Friday, September 26, 2014

Reading a Real Book? Made of Paper?

I well remember the deep satisfaction of curling up on a comfortable chair with a book I could not put down.  I have been a reader since I could first decode those letters on a page. Just this week I sat in on the end of an honors English class. Students were reading, reading real books, and looked engaged and thoughtful and completely absorbed. I loved it.

Miss Whisler recently shared an article with me that resonated deep in my reader's heart. The article, published in the Wall Street Journal, was entitled, "Read Slowly to Benefit Your Brain and Cut Stress." The article noted the difference between skimming through the words on a website and slowly reading a novel. Those who tout the benefits of slow reading say, "it improves their ability to concentrate, reduces stress levels and deepens their ability to think, listen and empathize."  I believe it!

When I listen in occasionally to Mrs. Horning as she walks her students through the thinking and discerning process of evaluating the literature they have been reading, I am delighted that our students are learning in this environment. When I stop in to work on computers in the third grade and hear students reading to each other, I am thrilled to be a part of all of this.

Yes, my job is working with the school's computers and technology, and I love that, but I will gladly put that aside for a while to just read. Time to head for the library!