Writing About Writing

Should there really be a fixed group of books that restricts what an adolescent reads? I don't think so. I think having teenagers simply reading is a miracle in itself, whether it be magazines, newspapers, websites, novels, short stories, or the Bible. Students reading is something to rejoice about, and motivation is the key. It's not particularly about what they are reading, but how you motivate them. I think that it's easier to motivate them to read something that they are interested in or can relate to.

When you have them find articles in newspapers or magazines that they enjoy, it motivates them to read more, and to find more articles like that. With the same sort of motivation, you can give students the want to read novels that are relatable. Stories with young characters, about their age, and going through similar problems might be a good start. It's what a lot of Young Adult literature is structured around. A character that is going through its own struggles, that a teenager can grasp. Oftentimes, students can't relate to literature that is profound or is trying to spew theories at you. They don't want to read something that can easily bore them. They need something that is intriguing, and something that evokes the senses and the imagination.

So what books are those and how do they find them? I think that a lot of books that we choose for high school students to read can go both ways. A lot of them are "classics" and you can enjoy them; however, there are a lot that go completely the opposite way and just don't catch the reader's attention. And when you are teaching students, you can't expect for all your students to get involved with the reading, that's nearly an impossible task, unless you are God, or the best motivator in the world, but there are always exceptions. But when you are teaching students, it is important to prepare them for the future. They may run into references to certain classics such as Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby, or Catcher in the Rye. All these books are classics that are often referenced, and are often enjoyed by a large range of readers. I think once you teach students to appreciate the classics, you may get them motivated to read them.

If not, maybe you can get them motivated to read future classics using books that are more relatable and more modern. It's hard to tell, but, like I said before, when ever students get excited about reading, you know it's the right literature for them.