I came across this question a few weeks back in a group I'm a part of. It's not the first time I've heard the question. Definitely not the first time I've thought about the question myself. It's often brought up by a parent. It's a question every elementary reading teacher contends with at one time or another. The question was this: "I have a 4th grade student who is reading at a high school level. What should they be reading?"
These kids are in our classes every year. Gifted readers! They can literally read anything, or so it seems. So what reading material is best for them?
My first thought on this topic applies to all students, not just gifted students, but it most certainly applies here. They should be reading what they WANT to read. Guys, CHOICE is so, so, so important in growing lifelong readers. That doesn't mean you can't guide their choices or encourage them to stretch outside their comfort zone, but ultimately the choices should belong to the reader!
Secondly, and this goes hand-in-hand with the first point, just because they CAN read at a high school level, does that mean they MUST ALWAYS be reading at a high school level? (Is that even appropriate for a nine- or ten-year-old kid? No, of course it's not.) Should any reader be forced to always be reading at the very top of their ability? (Again, I say no.)
Think, for a moment, for me about the last book you read, the last book you CHOSE to read (because, presumably, no one is assigning you books to read anymore, yes?) The last book I read was, well...I read a lot of books written for 4th graders. Part of the job. (One of the parts I LOVE most, actually!) And even before I taught fourth graders, my self-selected texts often came from the Young Adult section. I would regularly say, "If it was written for a 15-year-old girl, I probably love it!" So... actual 'adult' authors that I enjoy, I've been known to enjoy a good Nicholas Sparks novel, maybe some Jodi Picoult, even a little Sophie Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic, c'mon!).
In general, I enjoy engaging stories that provide an escape from day to day life. Is that ok? Yes! Are any of these books written at the top of my reading ability? Nope. What would happen if they were? Honestly, I wouldn't choose to read. It would be completely exhausting and simply would not provide me with the enjoyment I get from reading now. I choose reading as an escape, as a hobby, as a form of entertainment. But because I read for all of these reasons, I am also more than capable of reading something that challenges me, of learning something new from my reading, of thinking about text and making new connections or drawing new conclusions. Because I am a reader!
When is the last time you walked into a bookstore and said, "Excuse me, can you please point me to the X, Y, Z level books. I am a sophisticated, adult reader, and those are the only books I read." NOOOO! No one does that! Why not? Because it is not what real, authentic readers do. We read what we choose to read, what we want to learn about, what entertains us, what interests us. And that is OK! Why is it not ok for our kids? And what are we doing when we tell them that every book they read has to be the most difficult book they are capable of reading on their own? What happens is this, we stop growing readers, and we start growing non-readers. And that...is a tragedy.
Last note on pushing students to their highest possible Guided Reading Level...then I promise to move along. Did you know that there are 10 factors taken into account when deciding a book's GRL? While 'Text Structure' and 'Sentence Complexity' are definitely considered, so are 'Content' and 'Themes and Ideas'. This is why a book with a relatively low readability may have a relatively high Guided Reading Level. For example, books like The Hunger Games or the new book Refugee have a reported fifth-grade readability (each a 5.3), but a Y-Z GRL. The text might not be so complicated itself, but the content and ideas are heavy and complicated. When you push elementary students to get to "level Z" as fast as possible, you are simultaneously pushing them to grapple with complex, adult concepts and ideas much sooner than they may be ready to process or before they have the background knowledge and experiences to understand. Consider whether that is your goal.
So (back on track), I do not want my students leaving my room shouting their Guided Reading Level as their reading identity. I want my students to walk out of my class and proclaim, "I am a READER!" I want them to be able to tell you all about their favorite book and their favorite characters and how books make them feel. I want them to describe their favorite genre and also maybe their least favorite (because they've tried different things). I want them to know how to tell if a book will be a good fit for them. I want them to understand that reading is more than word calling the words from a page. I want them to have the confidence to abandon a book that doesn't end up working for them and the stamina to get through books that do, even if they're long or challenging. I want my students to walk out of my classroom with a love for reading and learning and a passion to continue doing both. That is my goal!
To address those high-achieving readers, specifically, one more time - I read an article a while back. (I desperately wish I remembered where. If this sounds familiar, please tell me so I can give proper credit!) The author basically said that we should let our high readers read fiction appropriate for their age and provide them with non-fiction appropriate for their reading level. This is an outlook I can get behind. There is so much an elementary student can gain from fiction written for elementary students. Way beyond the abilities to read words, summarize, and make inferences. Students learn about life in these books! They learn about how to navigate friendships, that they're not alone in the world, that others have their same struggles. They also expand their world and learn about people and places they'd never otherwise know. They become more well-rounded human beings because of these stories. These are lessons that cannot be replaced! And then you can point them in the direction of a higher level non-fiction text. One where they can learn more informational items and intentionally continue to expand their already abundant reading skills. I think striving for this balance should be our goal for our highest achieving elementary readers.
So, how do we continuously grow readers? (Our high-level readers, and our low-level readers, and our mid-level readers...ALL of our readers!) We encourage choice. We help them find books they are passionate about. We give them the lessons and skills needed to continue reaching for that next step, and we encourage them to stretch themselves outside of their comfort zone from time to time. But, mostly, we let them read what they love. I'm in love with this particular Maya Angelou quote. Amen! If we can find one book you love, then we can find another...and another...and another. And before you know it we can transform a non-reader into a lifelong reader. How powerful is that?!💗 ~K.
