How to Evaluate Books for Young Readers

The five rules educators need to follow before evaluating and recommending YA books

BY AMANI SALAHUDEEN

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 educators 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 physical 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 checking 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

Reading is one of the best forms of escapism. With Covid19 still not off our backs, it’s a way for students to learn about different cultures, get off social media and increase one’s vocabulary and comprehension. Educators should know what their students are already reading to understand them. Students who read frequently have lower stress levels than students who do not read. This activity also enables them to embrace their cultures and sometimes transport themselves to a whole new world.

It can be difficult to get students to exchange bingewatching the next Netflix episode of their favorite show with reading. Many shows are adapted from books, and thus students can learn a lot more by reading than they can by watching. Bingewatching might be tempting, but it can neither improve their mental health nor their communication skills. What teachers need to do is find a way to make reading fun too. For example, if students complete X number of books, then their class earns a pizza party or a homework pass. However, in the rewards category, especially Islamic schools should be wary of corporate promotional sponsorship, which is usually aimed at drawing children toward their (often) unhealthy processed foods.

Regardless of whether students listen to audiobooks or actually read a book, all reading is valid. The main objective is getting them to read and to be engaged with the material while reading it. Annotating their books helps them keep tabs

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER STUDENTS LISTEN TO AUDIOBOOKS OR ACTUALLY READ

A BOOK, ALL READING IS VALID. THE MAIN

OBJECTIVE IS GETTING THEM TO READ AND TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE MATERIAL WHILE READING IT. from all backgrounds and cultures, remember to curate your classroom library appropriately. Ensure that you have authors from different cultures and religions so your students can learn to appreciate one another’s differences. Students should learn to embrace their identities and that being different is not a bad thing. Educators who take the time to have a variety of books will help shape their students into wellrounded individuals. Utilize the correct pedagogy. Pedagogy is the practice of teaching an academic concept. In addition to fostering a love of reading, select books that