Chapter 5 Creatively engaging readers in the later primary years

TEACHERS AS READERS

One significant omission from Pressley’s list of factors noted earlier, is the teacher’s attitude to reading and their knowledge and experience as readers. Studies of effective teachers of literacy show they are knowledgeable about children’s literature and teach reading in context (Hall, 2013; Medwell et al, 1998). Yet it is questionable whether primary professionals have sufficiently enriched repertoires to foster reader development (Cremin et al, 2008 a,b) and studies show teachers can constrain and limit children’s reader identities (Hall, 2012). Nonetheless research studies highlight an apparent continuity between Reading Teachers – teachers who read and readers who teach (Commeyras et al., 2003) and children as engaged and self-motivated readers. Such teachers model being readers and share their reading lives and strategies in order to build genuinely reciprocal reading relationships that support young, readers. They share explorations of texts with children, model the speculation, questions and responses that happen as they read and hook children into reading by reading books aloud, giving less able readers access to books they could not read independently. Reading Teachers are well enough informed to introduce children to new writers and genres and to select complex potent books for extended study.

Aware of their own reading preferences, habits, behaviours and strategies, Reading Teachers capitalize upon their own awareness of the social nature of reading, recognise the significance of readers’ rights and identities and successfully influence both children’s engagement as readers and the pleasure they derive from it (Cremin et al., 2014).In this study, they did not seek to foster imitation however - a do as I do frameset - rather they:
work[ed] to recognise diversity and difference. They encouraged children to develop their own preferences and practices as readers; readers who could choose what to read, and, where possible within the school day, when and where to read. In sharing their own identities as readers, the Reading Teachers came to consider the ways in which they framed and positioned young readers in school, and sought to offer new forms of participation and engagement.
(Cremin et al. 2014: 153)

As a consequence of teachers re-positioning themselves as readers in classrooms, and teaching ‘from a reader’s point of view’ as one teacher described it (Cremin et al, 2014 86), new reader relationships and networks developed between teachers and children and children and children. The role of ‘texts in common’ (which had ben read aloud and/or swapped) was evident, providing a focus for conversations and making connections. The teachers shared their reading identities, interests and preferences with children, who in turn were invited to reflect upon their own reading histories and habits, their likes and dislikes.

Activities which reflect a Reading Teacher stance deserve to be mapped into classroom practice on a regular basis so that insights about reading are not just offered to certain individuals, (e.g. the most able/ interested readers), but to the whole class. Such activities involve the teacher initially, then the class talking about the experience of being a reader and reflecting on their reading practices. They could include the following:

1. 
   Bringing in texts from childhood: This might also involve visiting an early years classroom to borrow their collection for an afternoon of pleasure, re-reading and related activities.
   

2. 
   Exploring and creating reading histories: Noting the wide range of texts encountered, and the people and places involved. Visuals from the internet could enable Powerpoints of these histories to be made and actual copies sourced from younger classrooms.
   

3. 
   Exploring reading diversity: this could involve doing a 24 hour read when all reading undertaken across 24 hours is collected and displayed - individually or as a class.
   

4. 
   Focusing on readers rights: This could connect to Daniel Pennac’s (2006) The Rights of the Reader wonderfully illustrated by Quentin Blake (see Walker website to download this) and might include examining the right to be silent- the right not to finish- the right to skip pages and so forth.
   

5. 
   Focusing on space, place and time for reading: This could involve teachers sharing where and when they like to read- at home, in the community- at work- on holiday and discussing whether the place influences the choice of reading material. Photos and displays could be created.