EDUCATION
How to Evaluate Books for Young Readers The five rules educators need to follow before evaluating and recommending YA books BY AMANI SALAHUDEEN
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on what they are reading, which teaches them how to take notes while they read and helps them understand what they’re reading. Often, students will read a book relatively fast and then forget what they have read. Annotating with different colored tabs will help them recall a specific scene or chapter. Students who love to read experience abundant benefits. As educators, English literature teachers (or even homeroom teachers) should recommend books. While pursuing a Master’s in Education and gaining practical experience via substitute teaching, I’ve created a list of five essential rules that educa tors need to evaluate and recommend YA books to their students. Know your students’ comprehension level. This is critical, for some students read above their level and others read below it. The rest read at the standard level. There are multiple options for children who read at various levels. Incorporate your students’ interest. Do your students prefer audio books, graphic novels or phys ical books? Whichever one they prefer, encourage them to read and foster their love of reading. Get them involved in the classroom library by assigning them such tasks as stamping books out and check ing them out if your students are in middle or high school. The book’s format doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they discover their favorite books or read a new author. Doing so will cause their horizons to expand. Perhaps they will even discover a new favorite author. Diversify your shelves. As your students come
eading is one of the best forms of escapism. With Covid-19 still not off our backs, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER STUDENTS it’s a way for students to learn about different cultures, get off social media and increase LISTEN TO AUDIOBOOKS OR ACTUALLY READ one’s vocabulary and comprehension. Educators A BOOK, ALL READING IS VALID. THE MAIN should know what their students are already reading to understand them. Students who read frequently OBJECTIVE IS GETTING THEM TO READ have lower stress levels than students who do not AND TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE read. This activity also enables them to embrace their cultures and sometimes transport themselves to a MATERIAL WHILE READING IT. whole new world. It can be difficult to get students to exchange binge-watching the next Netflix episode of their favorite show with reading. Many shows are adapted from books, and thus from all backgrounds and cultures, remember to students can learn a lot more by reading than they can by watching. Binge- curate your classroom library appropriately. Ensure watching might be tempting, but it can neither improve their mental health that you have authors from different cultures and nor their communication skills. What teachers need to do is find a way to make religions so your students can learn to appreciate reading fun too. For example, if students complete X number of books, then one another’s differences. Students should learn to their class earns a pizza party or a homework pass. However, in the rewards embrace their identities and that being different is category, especially Islamic schools should be wary of corporate promotional not a bad thing. Educators who take the time to have sponsorship, which is usually aimed at drawing children toward their (often) a variety of books will help shape their students into well-rounded individuals. unhealthy processed foods. Regardless of whether students listen to audiobooks or actually read a book, Utilize the correct pedagogy. Pedagogy is the all reading is valid. The main objective is getting them to read and to be engaged practice of teaching an academic concept. In addi with the material while reading it. Annotating their books helps them keep tabs tion to fostering a love of reading, select books that 30 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
