In the book, “Sometimes Reading is Hard” by Robin Bright, the author discusses some strategies that a teacher can use to help a student develop a love for reading. One of her top 3 suggestions is to have your students complete a reading interest survey. Bright (2021) says this about surveys, “Finding out what book each student will gush over is one of the most important things that you can do to support interest in reading. Perhaps the most common tool for finding out is the reading interest survey. A well-written survey can open a window on the topics, subjects, issues, and questions that matter to your students. Surveys provide general and specific information about students’ reading interests and can be modified to provide oral or written feedback.” I agree with Bright. A reading interest survey can be a safe, easy way to get to know my students at the beginning of each year. I already plan on doing an “All About Me” type activity in September, so why not include a little questionnaire about their reading interests? Bright suggests the following questions, although question #6 has been adapted for my situation.
1. How do you feel about reading? Tell me about it.
I really enjoy reading. I prefer to read a book than watch a movie because books allow me into the thoughts and motivations of a character. Unfortunately, my life has become too full for me to read for pleasure, so I’ve now become an avid audio book listener. When I drive or clean my home, I regularly have an audio book playing in the background. This has been an excellent way for me to continue “reading” during this busy time of my life.
2. What types of books do you like to read?
First and foremost, the book must have a happy ending! I regularly read the last few pages of a book prior to beginning the book to ensure it has a happy ending. Secondly, I prefer a light read without heavy topics. Life is too heavy sometimes as is, I don’t need to dive into someone else’s “heavy;” I have enough of my own. My books all need a love interest and a bit of adventure but must be clean. I do not like swearing or intimate love scenes. It needs to be a book that I would feel comfortable if my children picked it up and flipped through it. And…….. it can’t be too detailed. Sometimes authors, like Nicholas Sparks, spend too much time describing the scene, telling me all about the paint chips on the fence, the overgrown rose bush in the corner of the yard and everything else in painful detail. I often scan over those parts or put the book down because it was too slow moving. I particularly enjoy dystopian books (ie: “Divergent”) and animal books (ie: “Shiloh” and “War Horse”).
3. List some hobbies and things you like to do outside of school.
I love animals, sports (mostly basketball), and adventuring in the mountains.
4. Who are your favourite authors?
Honestly, I have no favourite authors. I’ll give anyone a shot! That being said, I have read numerous books by Nicholas Sparks (I love a good, clean romance story), Robert Munsch (Canadian AND funny?! I’m in!), Julianne Donaldson (think old fashioned, proper, romance) and Keira Cass (quick, fun reads).
5. Tell me a bit about the last book you read that you really enjoyed.
In the last month, I’ve listened to “Briarheart” (a spin off of Sleeping Beauty) which I quite enjoyed. I also listened to “House of Marionne” (a fantasy book) but didn’t enjoy it as much because the characters were a bit flat. I’ve also listened to “The Hatchet” and “Pippy Longstocking” as I had never read those as a child and felt like I was missing something important in my life. I enjoyed “The Hatchet” and could see myself reading it to my class in the future. One of my resolutions this year was to become more familiar with popular, classic children’s literature. So that’s mostly what I’ve been reading. Next on my list is “The Wizard of Oz,” “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” and “The One and Only Ivan.” I’m hoping to have a little wander through the District Resource Center in the near future to get some more ideas of books that other teachers are using in their classroooms.
Tell me a bit about what you have been doing since last semester during your winter break. How have you been spending your time?
I coach basketball from November until mid-February. So, I’ve been very busy doing that, along with working, and being a Mom. I also got to visit Las Vegas in early January for my first time, which was a lot of fun. I love to snowmobile and be outside.
What subjects or topics do you like learning about?
My favourite school subject is Social Studies. I also enjoy biology and earth sciences. If we’re talking about topics outside of school, I enjoy learning about animals, adventures, and people overcoming challenges. I don’t enjoy when any of the topics get too heavy, however, as I internalize it, and it can consume my life.
If you could read a book about one thing, what would that be?
One thing? That’s tricky. I think my favourite books are dystopian books with strong female leads. You know, books like “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” and “The Giver” are all great books. I almost said that I would want to read a true story, because those are my favorite types of movies, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a true story book that I’ve loved. Usually they start out too sad. My favourite movies are all underdog, sports type movies (think “Remember the Titans,” “The Blind Side,” and “Top Gun”), so maybe I should give a book like that a try. Now if only I had a good teacher who could read this survey and point me in the direction of a book like this…. haha. Maybe this Pinterest pin will help me find one (good ol’ Pinterest, always to the rescue).
After the Survey
Once a student has completed the survey, Bright (2021) suggests, “Have a good look at the responses you get from students on the reading interest survey. Then ask yourself, How can this new information inform my teaching of reading? If you need ideas for books to match students’ interests, ask for advice from your fellow teachers, the school librarian, and booksellers. Consider sending an email to your students with a personal message with your suggestions. Within the first week of class, I read the students’ surveys and send each of them an email with book suggestions based on what they tell me. There is no better way for me to get to know each student, start the relationship on a good footing, and encourage the reading habit at the same time.”
I look forward to incorporating Bright’s reading survey into my teaching practice. I am completely “sold” on the belief that this survey will help me meet the reading needs of my students.
Source: Bright, R. (2021). Sometimes Reading is Hard. Pembroke Publishers Ltd.