Jeffrey D. WilhelmRezensionen

This was okay, and the authors raised some worthwhile points, but I'm just not sure that I agreed with their overall assumptions.

I'm all for discussions on a book instead of meaningless busy work (it's how I choose to teach). I'm all for letting students have more choices when it comes to what they read. I'm all for removing plenty of boring "classics" from the curriculum.

But I kind of balk at the idea that kids always need to find school/learning "fun" or that all learning needs to be immediately applicable to a student's life outside of school - let alone that teachers need to specifically aim for this in everything. I believe that part (not all) of high school is preparation for life after school, and so it's a time for students to "practice" doing things they don't like just because they have to do them (like most adults working any sort of job), and taking a long-term view of things - having the patience and persistence to work at something without seeing immediate results (a skill that will come in handy in many facets of life).

A couple other notes:
- There were a ton of typos, which was frustrating - not to mention ironic in a book about English education.
- The chapters felt really long.
- There was a small amount of profanity in direct quotes from students.
- There were a couple spoilers. I specifically remember seeing one for The Sixth Sense.
- Students were quoted more or less verbatim, complete with lots of ums, likes, and incomplete/run-on sentences. This was really obnoxious to read, and proved that the grammar side of English should probably get more classroom time than the literature analysis that the authors care about. Students would certainly be able to implement grammar in their lives immediately!

There are some interesting strategies here, especially SRI (symbolic reader response). Wilhelm focuses on visualization strategies including art and drama, but does not address problems with decoding. I have already implemented a couple of these ideas in my classroom with some degree of success.

The authors conducted a study of boys and reading, focusing on a racially diverse group of 49 boys and tracking their reading interests and reactions. Although research on boys and literacy has highlighted general themes, the authors caution that individuality must be taken into account. They found the following "flow experiences" as key to inspiring/maintaining boys' interest in reading: a sense of control (provide choice!) and competence (suggest teachers frontload info before a reading, create relevance), challenge, clear goals and feedback (suggest creating displays, projects) and a focus on the immediate experience (social relationship with characters, engaging materials). They stress the importance of teachers rethinking they way they teach English/reading based on their study.

world literature, english 10, textbook

While this is a book I read as a teacher candidate, it is one that I will never let leave my sight. I cannot stop recommending it to fellow teachers. Wilhelm, a veteran teacher, delves into a year of research on what it means to be a reader. What do good readers do that unengaged readers do not? He follows nine students who represent the spectrum of readers that he often encounters. The reader is led on a journey through the year and is able to see how Wilhelm works to get those students who are disengaged, engaged. His philosophy aligns with many teachers' today (myself included). His recommended activities connect with visual, and auditory learners by incorporating drama and art heavily into the curriculum. His actions as a teacher researcher are admirable, and the results seemed both realistic and positive. Learning about research from inside the classroom has suddenly become more beneficial than any article I have read as a teacher candidate. His words help to give teachers a voice that sometimes gets silenced by the outside politics and policies.

For teachers or parents out there who are struggling to get their kid to read - get this book! Wilhelm has spent years researching the best methods for engaging struggling readers with books, and for helping engaged readers find even more meaningful ways of connecting with stories, novels, and other texts. "You Gotta BE the Book" gives a fairly good overview of why struggling readers don't like reading, what's preventing them from enjoying books, and how to fix it. It also presents some simple activities that are incredibly effective at helping kids enjoy and make meaning from what they read.

As teachers, it is our responsibility to help struggling students over obstacles. This book isn't just for English teachers, though it definitely has more relevance to them than to any other subject; however, if you teach reading at all in your classroom, Wilhelm's ideas about reading activities and the struggle of low-level readers are definitely worth checking out. I found this book accessible, enjoyable, and incredibly useful in understanding the problems that many students go through and the ways we can help them overcome those problems.

Some of the ideas seem very simple or common-sense, but it's nice to be reminded of what may help students. I especially liked Wilhelm's ideas of using drama and art to respond to a text, instead of the more common question-and-answer or essay approach. I think that all of the activities he presents are practical and easy to implement in the classroom. Read this one! It's worth it.

Recommended by teachers involved with Club Bili, a boys reading group in an Alexandria middle school. Reports on their research with adolescent boys, finding that they would respond to inquiry-based instruction (where the students used their texts to get an answer to a problem), having choice, and being allowed to be social (working in groups). Raises a lot of ideas and concerns about how to better educate and why today's educators often don't engage students.

Highly recommended awesome resource for teaching reading to struggling/resistant readers.

Teaching Literature

Like, Dude, you gotta BE the book. Dig?