Should students choose what they like to read in class?

pandandesign

pandandesign

Legacy Member
I remember one of my English teachers in college offered students to choose what they like to read for the class assignment. There were 200 books in the reading list in which all the students gathered, then the professor asked all the students to pick the top 100 books. Then each student would pick 1 book to read from the list that we have gathered. I think it was a better idea rather having the professor picked the book for us to read. We would have the choice to read our favorite book and ask questions about the book we have chosen. Do you think students should pick their favorite book to read for class rather than the one that the teacher picks for them?
 
Personally, I think that for me as long it was considered an assignment to read, I never truly enjoy it. When I was in school, I chose to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and it was such a drag. I had to keep pushing myself to read it. Even when I had the choice to pick any book I wanted, I still didn't enjoy it as much. But a couple of years later, I did read it again and really enjoyed myself.
But I do think that it is still better for the students to pick their readings.
 
pandandesign said:
I remember one of my English teachers in college offered students to choose what they like to read for the class assignment. There were 200 books in the reading list in which all the students gathered, then the professor asked all the students to pick the top 100 books. Then each student would pick 1 book to read from the list that we have gathered. I think it was a better idea rather having the professor picked the book for us to read. We would have the choice to read our favorite book and ask questions about the book we have chosen. Do you think students should pick their favorite book to read for class rather than the one that the teacher picks for them?
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Good idea. But shouldn't the students also be given at least a brief introduction/summary of the selection of books? It could turn out to be tedious but pretty important in the long run...

Just my opinion.
 
Qraqq said:
Good idea. But shouldn't the students also be given at least a brief introduction/summary of the selection of books? It could turn out to be tedious but pretty important in the long run...

Just my opinion.
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True. That's something that I've never thought about. And how would the lectures be conducted supposing the students all had different books? Yes, it's for an assignment but I'm not sure how much you would get out of it.
 
There need to be a combination of assigned and literature and student selected books. This way young people can learn to develop a love for books by finding out what interest them. At the same time they are exposed to the classics.
 
I think students could choose what they like to read in class, that is, if it is based with their current learning level. When you're in 8th grade, you can't read The Little Prince (though it's an awesome good). You should be reading intelligent books such as Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or Macbeth by Shakespeare.

Students should read books that can improve their learning ability and knowledge. They shouldn't read books that won't be beneficial in becoming more creative or intelligent.
 
I think it's a good practice to let your students get to choose what they like to read. School becomes boring because it sometimes feels like everything is being forced onto you. This is also the reason why some people find college to be more exciting than high school because in college, you get to choose the course that you really like.
 
I absolutely believe that students should have some say in what they read. I loved reading as a child. When I entered high school, this changed; being assigned to read certain books, and with no freedom to deviate from the syllabus, was really stifling and not particularly enjoyable.

I do believe that some of the classics, such as The Scarlet Letter and The Canterbury Tales, are too important to be left out. But otherwise, it seems to me a good idea to allow students to make the ultimate decisions--with the guidance of the teacher of course. For instance, if a class is supposed to cover a certain time period, a teacher could select the major works of the time, but then allow the class to pick and choose what most appeals to them. I think this would be a great idea, and students could really look forward to reading and discussing the classroom texts!
 
It's a proven fact that forced reading doesn't make students read more or develop an interest in reading so offering a choice makes them more invested since they project the reading as their choice. Because most will choose different books, when the time comes to share impressions, some may like another book when hearing about it, a further encouragement for reading. An awesome idea and a good teacher!
 
I think each student should be able to read books that are within their reading level. My son is in 5th grade and is reading high school level books. He likes the challenge and for every test he takes on the AR program, he gets them all correct. The bad thing about this is that he never has interest in the class reading lectures. He falls asleep.

My first grade daughter really has no interest in reading because she hates the fact that she gets graded on reading and comprehension. She will just write anything down just to get away from what she has no interest in.
 
I teach high school English and in my class, my students get to vote on what they would like to read for the weekend. I post 5 options on the board; and everyday they can vote on which book they should read during the weekend. Then at the start of the school week, they are to pass a short essay on what they think about the book. It's a way to exercise democracy and free will. It also gives them the freedom to chose what type of literature they would like to learn. I found it very effective and a sure way to solicit opinion and class participation.
 
Students should choose what they like to read. This is something I like to agree with, but it's not practical in a classroom setting. In the first place, not all students like reading, and not all students who like to read like to read the same material. This means not all the students in the classroom would be able to read the things they like to read, and this could ruin the entire point of the "freedom" in itself. This is why I've always thought Literature class should also feature students actually analyzing the things they themselves read, with the teacher supervising them and teaching them ways on critiquing the book.

Maybe a better way of doing this is if the teacher provides a list of books that could be chosen by the students, with a book focusing on a specific genre. This way, if a student doesn't like the book but is interested in the genre, he or she would be more keen on trying to read the thing itself. While they wouldn't be able to discuss the books in general, because there's a list, teachers are more capable of helping students understand the choices of books they had chosen.
 
I a
skywatcher said:
Students should choose what they like to read. This is something I like to agree with, but it's not practical in a classroom setting. In the first place, not all students like reading, and not all students who like to read like to read the same material. This means not all the students in the classroom would be able to read the things they like to read, and this could ruin the entire point of the "freedom" in itself. This is why I've always thought Literature class should also feature students actually analyzing the things they themselves read, with the teacher supervising them and teaching them ways on critiquing the book.

Maybe a better way of doing this is if the teacher provides a list of books that could be chosen by the students, with a book focusing on a specific genre. This way, if a student doesn't like the book but is interested in the genre, he or she would be more keen on trying to read the thing itself. While they wouldn't be able to discuss the books in general, because there's a list, teachers are more capable of helping students understand the choices of books they had chosen.
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I agree that is what I do to my classes. I let them pick out any of the 5 books from a specific genre that I chose beforehand. We use a voting system wherein the students can vote from Monday till Friday on what their reading assignment would be. They can vote as many times as they want and we pick out the winner on Friday before we end our class. They are then required to submit a short essay, about 400 words, regarding what they think of the book. I found that its really a great way to stimulate class participation and it really fires up the interest of the students.
 
I think it's a really good idea to give students a bit of freedom in terms of what they'd like to read. Of course, there still has to be some which are imposed, but giving them some room to choose will help in developing their love for reading. It is never nice to be forced to read a book that you personally are not interested in. It would feel like pulling teeth when you are reading through it. Reading should be enjoyable and not painful.
 
I think students should be allowed to choose, but within certain parameters of course. Even class books should be on a student-vote basis. I think the biggest obstacle to learning to love reading is not being exposed to books you yourself love.

I understand that in English classes, teachers attempt to expose students to different genres of literature, but this can still be done with the illusion of choice for the students. Even having a choice between two books of the same genre can be beneficial. Give them a choice between Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights! Give them a choice between The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia! Letting children have control over what they are reading takes away the "dictatorship": I say you have to read THIS, so you have to read THIS!
 
Yes, as long as the professor has a predetermined list of books for the students to choose from. Some of my favorite books have been assigned or found by chance. I appreciate a passionate English teacher or professor to offer me a book suggestion. I never finish the book disappointed.
 
Letting the students choose what to read is a good idea, when the students have already reached a certain level of proficiency in reading. Since I work mainly with beginners I have to choose the books for them to read. Left to their own devices, my students would most probably end up reading only comics. Not that there's anything wrong with comics but, reading, like eating, should be varied to have a balanced diet.
 
I believe so. When i was a student we had a certain agenda considering the novel. I don't think students should have freedom to pick just some book because it would be almost impossible to mark all those analysis and essays. I think there should be a pole before each semester and student should give their picks. After that the ones most mentioned should be read. Also a certain number of classics that are usually read should be displayed on front of the students and they should be able to pick those they like the most. I know i would have more fun if i didn't have to read Green grass, running water!!!
 
Why not let students choose whatever book they want to read, right? Well, when I was in college, I remember my Literature professor also gave us the right to choose the novel we would like to read, and make a book review about, and it totally worked for us. Probably because we truly enjoyed those books, and since we were fascinated/interested with the story, we were more motivated to discuss it in class.
 
Actually, this is something that I never experienced. Our professors always gave us book assignments. We were never allowed to choose what book we'd like to read. But I think it's a good idea because it gives the student that sense of independence. We let them know that their opinions matter and we'd like to hear more from them. I hope more schools try this method and have more kids enjoy the experience of reading books.
 
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