“The Only Important Thing In A Book Is The Meaning It Has For You”.

This statement reminds me of the topic of neurophysiology of learning. Reading involves physiological sensory and cognitive abilities to process, integrate and interpret information. Hence, different readers capture different meanings of the books. Which is explicable for what is important to me may not be important to others.  

Brain-based researchers state that when we read our sensory system is active for input and in order to process those inputs, we have three main factors that affect how we capture the meaning: perceived importance, novelty and intensity (Schunk, 2012). In addition, there are also various levels of processing: surface, phonological, semantic processing of information which is different from person to person. The greatest novelty comes from what is most relevant and attractive to us. Davis (2010) explicates this premise as a clear conceptual tool for understanding what it means to teach literacy in a student-centered environment with open tasks that “incorporate choice-making related to individuals’ interests, provide appropriate levels of challenge” (p.56) This has also been a debatable topic between whole language instruction versus skills-based with explicit phonics instructions.   

My conclusion is that to select the right books for the right students, teachers must identify a student’s reading level, and which approach to literacy will be best to assist everyone. In ensuring that the right students will receive the books which they enjoy, teachers also need to create a small library within the classroom that has access to a variety of genres.  

References 

Davis, L. (2010). Toward a Lifetime of Literacy: The Effect of Student-Centered and Skills-Based Reading Instruction on the Experiences of Children. Literacy Teaching and Learning. New York University. 15(1&2) 

Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.