Choice & Voice

As public high school teachers in a school where we often move from classroom to classroom each day, we found that it was a challenge to create a community of readers. We wanted students to love reading and discuss it regularly with each other and with other adults to develop lifelong literacy. Fleck and Heinemann created a Reader Workshop structure that ties together daily time to read independently (books of student choice), monthly “book club-style” conversation with guest faculty/staff facilitators, and writing/reflection on student growth as readers and how these stories impact their lives, both inside and outside of school. This book offers a clear model to help our readers establish a Reader Workshop in their classrooms as well as tools to get them started, including access to our Digital Library and One Pager prompts. Upon finishing this book, readers will have a reinvigorated excitement about independent reading and justification for its relevance in the classroom. Our interactive RW model (1) allows for student choice in reading, writing, and speaking, (2) provides an authentic audience for student work, (3) strengthens CCSS skills, (4) builds a wider school community of readers, and (5) fosters lifelong literacy.

As demonstrated in this practical book, Fleck & Heinemann invite all teachers to consider the impact of pleasure reading on curiosity, engagement, and discussion skills in their high school. They demonstrate how to change a school culture through partnerships and teacher collaboration. Teachers who work together learn together. You will find vision here to transform your school--and its readers.--Penny Kittle, co-author, "180 Days" and author, "Book Love and Write Beside Them", If you're looking for authentic, tried and true ways to help all of your students to be readers and to love reading, this is your book. Choice & Voice is written by teachers who figured out how to fit it all in, meet the standards, and form a community of lifelong readers.--Berit Gordon, literacy consultant; author, "No More Fake Reading and The Joyful Teacher", Based upon sound reading theory and research, this is a practical book, written by teachers for teachers. Clearly understanding the relationship between student choice and student engagement, the authors fill their pages with suggestions about creating reading rich environments, integrating the various strands of the language arts, dealing with mandated curriculum, and structuring instructional time. Those of us distressed about those 'I-hate-reading' students will find this a tremendously useful book.--Tom Scott, After reading this book, I am hopeful that teachers in all content areas will be convinced that they can and should craft a Collaborative Reading Workshop for their classes. The authors share tools, materials, research and practical examples that can be easily adapted to any classroom while also showing the potential this approach has for building the reading, writing, and discussion skills of all students, regardless of ability. Just as important, Fleck and Heinemann illustrate how a Collaborative Reading Workshop builds a sense of community that fosters self-awareness, relational skills, empathy, and tolerance among students of diverse backgrounds, values and interests. Try this approach and watch your students become empowered when they see that their voice matters and confident when they watch their literacy skills grow!--Marsha McCracken Voigt, co-author, "Disciplinary Literacy in Action", As a college counselor, I often work with students who have not been prepared well enough to face the challenges college classes provide. From not feeling comfortable interacting with others in class not being able to process what they read in their textbooks, many students struggle during their first term in postsecondary. Doing well at this level has more to do with self-management than it does with 'being smart.' Choice & Voice provides a structure for these students to practice and improve the social-emotional, critical thinking, and goal setting skills needed to be successful as a college student. Since Collaborative Reader Workshop works from a growth mindset perspective, it not only teaches students they are not limited, it provides them with the space to see and experience it for themselves.--Matthew Cullen, counselor, Green River College

Stephanie Fleck teaches English and sponsors the literary magazine at Barrington High School in Barrington, Illinois. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from Augsburg University. She lives in Lake Zurich with her husband and daughter. You can follow her on Twitter at @sweissteach. Jolene Heinemann teaches English at Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois. She has her MA in English from Northeastern Illinois University. She lives in Chicago with her partner and their Flemish Giant rabbit. You can follow her much less active Twitter account at @msheinemann.