The Research Matters

Okay, so Daniels and Zemelman talked a lot about reading in Subjects Matter. Which only makes sense. It IS a book about getting kids excited about and engaged with content-area reading. The authors discuss strategies for engaging students and enacting real learning, things that every teacher worth their salt wants to achieve.

But this guidance and information about teaching and supporting students in their academic achievement has not been arrived at arbitrarily. Rather, it is based on actual research that shows that connecting with students on a personal level, allowing them choices in what they read, and providing them with concrete and effective support are all immeasurably valuable in getting them to read, but more importantly, to understand. Because what is reading without understanding? Just another pointless exercise that may cause some short-term learning, but has no significant impact on real learning in the long run.

Daniels and Zemelman break down the big takeaways from reading research into two sections: what students read and how they are taught to read it. They emphasize the importance of variety in reading materials, variety in difficulty of texts, and the amount of reading students do, among other things. On the teaching side of things, they discuss the importance of teachers modeling good reading habits and encouraging students to discuss what they are reading.

I agree with all the assertions that they make, but there is one major thing that I’m worried about when it comes to teaching students how to engage in meaningful reading. That particular concern deals with students with a low sense of self-efficacy. How do we help students who label themselves as “bad readers” or just don’t like to read? These students will, of course, require more of our attention than their more confident peers. But will they ever be comfortable with or enjoy reading even if we constantly challenge and support them? What if they’re just not willing? I suppose this is a question that can be asked regarding many aspects of teaching. I think that part of the answer is that we, as educators, must be the ones who are willing to reach out to those students who struggle and try to help them academically, personally, and socially.

I hope that the ten conclusions taken from reading research that Daniels and Zemelman outline at the end of their book are things that I will be mindful of as I enter the teaching profession. They are clearly all very important and have real research to back up their importance. I hope that, if nothing else, I will be able to keep my students engaged with history and the reading attached to its study. Many students write off history as boring or a waste of time. I hope to show them that with the right approach and the right reading materials, history can be an endlessly fascinating subject that has more connections to our everyday lives than most people think. Really what I want to do is pass on my love of something that I have loved for so long.