Welcome to Litsy!

Chapter 3

This chapter helped me think more about what it looks like to support a whole class of readers. I like how Kittle balances structure and trust. She's paying attention without turning reading into a chore. Tracking page numbers just to check in, not to grade, really stood out. The part about helping students set personal goals also made sense. It's like a way to help them take ownership without making it all about points.

I worry about my ability to meet students where they are while also pushing them. It seems contradictory, but necessary. I also think it is important to keep in mind that if I know that a student doesn't like reading that they might not want to be aware of the fact that I'm challenging them but when they realize over time how theire reading habits have changed it will make them feel good.

I spent a lot of time with the idea that just because a student struggles with reading or maybe doesn't enjoy it, it doesn't make them a bad student and shouldn't be viewed differently. I love reading now, but for years I didn't and felt shamed for not reading in my spare time. It helped when there was a movie to the book i was reading so i will keep that in mind when suggesting books for students who are like i was.

I like the idea of pushing myself when it comes to reading on my own personal time. I normally stick with the same genres because I know it's what I like. While I don't think there's anything wrong with that, I should start branching out because how can I encourage my students to do that if I don't?

Chapter 2

Building off my first post, this chapter really made me reflect on how I support students as readers. It really took the thoughts I had from chapter 1 and apply it to myself. I see the value in helping students build stamina with books they choose. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps students grow from where they are, not where I wish they were. It's less “teaching books“ and more teaching students how to be readers.

Chapter 1

I thought this was a very strong opening to the book. Kittle makes a strong case for giving students time and choice when it comes to reading, which is something we have discussed extensively in our classes. That part about how kids need space to discover what they actually enjoy felt especially true. It reminded me how easy it is to overlook that aspect in a classroom.

Another thing that stood out to me was the idea that stamina doesn‘t just develop on its own. It grows when students are given time, choice, and books that actually interest them. But interest alone isn‘t enough for students to connect. Students also need just the right amount of challenge to stretch their thinking without overwhelming them.

I‘m realizing how important it is to meet students where they are while also encouraging them to move forward. It‘s not just about picking the “right level” book, but about creating an environment where students feel safe taking risks with more challenging texts. Encouragement, modeling, and small group support can make difficult reading feel more doable. I think when students experience small wins, they begin to see themselves as capable readers

Chapter 3 highlights the significance of helping students build solid reading habits by creating a supportive and engaging environment. What stood out to me was the importance of giving students choice and using check-ins to talk about their reading. These conversations not only boost their motivation but also help build strong teacher-student relationships. I would love to use periodic check-ins to help my students build strong reading habits.

Chapter 3 of this book discusses building stamina within the students. The common thing was finding books students enjoy. Another practice mentioned multiple times was conferencing. I really like this practice for teachers and it definitely holds value. I am curious to practice this as I go into my student teaching. These conversations help guide students towards comfortable reading experiences and relationship building that fosters growth.

Something I found really interesting was the section about college preparation. It was shocking to read Kittle's account for college readiness from her students and other professors as it pertains to reading. It really does highlight the importance of literature throughout the course of one's life. This should be info that encourages every school to examine their book selections and evaluate the educational content of curriculums.

I appreciated how in chapter one, Kittle framed some of her argument around students falling behind due to unrealistic standards for them. This doesn't get much acknowledgment in schools today. She also points out in chapter 2 that books in schools are by adults for adults meaning students don't take ownership of what they're reading. No interest in reading causes a huge gap in learning. it seems to be an endless cycle in schools now but solvable

Classrooms should frame reading as a matter of ownership rather than obligation when books are treated as hurdles, engagement declines. But when students are encouraged to choose, question, and explore texts that resonate with their experiences, reading becomes a process of discovery and critical thinking. Prioritizing agency helps students view reading as a tool for understanding themselves and shaping the world around them.

There must be a careful balance between challenging students and supporting them. If texts are too complex, students may grow frustrated and disengage, believing reading isn‘t for them. Yet without opportunities to stretch, they can‘t develop persistence or critical thinking. Teachers must scaffold complexity by selecting materials and designing lessons that build confidence, stamina, and a sense of progress, fostering a relationship with reading.

Relationships influence students‘ willingness to engage with reading. When students know their teacher cares about them as individuals, they‘re more likely to trust the teacher‘s encouragement to read. I want my classroom to feel like a community where students can discuss what they‘re reading, share recommendations, intellectually challenge each other, and celebrate their progress.

“Students can get the gist of the book and give it back to us by listening in class, but do they leave tenth grade as stronger more capable independent readers or just knowing the gist of a few books?“ This question stuck out to me on a personal level. My 10th grade English teacher was gone 99% of our year, so we never felt like we had to read the books. We did enough to do the busy work worksheets they gave us, but what did we really know?

“Life lessons live in fiction.” “This is what books can do, but only if the reader is deeply engaged with the text.”
Students aren‘t going to be engaged with a text if they don‘t enjoy it, when they have options and choices they seem to be more interested and engaged and can become a better person, leaner, and reader (speaking from personal experience in this one).

On page 15 Kittle talks about teachers know students aren‘t reading what they‘ve assigned yet they continued to assign readings they knew weren‘t being used. A question that came to my mind while reading this is why not find something that amused them more? If our goal as teachers is to raise up lifelong readers why not find ‘gateway‘ readings for these students to see they can engage in readings they enjoy.

“It is one thing to say, "These kids aren't prepared." It's quite another to make them no better, or even worse, in the year that we have them.”
I had never thought about lack of progress in the classroom is caused by practices of the teacher and are looked at as the student getting worse in that area rather than better. Difficult curriculum and continuing to push students ahead affects them and their learning more than I had ever thought.

I love the end of the section of reading that talks about the importance of relationship versus the “system“ in place to keep students reading. Thinking to my high school days, I remember my favorite teachers were the ones who I had the best relationship with. Because of that, I would do their work and even find time to read outside of class just because I knew it mattered from the way they had placed an emphasis on it. I want to be like this.

“Books matter; the rest just gets in the way.“

There is something about HAVING to read that makes anyone (myself included) not want to read. Even worse, in high school, when we would be graded with reading quizzes, I dreaded the reading I did because I knew it was for a grade. Kittle makes a good point here that the BEST reading happens when students get to read on their own - that means creating a class environment that makes reading attractive.

One thing that I really loved that Kittle does is interview their students! I think this is an important strategy to build relationships with your students, and it also allows for you, as the teacher, to know what is going on in the ins-and-outs of your student's reading life. More than just understanding what types of books students read, interviews also allow for a teacher to see a student's reading habits. This can help shape a class.

“Students can get the gist of the book and give it back to us by listening in class, but do they leave tenth grade as stronger, more capable independent readers or just knowing the gist of a few books?“

I found this quote very compelling! My biggest thing that I am concerned about as a future educator is making my students better people - not just students. Being able to think critically for oneself and analyze texts/literature matters.

On p. 23, Kittle describes a scenario in which a student would have been limited in reading about his interests if he had stuck to just the Common Core recommendations. Accessibility and diversity in reading are SO important, both in allowing students to explore their interests and new curiosities AND in letting them access “controversial“ books. They can't open their minds to new things if they don't have the freedom to explore (appropriately).

“No kid should be mindlessly, endlessly practicing parts.“ p. 18 — I agree with Kittle! New curriculum, even locally in Clarke County, is shifting to just using passages and not having kids read whole books. I think this is ridiculous and doesn't allow the student to foster a full, deep connection with the work and all it can contain over a whole story arc. Without this care for a book, they may be LESS motivated to read than they already are.

“Popular fiction can entertain, but it rarely leaves students stunned by insight or transfixed by the resiliency of humanity.“ p. 19 — I disagree with Kittle and noticed she frequently belittled popular fiction in favor of “literature.“ Yes, BALANCE is important, but I don't think this gives her a right to say there is no value in a more fun read. Popular books can discuss serious themes and have powerful writing just like classic “literature.“

Kittle stresses the importance of reading goals and the balance of pleasure reading vs. reading “literature.“ This is my personal reading goal for 2025 so far, and while it looks great, 15/19 books were for school—for obligation, not pleasure, though some I did really enjoy. Creating achievable goals is necessary to encourage reading, but I'm concerned about the line between motivation and obligation. Can this create pressure that takes away joy?

Something I keep coming back to as I read Kittle's anecdotes and advice is that our kids don't know where to find books for them. I think this issue is perpetuated by curricula that demand rigorous texts and novels not catered towards young adults. Ultimately, students need to feel that what they read is relevant to them without being overwhelmingly difficult!

“'...it was taking me so long to read and it wasn't getting any better and I was getting farther behind so I just figured why bother?“'
It's so sad that so many students get left behind because we have so much to cover in so little time. This is why I want to spend time reading texts in class with students to encourage and empower them. My goal is to assign only one chapter (or two short ones) for homework and cover a bulk of the reading in class.

Kittle notes a major issue in English Education: kids aren't reading anymore. Technology is a factor in this, but has anyone considered that kids don't have time to read anymore? Throughout education, I wanted to read for fun, but couldn't. School kept me busy during the day, and homework kept me busy all night. I know many kids struggle with this as well. What if we let their “overtaxed brains“ relax? Teenagers want to read if we let them!!!

“The wonder, the magic, and the heart-stopping joy of books is the only consistently effective tool for that,“ (Kittle 29).

Kittle's discussion in chapter three was super enlightening. Her methods in tracking student reading, providing books they will enjoy, and cultivating their readership have yielded great results. She has truly proved that all students are readers, they just need someone to help them along the way.

“We need to balance pleasure with challenge, increasing volume for all readers and setting up an environment in our classroom that manages kids as they choose books, set goals, and develop a reading habit,“ (Kittle 8).

The first chapter of this book gives us the problem: students are reading below grade-level, and are subsequently left behind in their education. I'm excited to read more about how we can adjust our teaching to accommodate all!

I love the idea in this chapter of forming lifelong readers, and that‘s what makes me want to be an English teacher. However, practically speaking, what do you do if you‘re in a district that doesn‘t allow for that freedom in your classroom? You can assign choice reading outside of class, but what if your students are already expected to do other work for your class? How do we hold true to a value that not everyone in a school system shares?

What stuck out to me in this chapter was the emphasis on reading volume. I wasn‘t surprised by how many pages the average college student was assigned each week, but I was surprised when that number was juxtaposed with the amount of reading expected in high school. The average student reads more assigned reading in one month of college than they do an entire academic year in high school. No wonder these statistics are so shocking.

In reading this first chapter, I kept thinking about how many students in high school have spent their school careers developing learned helplessness. Learned helplessness is the idea that because you failed at something in the past, you automatically assume you‘ll fail at it in the present or future. So many kids must experience this with reading class books, especially when they‘re not yet reading at grade level. How do we disrupt this cycle?

One idea I plan to adopt as a guiding mindset is the concept of “roller coaster reading.” The strategy of alternating between more challenging texts and lighter, easier reads creates a balanced approach that can help increase overall reading volume. I see this method benefiting not only my own reading habits but also serving as an effective way to motivate my future students to tackle more difficult books they might typically avoid.

I appreciate how Kittle uses Book Talks not only to suggest books but also to foster authentic connections between readers and the texts. It‘s made me reconsider the purpose of Book Talks, not just as a way to share titles, but as an opportunity to help students reflect on why a book resonates with them. They are a powerful space for students to voice their thoughts, feelings, and questions, rather than simply summarizing a story for class.

One concept that I will adopt as a mindset from now on is Kittle's term, “roller coaster reading.“ The idea of challenging oneself to read a more difficult text and then being rewarded with an easier one creates a system that benefits the volume of reading that one may accomplish. I can see this system not only working for me, but also as a way to entice my future students to read challenging books that they might not have otherwise read.

“What I seek is access to any text form. When a student won't read, I look at the vocabulary, the context of the book, and the sentence length to see whether the text is a mismatch for the student's current skills.“ (Kittle 15)

I love the concept of meeting students where they are in their skills and then building from there. It removes the “stuffiness“ of literature and enables students to develop a personal connection with a variety of texts.

Within Chapter One of Kittle's work, I was so thrilled to see her emphasis on student engagement in reading. Engagement is one of my key priorities as a teacher. I think this is because when I was in school, students tended to “fake read“ to get by and couldn't immerse themselves within the texts they were reading. Further, they viewed reading as a chore. I don't want that to be the case in my classroom. Read books because they tell great stories!

Cart begins by asking the important question: Do YAs actually read? In an age of technology that consumes YA culture and forced reading, they have lost their spark for reading. Kittle's book talks are an ingenious way to reignite and fan the flames. As teachers, we can introduce the different modes of literature while being enthusiastic about different works. Reading looks different for each person; encourage it and watch it grow!

I love how Kittle uses Book Talks not just to recommend books but also to create moments of genuine connection between readers and texts. It also makes me think beyond just sharing titles to using Book Talks as a way to invite students to explore why a book matters to them personally. Book Talks would be such a great space for students to express their thoughts, emotions, and questions about a book, and not just take note of a story for a class.

Book talks are so simple yet powerful and effective in a classroom. It‘s not about assigning or analyzing, it‘s just about sharing excitement for a book and letting that energy catch on. An idea I‘d love to try from Kittle‘s strategies is building in a weekly reader spotlight where students eventually lead their own short Book Talks. I think that kind of autonomy could make reading feel more personal and build a stronger classroom community.