The Mystery Reader

Ever since this class began, I have found myself getting more and more excited about reading and reading instruction. I am constantly listening for great ideas that others may have, researching new ideas, and trying to think of my own creative ideas. I am beginning to come to the conclusion that any activity that results in one more child learning to enjoy reading is a success. Also, the more “tricks” I have up my sleeve, the better the chance that I will be able to connect with the needs of every child and the better the chance that I will be able to get every child interested in reading. Not only that, but the more I am able to vary the activities and instructional strategies I choose to use, the smaller the chance that students will become bored and uninterested, and the better chance that they will be on the edges of their seats waiting for their next opportunity to stick their nose in a book. I do believe that too much variation can do more harm than good, but a good balance is crucial!
Recently, I was talking with my mom over the phone about school. I love to tell her about what I am learning in my classes, and compare things I have learned with how her teachers do things in their classrooms. During this particular conversation, I began quizzing her about the different things they do to get the kids reading. She then told me about “The Mystery Reader”. Each week, a different student gets to be the mystery reader. On Friday, the teacher selects the mystery reader and sends home a book with them to practice reading. The student has all week to practice reading their book. On the next Friday, the mystery reader is revealed to the rest of the class, and they read their book. I was a bit skeptical about this idea at first. It definitely has some positives and negatives, but after having some time to think about it for the past few weeks, I think I have decided that I really like it and would like to incorporate it into my classroom somehow. At the very least, I now have a new addition to my bag of tricks for reading. The best part about it how excited it helps the kids get over reading. My mom tells me that every week, the class gets very excited about finding out whom the mystery reader is and what they are going to read, and that the mystery reader has so much fun keeping their role a secret from everyone else. Another positive thing is that it gives students confidence about their ability to read, as well as giving them reason to practice over and over again. The only thing is that the teacher must be aware of home situations and parental support, because this could be a bad experience for children who don’t have parents to listen to them and help them practice. The one thing I would consider changing about this activity for my own classroom is to somehow allow the child some kind of choice in choosing their book, or I would at least wait until I knew each of them well enough to pick a book they would enjoy and take an interest in. It is so exciting to me to think of the buzz of little voices in a classroom trying to figure out who the mystery reader is! Maybe this treat could be the new thing that makes Friday’s fun instead of those silly old treasure boxes!