Discussion for September 2020 - Closing the Reading Gap

I am delighted to add a response from Alex Quigley that I received via DM on twitter which he has given permission for me to share. I thought you might like to see his response @Deborah Hogg @micwag @dawnwoods2000 @KAREN HANS @Stephanie

Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for picking my reading book as your group read. It was fascinating to read your thread. Lots of points to agree with. There is a fair challenge that the book is short (though it hopefully signposts to a lot more). One of the paradoxes here is that short books for teachers are much more popular. I try and straddle a tricky balance between depth and coverage. As such, all my topics never quite get addressed fully (I must have read over 100 books about reading and could have written a 1000 page opus!). A key running theme - both overtly and tacitly - is I try to challenge the misconception that reading is 'reading fiction' and for the English department. Until we challenge that misconception, then so many secondary schools will under-utilise the library and miss the opportunity for reading informational texts habitually and successfully. Clearly, reading a science textbook in the classroom better is my first step. Reading habitually and having a effective librarian can of course offer a vital support factor in developing reading access, habits and more. I also think a confident librarian training teachers could be a boon, but too often they are not given the platform (I hope to make the case for the primacy of reading which builds that self-same platform). Using a school library probably comes under that banner - mostly because of my concern how lots of English schools don't have one, so I would be writing for a narrower subject of privileged teachers. I hope, both in talking about libraries as being central to reading culture, that the case is made for them. As I tweeted, I talk in more depth when I have full day training about reading culture and libraries: both main libraries and classroom libraries (I think both can work in sync brilliantly). If you have any pieces I can read about effective library/librarian use and success in schools I would be happy to integrate it into my training. I may well write something about book access given potential imminent lockdowns too. Thanks again, fascinating insights! Alex

He also responded this way via twitter too

I understand the comments about explicitness of school libraries. An issue (I mention on p154) is that so many school now don't have a librarian/apt space. And so we cannot assume that teachers can even speak to their librarian or draw upon their expertise/capacity. So my promotion of a reading culture has to be broad. I state do the librarian offers "vital curation" & the library is the 'canary in the coalmine" for reading culture. As the thread states, the book's a primer on a range of issues every teacher needs to know - so each makes a good start (I hope) but has omissions. Sometimes library opportunities are tacit. I also aim to make clear supporting reading is for every teacher, so classroom focus. I hope that the book raises understanding about reading so that schools invest in teacher knowledge/training *and* expert resources such as a highly trained librarian, with reading access being so pivotal too. I do make the case in my personal training too!