In The Book Whisperer, teacher and author Donalyn Miller provides a variety of methods and techniques to help educators teach their students the positive experience of reading. The book aims to understand what it means to be a reader and how young students can learn to interact and connect with literary material in a meaningful way.
‘Reluctant’ Reader and the ‘Dormant’ Reader:
The book places importance on the fact that every student has their own capabilities. It discourages labelling students as ‘reluctant or struggling’ readers. Sometimes students are not at a reading level on par with their peers for various, often involuntary, reasons. In this instance, the teachers, need to provide the students with an opportunity to read and engage with the material.
Dormant readers are students who read enough to score well in their examinations but aren’t readers. In this instance, teachers and peers can help create a reading-friendly environment that can develop them into lifelong readers.
Why should teachers read the book?
Often, books required in the course may not push students to read beyond their essential homework.
Hence, Book Whisperer may provide solutions to create an independent reader of a student.
The book provides anecdotes, assignments and exercises utilised by the author in her classrooms.
The book provides methods to incorporate reading into the classes.