My Reading Year in Review
I had a good year for reading and I am so pleased, since my eldest child was born six years ago it has been a struggle to carve out time to read in the same voracious way that I did pre-children. Audiobooks have really helped as I can listen on my commute to work. I prefer non fiction titles, according to Goodreads my preferred genre is business. As I reflect on my year in books, I would like to share the titles I read that are relevant to education, teaching and childhood development, the themes of the Lively Languages Eigo blog.
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Books That Shaped my Perspective on Education and Childhood Development
The Book Whisperer: Awaken the Inner Reader In Every Child by Donalyn Miller
I had seen The Book Whisperer mentioned a lot online, it was published in 2009 but it is still very relevant. Aimed at year 6 teachers working with 10 to 11 year olds, it advises against using whole classroom book studies and allowing children to read books that interest them. It talks in depth about developing those interests and guiding children to books that will challenge them.
You may have seen my recent posts about starting to read chapter books. I don't think I've quite found the right books to fully engage my children just yet but we are having fun exploring many genres.
Main Message Children should just read. Don't worry about assessment and targets they are a by-product of reading widely.
Why Non Fiction Books Are Essential For Young Readers
Closing The Vocabulary Gap by Alex Quigley
Closing The Vocabulary Gap is another book that talks about the transition to secondary school and how we can prepare young students for that move. Children may be able to confidently decode words with their phonics skills but that is not the end of their reading journey. There is more cultural content around word etymology and words families that we need to be teaching. This book is packed full of resources and teaching strategies. I wouldn't recommend it as an audio book as there are too many resources you want to go back to. Non fiction books are also highlighted as a good way to introduce technical vocabulary to children.
I plan to write a full review on Closing The Vocabulary Gap and how it relates to multilingual literacy. As I am in need of enriching my Japanese vocabulary, this book has prompted me to start a personal challenge of reading 100 Japanese books next year.
Main Message Students without deep and rich vocabularies are at a disadvantage in all subjects not only English. All school subjects should teach vocabulary which specifically relates to that subject. After learning to read through synthetic phonics children should also be taught about etymology and word families.
Key Insights From This Year's Reading List. Lessons For Parents and Educators
Stolen Focus - Why You Cant Pay Attention and How To Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
Stolen Focus explores why we are finding it harder to focus. It discusses the distracting nature of social media and then moves on to a variety of other issues that are contributing to our inability to concentrate.
I found this book deeply relatable. At times I wonder if I am losing my mind, my ability to focus is that diminished. I notice this the most when I'm trying to study Japanese. I live in Japan, yet despite years of practice outputting complex phrases and vocabulary still does not come naturally. Stolen Focus offered valuable insights into how cultural and environmental pressures might be contributing to these struggles.
Main Message It isn't only social media that is stealing our ability to focus, it's everything in this face paced economic (capitalist) culture, we're simply not evolved to live this way. The solution is not easy, try getting more sleep, work less, find flow in things you love, eat a diet of whole foods, remove environmental toxins from your life and make time to relax and let your mind wander.
How Digital Culture Shapes Childhood Development & Mental Health
The Anxious Generation - How The Great Rewiring Of Childhood Is Causing An Epidemic Of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
The Anxious Generation was my most recent read and was also just announced as Goodreads Non Fiction Book Of The Year 2024. The book examines childhood mental health and the switch from a play based childhood to a phone based childhood, the switch took place in 2010 when smartphone usage became widespread. Children who have grown up with unfettered access to the internet particularly social media and pornography are increasingly anxious.
Between the ages 9-14 is when the sense of self really develops, the influence from being online during this age is having a profound effect on mental health outcomes of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. This discussion on self development resonated with my research on Third Culture Kids.
Main Message Children need more risky play in the real world and more heavily supervised play online. It would be better not to have children use social media at all until aged 15.
As I reflect on my reading journey this year, I'm reminded of the power of books to motivate and inspire educators, parents and lifelong learners. These education focused books offer valuable insights into nurturing the literacy development of multilingual learners. I plan to take these lessons, addressing challenges like digital distractions and vocabulary development into the New Year. I hope that together we can continue to support our children's literacy and growth in a rapidly changing world.
I'd love to hear your educational book recommendations, what has been your most thought provoking or inspiring read this year?
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