Blog 1: August-Amanda Stephens- The Pleasure Principle

 This article is a great reminder for teachers to put down the textbooks and give students a freedom of choice. I think a lot of teachers get "stuck" in this cycle of how things have always been and are afraid to step outside of the box.  This article reminds us that we as adult readers are attracted to books, magazines, etc that interest us so what makes young readers any different?  When students are given a choice of what to read they excel.  As I read this article I was reminded of a Reader's Bill of Rights (Pennac 2002) where children should be allowed to browse through books, read any genre, skip pages, and reread.  With my young Kindergarten readers I am sometimes guilty of not letting them choose but rather giving them something I know they can read.  I need to let go of some of this control and trust that they can make those decisions independently. I do however, plan to continue to give support to my early emergent readers by coaching them through a reader's workshop format in my classroom.  I plan to provide more opportunities for my students to read and explore books.  I plan to conference with them more and find out what they like and dislike as individuals.  I also plan to provide a variety of books in different genres that they are free to choose from.  I know my students will excel if I give them every opportunity!