I'm a high school English teacher so I know these conversations well! I totally agree with what you say here about opening up the world (and other worlds!) through fiction and being able to see through another person's eyes and experience the world as they do. Have you heard the phrase /concept "windows and mirrors"? We've found it helpful at work when discussing why stories are so vital. The "windows" are what you're describing here, seeing out of our own world and into someone else's world so we can better understand them; the "mirrors" are when we see people like ourselves reflected back to us and we can better understand ourselves. Both, I think, make us feel less alone. 📚 I've found graphic novels can be a great way to encourage reluctant readers back into fiction - there's so many amazing adaptations as well as originals and the artwork is often incredible. Audiobooks are great too - sometimes the kids who struggle a little to get immersed in a book find it useful to listen to the audiobook and read along with the paper copy. Ithink it helps them to keep their focus too just like when I read a novel aloud to the whole class. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed reading this today! 😊
Charlene, that metaphor of windows and mirrors is so perfect - thanks for sharing it! I've been on a kick with stories that "mirror" my own life recently, with all the books being written and published by Asian-Americans.
It's so useful, isn't it? Think it helps the kids to understand what we mean by "seeing things from another perspective" etc. I think sometimes when we re-read books from childhood we can see our past selves mirrored back too - I've been feeling that a bit lately, not sure if it makes sense!
It's so handy as an explanation, isn't it? I love hearing about other teachers who use it! Audiobooks are so great - I've got so much more reading time when I can listen to a book while I drive! 😊
Oh, that's great, hope you enjoy Haver & Sparrow - will look forward to hearing what you think! Agree about reading a text being the preferred choice, if nothing else it justifies my book buying habit! Haha. Will check out your writing too, I don't follow many fiction writers here yet so it's good to find another!
Thank you -You convinced me on why I need to keep on encouraging my 14 year old to read fiction.
When I was concerned about my son re-reading the same few series over and over again and not being exposed to new fiction, a librarian once said to me, "It still is reading and he's getting something different every time."
There is some comfort in the predictability of re-reading and they may need that in their developing years to take comfort in that, when everything else around them, is so unpredictable. Likewise, "when schoolwork is in a tougher part of the year", the librarian commented, she notices "the students tend to pick lighter books to lighten the brain work a little."
Some food for thought as we continue to support our children.
So very true and a good reminder as I haven’t read fiction for a while.
If it’s any consolation, all 3 of my boys stopped reading as young teens but are avid readers again now. I have sent them your words of your actual letter to your son. It’s as relevant now to us as adults I think.
Thanks, Tracey, for the reminder that people's interest (and need?) for fiction can ebb and flow. I shouldn't lose hope! I'm glad your boys are avid readers again.
How beautiful, Nancy. Thank you so much for sharing. What a different world it would be, indeed, if we did more of that perspective-taking. You've convinced me that reading fiction is a great way to do that. I love memoirs for the thrill of getting inside people's heads and learning about myself through the challenges they've overcome IRL. But I totally see how fiction can do that in even truer ways. It reminds me of my high school English teacher talking about The Things They Carried...how even if the stories didn't all happen as they were told, they were TRUE nonetheless. Thank you for being vulnerable here, and letting YOUR readers into YOUR mind. You are a gem.
Thanks for reading, Jill! Your support means so much to me. I love memoirs for what they offer, too. As for "The Things They Carried," I've never read it, but now I will!
Thanks for sharing that article, Garrett! I did read it and found it so interesting.
I don't know many kids, at any age, who will choose books over screens. I think the trick is to not pit these two mediums against one another. Sometimes I'll tell my kids that they can watch their screen for as long as they read their book (so for every hour they read, they can spend an hour watching something). This way, they can relax and enjoy their reading time, as it's helping them work toward their screen time.
I'm a high school English teacher so I know these conversations well! I totally agree with what you say here about opening up the world (and other worlds!) through fiction and being able to see through another person's eyes and experience the world as they do. Have you heard the phrase /concept "windows and mirrors"? We've found it helpful at work when discussing why stories are so vital. The "windows" are what you're describing here, seeing out of our own world and into someone else's world so we can better understand them; the "mirrors" are when we see people like ourselves reflected back to us and we can better understand ourselves. Both, I think, make us feel less alone. 📚 I've found graphic novels can be a great way to encourage reluctant readers back into fiction - there's so many amazing adaptations as well as originals and the artwork is often incredible. Audiobooks are great too - sometimes the kids who struggle a little to get immersed in a book find it useful to listen to the audiobook and read along with the paper copy. Ithink it helps them to keep their focus too just like when I read a novel aloud to the whole class. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed reading this today! 😊
Charlene, that metaphor of windows and mirrors is so perfect - thanks for sharing it! I've been on a kick with stories that "mirror" my own life recently, with all the books being written and published by Asian-Americans.
It's so useful, isn't it? Think it helps the kids to understand what we mean by "seeing things from another perspective" etc. I think sometimes when we re-read books from childhood we can see our past selves mirrored back too - I've been feeling that a bit lately, not sure if it makes sense!
It's so handy as an explanation, isn't it? I love hearing about other teachers who use it! Audiobooks are so great - I've got so much more reading time when I can listen to a book while I drive! 😊
Oh, that's great, hope you enjoy Haver & Sparrow - will look forward to hearing what you think! Agree about reading a text being the preferred choice, if nothing else it justifies my book buying habit! Haha. Will check out your writing too, I don't follow many fiction writers here yet so it's good to find another!
Thank you -You convinced me on why I need to keep on encouraging my 14 year old to read fiction.
When I was concerned about my son re-reading the same few series over and over again and not being exposed to new fiction, a librarian once said to me, "It still is reading and he's getting something different every time."
There is some comfort in the predictability of re-reading and they may need that in their developing years to take comfort in that, when everything else around them, is so unpredictable. Likewise, "when schoolwork is in a tougher part of the year", the librarian commented, she notices "the students tend to pick lighter books to lighten the brain work a little."
Some food for thought as we continue to support our children.
You're so right - who doesn't love revisiting a good story? Thanks for that additional point, Tovah!
So very true and a good reminder as I haven’t read fiction for a while.
If it’s any consolation, all 3 of my boys stopped reading as young teens but are avid readers again now. I have sent them your words of your actual letter to your son. It’s as relevant now to us as adults I think.
Thank you for the reminder
Thanks, Tracey, for the reminder that people's interest (and need?) for fiction can ebb and flow. I shouldn't lose hope! I'm glad your boys are avid readers again.
How beautiful, Nancy. Thank you so much for sharing. What a different world it would be, indeed, if we did more of that perspective-taking. You've convinced me that reading fiction is a great way to do that. I love memoirs for the thrill of getting inside people's heads and learning about myself through the challenges they've overcome IRL. But I totally see how fiction can do that in even truer ways. It reminds me of my high school English teacher talking about The Things They Carried...how even if the stories didn't all happen as they were told, they were TRUE nonetheless. Thank you for being vulnerable here, and letting YOUR readers into YOUR mind. You are a gem.
Thanks for reading, Jill! Your support means so much to me. I love memoirs for what they offer, too. As for "The Things They Carried," I've never read it, but now I will!
Thanks for sharing that article, Garrett! I did read it and found it so interesting.
I don't know many kids, at any age, who will choose books over screens. I think the trick is to not pit these two mediums against one another. Sometimes I'll tell my kids that they can watch their screen for as long as they read their book (so for every hour they read, they can spend an hour watching something). This way, they can relax and enjoy their reading time, as it's helping them work toward their screen time.