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If you love what you do, it never feels like work - Unknown.
Growing up, I relished my own time. I had two younger sisters who shared a bedroom and liked to do “girly” things (I know now that, technically, there’s no such thing) and, eventually, a much younger brother. As much as I love him now, and indeed did then, he wasn’t the most compelling companion for a 10-year old when he was still all goo-goo-gaa-gaa and nappy rash.
One thing I enjoyed was reading.
Looking back, though, it wasn’t novels I remember reading. It was non-fiction books. Space, nature, dinosaurs, history - no major surprises there for anyone who knows me.
I absolutely loved them. This must be where my passion for general knowledge spawned; last year, I fulfilled a lifetime ambition of appearing on a quiz show.
At no point did anyone ever have to tell me to read them. I never heard ‘come on, reading is good for you’ or ‘you’ll thank me later in life.’ I just read them.
The children’s reading landscape has shifted since then. The wealth of fiction books has absolutely exploded over the past decade. Stacks of celebs are releasing kids publications like Duracell-powered novelists, however involved they may have actually been in the writing.
Our school library reflects this change. Shelf upon shelf upon shelf of novels with a sprinkling of fact books.
And many of those facts books are as much works of art as they are banks of knowledge. They’re on display but seldom flicked through.
So I feel for the ‘me’s of today a little.
In our class, we’ve had a couple of reluctant readers this year. With the rise of data analysis, we’re better able than ever to understand how much time the children are reading at home.
One in particular, I know, doesn’t receive much support with their reading at home and I’ve fought tooth and nail to help them up their reading time. Every novel they’ve laboured through, I’ve maintained that - if they persevere - they’ll get there.
Is that how it works? Is that how I fall in love with a book?
Is it heck.
Though I wish I’d done this sooner, I finally found the time to take them to the library and explore the vast options available to them.
We tried the non-fiction books - space, nature, dinosaurs, history. No dice.
Then some adventure novels that I know other girls in the class have enjoyed. She tried a couple but couldn’t get into them.
What about a sequel for one of our class favourites? Surely, that’s a winner?
Nada.
However, not all was lost. Such gems are the children I teach that they, once again, proved my salvation.
Two of the boys noticed we were struggling to find something worth tucking into and, so, came to us with a suggestion. A favourite of theirs.
The hilarious Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon.
A hugely popular series with many of the boys.
And a couple of the girls.
Three weeks have passed and she’s put away four good-sized novels from this range. Zero pressure or help from me required.
In between tasks in the classroom, she picks the books up in a flash when she has a moment to digest another page.
And I know she’s blasting through them at home because she’ll leave one day and return the next another hundred pages in.
Why does this matter? This is someone who, across the board, could do with a little academic boost. She’s capable, certainly, but not as engaged as most.
Better readers are better at almost everything else (I did my masters dissertation on reading and I really mean it when I say everything else). To find an activity that will improve a key academic skill and yet feel in no way like work is an absolute treat. The difference something like this could make is staggering.
I’m doing the same just by doing the job I do. MY job description might as well say ‘be yourself’ and the fulfilment I get from moments like this makes even the most challenging of times feel worth it.
If you find something you enjoy, it never feels like work. Do you agree?
Great piece. Reading, and the building of that emotional empathy is so important. Love how you deal with reading in the class.
Every child will find a book they love. Once they have the foundational reading skills, they just have to taste a bit of everything to find out!