saying

it is okay to label books girls choices and boys choices however, it is not okay to say that

those books are gender specific. This will allow the boys who feel as though they need to fit the
stereotype to find something that suits them, but then there are other options that may reach out

to the individual and be more fitting somewhere else in the libraries.

Chapter 9 is titled High School. This starts out with how students now a days feel as

though they are too busy to keep up with the reading techniques in which she has enforced

within her classroom. This chapter is her plea to ignore secondary reading techniques and allow

students to venture off on pleasure reading so that a student does not find themselves in a status

in which they are not enjoying reading anymore. Many of the students in high school now a days

feel as though this reading zone in which they learned to create has been simply squashed due to

the English curriculum that is being enforced and labeled within the classroom. Although the

author recognizes that there may not be as much time now a days in the classroom since they

have moved onto higher grade levels she still suggests that there is at least one class period in

which the students can do book talks, or focus on books for the love of reading, not the love of

completing a standard.

Chapter 10 is titled practicalities In the beginning of this chapter it focuses on the time

crunch in which teachers feel. The author discusses the importance of reading and writing

workshops but acknowledges that once you approach the middle grades it is hard to a lot for the

amount of time in which is needed. She then mentions keeping reading folders that travel with

the student through the school so that when it comes time to assessment they can be used for

valuable data. For assessment she mentions how there is a lot of self evaluation, as during a

reading workshop it is the students job to decide just how much they are going to put into the

book, and what they are taking from it with every turn of the page or decision to move on to a

different book. Students also evaluate themselves through portfolios that they present to the

teacher and their parents during student led conferences. Another thing she does is she builds a
relationship with the parents. She says that is the most beneficial way to make sure reading isnt

just happening at school, but at home also due to the group of adults willing to help the student in

their reading adventures.

Critique:

This book was intriguing and possibly one of the most insightful professional texts I have

laid my hands on since joining the program. Although I was weary about how I was going to

finish a whole textbook within a week, it actually only took me a few hours to sit down and read

through Nancy Atwells insightful words!

The first thing I read that I did not connect with was the idea that she does not read every

book in her library (p. 32). Although I understand there are time constraints, as a teacher

providing books for the students I think it is their responsibility to know what they are providing.

She mentioned how some of her students parents were not okay with the material that they were

reading, I think that as the teacher she should have an idea of how the parents would react.

Therefore, the child should not have had even read the book that the parent was upset about.

Although I understand that this is not possible to monitor 30 students and their book selections,

knowing children who come from strict backgrounds you should at least be aware of the books

that may allow students parents to cause upset.

Although I did find a strong connection and a lot of useful tools through out her textbook

there were a few things that stood out to me as strange. The first thing that stood out to me was

her chapter 8, titled Boys. Although I think she can agree with me when it comes to how off

putting it was to see gender stereotyping blatantly on the page, I think this is something that she

should have focused on a little more within her classroom. Something I did not appreciate about
this chapter was how she described a boy type of boy. I thought it was interesting however,

that she used the stereotypes in which are mentioned such as boys find it difficult to imagine

fictional worlds. or boys are unable to engage with writing that describes complex emotions

and relationships (p. 95), and took those observations with her to what she had described as her

most masculine student and said that she did not see the overlap. I would agree. I have a brother,

who hunts and fishes, but if you put him in front of a chick flick type movie he is engrossed in

it. Although it may not have been by choice, I think if you would put anyone in the hands of a

good book whether its a romance or not, its going to be what the student takes out of it, not the

connection of whether or not they wear camo, and ride four wheelers, so obviously they can only

read about those things.

Another critique I have found was in Chapter 9, High School. The author begins by

talking about how high school focuses on English class, rather than finding a joy for reading. She

says that her students once reaching high school do not find their way back to the zone, to

frequent, voluminous experiences with books [until] after they graduate from high school (p.

107). The reason in which I wanted to discuss this is I believe that is 100% dependant upon what

type of student you are. For instance, her students that were reading up to 60 titles during reading

workshop, are more likely to then go into advanced placement courses in which they focus on

literature. Then depending on who that student is they can take a book that is assigned to them

(sadly) and find their way into the zone. As a past AP student, I know that I found many of my

favorite books in high school during my English courses. Although I was bummed at first that it

was another assigned reading I found so many of my favorite titles such as The Great Gatsby,

1984, and Kite Runner books in which I most likely would have never selected if it were not

due to these courses. No matter if the student is finding it hard to connect to the book, the
student would not give up the reading skills in which they have learned unless that was their own

decision, not the schools. Although in high school you are meant to pick through the books and

can not just focus on actually reading it, the titles in which they pick allow for a lot of extra

insight into the reading world that I believe should not be ignored.

Although I cannot find a lot that I disagree with this book, I think the author was very

insightful and creditable to what she was saying. I think that it is important to build up the love

of what a child is reading, and that if a child learns to love reading while they are younger that it

is more likely to carry with them throughout their reading experience. I think it is important that

teachers allow students to have some free choice in reading, but for the most part school is

school. I like how in our current course, we have choice in our reading within limits. For

instance, our disability reading unit we are provided with a list of books in which we can select

from. This is important because it is not telling a student to just select a book, but at the same

time it is giving them the freedom to chose a book and if they do not like it to be able to

reference the list and find a book that is more suiting but still beneficial to what is happening

within the course.

Overall, I think that this textbook would be a good use for teachers learning about

incorporating reading into the classroom. I think it served the purpose for this assignment but

could also be used further so that future teachers can learn about the benefits of allowing students

to find pleasure in reading, as well as creating an atmosphere in which they are able to reach that

level.
Reflection on what I have learned:

While reading this textbook I think I gained a lot of new insight into my future of

teaching. There was not a single page that did not allow me to think new thoughts about how I

was going to apply reading into my future classroom, even in a younger grade.

One thing that really stood out to me was the idea of making sure you have at least 20

books for every student (p. 31). I think this is something to consider because a lot of the time we

are told that we need x amount of books for the classroom, but Atwell mentions the importance

of having 20 books per student, that when they are selected that student is in mind. If the students

have 20 titles that are specifically picked out for their liking it is likely that there is at least 20

more on the shelf for them to pick out. This would be such a beneficial move for the classroom

library as well as classroom reading. Another thing that stood out to me, when she was talking

about book selection for their students, was how the teacher selected those books. I thought it

was interesting how when she shopped for books sometimes she would consider a specific

student. This is something I learned because I think it is an easy way to allow students to learn to

love reading. If a teacher were to show a student a new book and mention how they picked it out

with said student in mind it will allow the student to feel as though they are being respected by

their teacher and important to the teacher.

Another thing that I learned from reading this book was how she organizes the library. I

think that a lot of teachers organize based off of reading level. When it comes to teachers

selecting books for the students I think it would be more beneficial to have them based off of

reading levels. This way the teacher could select the book that they find appropriate for the

reader. However, that goes against the whole idea of this textbook! I think it is beneficial that the

students are in selection of what they are reading! Therefore, why not design your classroom
library for your students? That is exactly what Nancie Atwell did! I loved how she designed her

classroom library based off of topics. Students will connect with a genre or topic, and then be

able to select books off of the shelf that corresponds to what they want. Within the textbook,

Atwell mentions how she also has a books we love shelf for every grade (p. 33). I think this is

a fun way that not only the teacher can be aware of the popular books in her classroom but

students can also make note of what books other have suggested leading them to read the book as

well.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the textbook and was made clear that it was very beneficial

to my future teaching career. Something I enjoyed was the way in which she addressed all the

different grades as the students evolve in their own reading career. Reading does not stop when a

student leaves school.

Bibliography:
Atwell, N. (2007). The reading zone: How to help kids become skilled, passionate, habitual,
critical readers. New York, NY: Scholastic.