Curriculum Connections: Chapter 4

Key Quote: "A major goal of a good librarian is to help the young move up the ladder to become lifelong adult learners." (p. 89)

Contrary to popular belief, literacy learning continues into the secondary grades. It is, however, for fragmented as students learn reading within a variety of subject areas.

It is important to take a look at what we know about young adults and their reading habits:

1. There is a misconception that young adults do not read. Several surveys suggest otherwise. It is important to note, though, that the reading they choose may look different than the reading chosen for them by others.
2. Reading is a social activity. Students are more likely to read books based on the suggestion of their friends than on the suggestion of their English teacher.
3. Young adults have wide tastes. What they want to read today can be very different than what they want to read tomorrow (or what they read yesterday).
4. Gender does play a role in reading choices. Typically, girls choose fiction and boys choose non-fiction. Certainly not a hard and fast rule, but it is a part of the choices that teen readers make.
5. Young adults relate to books and to the characters with books. The example in the text is The House on Mango Street, but certainly you can see this happening with the Twilight series of books and the star-crossed lovers theme.
6. Young adults ofteen have trouble reading academic books. They hit a peak when the reach middle school and it tends to slow them down.

On the other side, what do we know about young adults and writing:

1. They need an audience. Teens need to relate to other people and the world around them.
   
2. They like publishing to the Internet. I see this in my own work. You take what they would have put on paper and transfer it to a blog and the world becomes a more interesting place for them.
3. Like all people, young adults write for a variety of purposes. Giving them the opportunity to do so creates writers.
4. Young adults don't necessarily comprehend the power of writing. Writing is perceived by them as an academic task only.

Given all the information above, what are some reasonable implications for teacher librarians?

• Create a library space that draws teens. Make sure that you get teen input. As I have discovered with READ posters, students know some of the people on them, but not others. Have some furniture that is more tables and chairs.
• Work with your administrators and staff to have free reading time as part of the school day. Encourage teachers to have students read whatever they desire.
• Extend the reading community. Since we know that teens read what their friends are reading, have multiple copies of certain books available. Create a blog where students can comment on books.
• Invite teens to read. Have a variety of books, both on grade-level and not, and display them in alternative ways.
• Teach teens how to better understand academic texts using specific strategies.
• Invite young adults to write. The most success I have had in the past as a writing teacher was when I implemented Freedom Writer journals. Middle schoolers are often fixated on themselves and a small group of friends. Invite them to write about whatever they wish.

Related Articles
Sanderson, C. (2003, November 14). How the other half read. Bookseller, Retrieved August 1, 2009, from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.

Bodart, J. (2008, Fall2008). It's All About the Kids: Presenting Options and Opening Doors. Young Adult Library Services, 7(1), 35-45. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.