Just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean you can’t still give your students meaningful gifts. In fact, bestowing the love of reading is a gift that can be given at anytime.
A good book can take your children anywhere: Within a matter of pages your students can be exploring ancient Egypt, sailing on the Mayflower, discovering buried treasure, or solving crimes with London’s most famous detective. Reading not only opens the minds of your students, but it also increases their general desire to learn. Students who read more, for the most part, get more out of their education. Good literature also encourages good writing, which has its own benefits for your students and their futures.
Unfortunately, developing a love of reading in your students can often be more difficult than simply handing them a good piece of literature. While some students are naturally inclined to read, others need more encouragement. Students who see reading solely as a part of their education will have a hard time viewing this hobby as a fun activity. Talk with your students about their interests and help them find a book that fits their style. Reading is a very personal activity, and not every child will enjoy learning about the same thing. Some students might love biographies of famous people, while others enjoy the intriguing world of science fiction. Encourage your students to try different writing styles (poetry, prose, novels, and plays) and authors (Dickens, Dante, Shakespeare, and Tolkien). Give them the freedom to browse and explore, and let them know that they don’t have to enjoy or even finish every book they choice to read for leisure.
While students’ school literature curriculum may not be negotiable, their past-time reading should be. Helping your students find at least one style, author, or genre of literature that sparks their interests will pay dividends in the long run. If your students don’t like to read, they just haven’t found the right book yet. Help them on this path of discovery!
Having trouble coming up with book ideas to help get your student started? Here is a short list of literature genres and book examples.
Action Adventure
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Treasure Island
The Iliad and the Odyssey
Fantasy
Brave New World
Chronicles of Narnia
Grimm’s Fairy-tales
Mystery
The Nancy Drew series
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
The Maltese Falcon
Western
True Grit
Old Yeller
Where the Red Fern Grows
