Or do I just think there is support for teaching them somewhere?

here's a common one: everybody else is.

some of the stories are awesome?

Yeah...there are some good ones, and some not so great.

I think a balance is usually the best way to go in most areas of life.

Sometimes it's difficult to find other literature...more and more is coming back from minorities of those periods. But still difficult.

but there are really good stories from contemporary times too. What do students benefit from reading that literature?

I think it depends on what you're looking at and why. In a history class, I would plan to use authentic lit from the period (if available

nd if it's engaging). But I do love YA lit too!!!

I'm including slave narratives for a two-week unit that I'm planning right now.

Okay, so for a history class, I can see how those genres would make sense.

there any reason why this material should be taught in an English class?

I know...I'm struggling w/ the concept of teaching those dead white guys for lit.

Shakespeare is interesting...but it meant to be seen and performed, not read.

Well my favorite book as a teen was David Copperfield. It brought me so much joy that I named my dog "Trinket." I found it on my own, not

at school. I loved so many "classic" books during that time. They enriched my life. I also read YA books and loved many of those.

Maybe I was strange, but I wasn't overly intellectual. I liked shopping and boys. I just think there is still a place to include these

books, and that kids are "up" to the challenge. I also loved Maya Angelou, Dickinson and so many others. Balance, balance.

By the way, my favorite part of Freshman English was reading "Romeo and Juliet." And last year the Shakespeare play was also my son's

favorite part of Freshman English.

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to love about Shakespeare! I've been in five different productions, and maybe that fuels my bias to

simply reading it. Or, maybe the problem is how Shakespeare was "done" when I was in school.

I was just an army brat, but reading those books made me want to travel and do brave things and try exotic foods. They helped me become

the person I am. I was the only one of 8 kids to go to college. I think those books inspired me to bigger things than was expected of me.

I have introduced many classic books and contemporary books to my son, and love seeing him enjoy them as I did.

Maybe I'm thinking too narrowly, or have think the classics is the problem. I want to know how we "teach" a love of reading.

I think choice has a lot to do with it. That we shouldn't teach one book to a whole class of students. I guess I thought maybe most students

don't like classical literature, but that doesn't seem to be it either. Why is balance important, why can't students read what they want?

And how do we encourage students who have always hated reading to find a book they want to read? Where do we start?

(by "don't like classical literature" I mean "can't relate" or "not YA" or "no YA protagonist")

I think you're right: the balance is difficult. I think you need to do a variety of things: one book for everyone to have class discussions

and several opportunities for students to choose their own books: particularly reluctant readers.

I think books with audio counterparts can be helpful for students who have difficulty reading too.

Personally, I think classical lit is best when it is involved in some sort of context. I can't imagine dealing w/ the Odyssey or the Iliad

at the HS level. I know people do it...but, that's probably also because those books don't really interest me either.

Why does there need to be a book that we read together as a class?

I always used to enjoy the large class discussions.

Well, in my class we have reading logs where they get to select, and then we also do book studies to intro "new" worlds to them.

I had a student who would only read picture books even tho he read very high. I love picture books, too, but encouraged him to try a few

chapter books. After studying them with the group, he went on to read the entire series. Now I'm trying to hook him on some books that

are a bit more advanced. Studying them together is a good way to try them out. Kinda like an appetizer when you want your child to eat

something besides peanut butter. Not that peanut butter is bad, but if they help prepare the other food, then sometimes they will try it

and enjoy it!

Of course at my level, the book studies offer the chance to get in to the history and culture, pictures and art from the era, etc.

I also try to offer a balance between narrative and expository. Some who don't like one, really get into the other.

Until I had a son, I wasn't very interested in expository books. Because of his enthusiasm I read so many with him, that I began to love

them to, even in my advanced age!

*too

I've also found that some students are absolutely overwhelmed when asked to choose what they want to read.

Each kid is so different that doing things one way (choose your own, all classics, all narrative, etc.) will leave a lot of kids out.

That's what I mean by balance. It is a bit messy at times!

honeymic: When you do book studies, does everyone in the class read the same book?

honeymic: and if so, how do you encourage the students who hate the book to read it anyway?

I teach grades 1-4, so it's hard to have them read the same book. We have a lot of schema, discussion, snacks, partner reading, and

reflection. Book club day has something for everyone, and is generally looked forward to as a special day.

We keep the books moving, and the students generally do have some input in what they are reading.

I try to promote an atmosphere where their opinions are taken seriously and the older groups get to run the discussions if they show me they

are ready.

Since we do it in class, they read it. The books they read at home are for reading logs and they choose them, although sometimes they ask

for suggestions, or their parents might as well.

I'm probably not helping you much since my kids are so much younger. But I'm glad my son is reading some of the classics in his

sophomore honors class.

mindelei: We'll have to talk theatre some day. My first degree was theatre and my hubby and I were each in about 25 plays in 5 years.

honeymic: thanks for the input, it is helpful even if the grades are far apart. 4th isn't that far from 6th

honeymic Although it's been a few years...my most was 18 plays in 12 months. I miss it...

bleckley Sixth grade is fun! For some reason, I was thinking you were talking HS. Do you guys have SSR in your school?

I'm not working in a school now, but I'd like to teach middle school.

The last middle school I taught in we did SSR for the first 5 to 10 minutes of English class.

That's pretty cool. There's a school up here that does 40 minutes per day. I think that is awesome.

It wasn't great because the classes were only 48 minutes, so SSR didn't work in that schedule too well if you had a lesson to teach too.

If you have a block schedule, then you can do a significant amount one day a week.

That can be hard...plus when it's such a short period, the kids can't really get into it.

I like the block schedule...didn't experience that until HS though (and I hear my school is getting rid of it because of MI new curriculum).