The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

Analysis & Response 129 me, I could finish that book much more quickly. Planning to read in the future through investment and ownership can help solve the problem facing middle school students. Although transitioning students from children’s literature to adult literature is a difficult task and one that suffers in the American educational system, teachers have the ability to combat this problem and even reverse it into something that will last throughout the student’s life. They can cultivate a love of reading through recapping, exploring, and setting goals with their students, starting with the student choosing their own reading. Some may question whether a middle school student’s choice of reading will really prepare them for the difficult mandatory reading assignments they will face in high school, such as Romeo and Juliet or The Odyssey their freshman year or Beowulf their senior year. If they have only read books such as the Hunger Games or middle school novels, they are no way prepared for dissecting advanced classics and more challenging Shakespearian language. Libby Heinig addressed this very topic when asked in an interview. She replied, “The goal is for them to have a love, or at least an appreciation, of reading by then—for them to know how to read well and see the overarching method of reading literature.” She also discussed how she introduces classics and similar literature in her historical fiction genre. “We discuss what makes a book a classic.” She encourages her students to choose a book, even an abridged version, of a more difficult and renowned work of literature. By doing this, she does indeed prepare her students for the difficult reading assignments of high school, but does not burden them with readings beyond their ability. Also, they get to choose which classic they read, which therefore maintains their interest despite the challenge. Students emerge fromLibby Heinig’s class loving reading. They are fully confident in their ability as a student which then spurs them on to success in more challenging tasks, academic or otherwise. They are better prepared for life after high school because they know how to read, producing many beneficial consequences. This method was a success in her classroom and can therefore work around the country.