Reading Wellness: Lessons in Independence and Proficiency

by Jan Burkins

When teachers talk about what they want for students, “a love for reading” is inevitably near the top of the list. Even as they work to ensure students’ continuing progress as readers, what ignites passion more than anything is the chance to instill confidence, curiosity, and joy in students. In Reading Wellness, Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris will remind you why you became a teacher in the first place. They want children and teachers to thrive as readers, to feel the deep satisfaction that comes with meaningful encounters with texts. They define reading wellness as “weaving together all the facets of our reading lives .  .  .  so that we can be our best reading selves.” Readers read for relaxation, for information, and for aesthetic experience, discovering favorite books and authors and learning to choose texts. For this to happen, teachers must teach in ways that create energy and enthusiasm for reading, even as they teach to required standards.   Built around a framework of four intentions—alignment, balance, sustainability, and joy—Reading Wellness offers teachers a series of lessons that help children read closely and carefully while still honoring their interests, passions, and agency as readers. The lessons here, which have been field-tested in grades 1–5, are interconnected and empower classroom communities, are filled with anecdotes and insights, and are practical, sustainable, and frequently joyful.  Reading Wellness encourages each teacher to shape these ideas in ways that support personal ideals and goals while nurturing a love of reading and a passion for lifelong learning.  

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to use these lessons to launch my reading workshop next year!

[Noel Kellogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book with a set of incredible lessons to inspire young readers. I couldn’t wait to teach the first one, but then I read about the second lesson, and then the next......

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this make me want to return to leave the ESE world and return to the classroom! Excellent and practical ideas for fostering a love of reading and instilling a reason for reading. Love it!

[Katie Zebrowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second read through of this book, and if I could... I would probably flag at least one thing on every page. Every ELA teacher needs to read this book and reexamine their teaching beliefs and the standards they have for their students. The chapters in this book are all meaningful. If you opened the book to its table of contents this is what you would see:
Chapter 1: Love -- Authentic Reasons to Read Informational Texts Closely
Chapter 2: Posture -- Mindset, Agency, and Hard Work
Chapter 3: Alignment -- Working to Make Sense of The Words
Chapter 4: Mindfulness -- Reading Closely, Comprehending Deeply
Chapter 5: Strength -- Productive Effort and Building Reading Muscle
Chapter 6: Joy -- Reading More for the Love of It

These are all intentions that we need to have as teachers, and as lifelong learners. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This professional book by Burkins and Yaris made so much sense to me. The premise that our reading is something we need to protect the wellness of, much as we consider our personal wellness, is a metaphor that works well as a framework for the six major points/ lessons they are emphasizing. I found that their ideas melded well with my philosophical beliefs, and that they were ideas that I could use with various different groups and ages of children, simply by altering the text being used and/or some of the verbiage I use with kids.

This is not a "strategy book" chock full of different ideas to try with lots of different students who have a myriad of reading difficulties and/or strengths. It's more about helping kids develop healthy attitudes and habits about reading... something that can have long-lasting effects. A good book!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and practical guide for any teacher who wants to create a space for developing joyful, independent readers. A great companion to "Who's Doing the Work?" (Burkins & Yaris, 2016) that delves deeper into the last and critical phase of the gradual release continuum - independent reading.

[Deb Frazier]

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