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- What was required to read: a third of teachers choose books based on the advice of schoolchildren
What was required to read: a third of teachers choose books based on the advice of schoolchildren
Software works are not the only way to get acquainted with classical literature. Sometimes modern novels, which teenagers are fond of, lead to it. So, after "The Hunger Games" one of the students read "The Duel" by Kuprin, and after "The House in which ..." the schoolgirl became interested in Kafka's "Transformation". Teachers use such reading routes in the classroom, offering to compare works from different eras, look for common themes and discuss the actions of the characters, Izvestia found out. However, due to the heavy workload, children do not always have time to read on their own. How to combine the mandatory list with what is really interesting is in the Izvestia article.
What do the students recommend?
For 29% of teachers of Russian language and literature, the introduction to new books begins with a hint from the students. Such data is provided by Mikhail Shelkov's Empathy Charitable Foundation in a survey, the results of which were reviewed by Izvestia. In general, 81% of teachers read modern Russian prose. For 43%, this is part of their professional work: for example, they pay attention to the works that children mention in their essays. Another 38% study new products out of personal interest.
Anastasia Fokina, a teacher of Russian language and literature at the Otradnenskaya Secondary School, regularly discusses with students what they read outside the school curriculum. Some of the texts mentioned by the guys are subsequently analyzed in the classroom.
— There is such a "five-minute honesty" at the beginning of the lesson: "What are you reading, what do you recommend?". Children do offer options — and this creates trust. If the teacher honestly gets acquainted with what the child has suggested, and then discusses it with him, the effect is amazing," she told Izvestia. — Such finds end up in our classroom "reader's closet" and sometimes become lesson material. For example, we find literary techniques in modern prose, and then we look for them from the classics.
According to Fokina's observations, children who read on their own are more likely to be in the minority today. Books have serious competitors — short videos, computer games, and chat rooms.
— Reading requires "slow" attention, and it needs to be specially trained. At the same time, teenagers read much more than can be seen from a briefcase with classics. Outside of the program there are manga and graphic novels, web novels, bloggers' texts, fanfiction on favorite universes. High school students bring "The House in which..." by Mariam Petrosyan, Sapkovsky's books. I try not to devalue anything: fanfiction is also a text, and sometimes it's very big," the teacher noted.
Natalia Danko, a teacher of Russian language and literature at a school in the Petrogradsky district of St. Petersburg, listens to the advice of students. According to her, outside of the program, children read "Harry Potter", "Twilight" and comic books. Some people are also interested in classics, such as the novel "Little Women" by Louise May Alcott.
— Sometimes I even follow their recommendations. For example, one student recommended the works of Georges Simenon to me. Here, I'm reading, then we'll discuss it," she said.
From The Hunger Games to Kuprin
The interest of schoolchildren in modern prose helps teachers to introduce them to the classics. In the practice of Anastasia Fokina, there were cases when teenagers themselves turned to such works, finding in them themes familiar from their favorite books.
— A teenager who read "The Hunger Games", then calmly, without rejection, read Kuprin's "Duel" — the theme of coercion and violence against a person coincided there. After "The House in which...", another student took up Kafka's "Transformation" herself, because the theme of a man who no longer fits into the world was already familiar to her, the teacher said. — The classics work not because they are on the list of the school curriculum, but because they ask the same question. My task is to show this roll call.
According to Anastasia Fokina, teenagers are more likely to choose books whose characters are close to their age. Students are also attracted by the dynamic plot, short chapters, and clear language.
— Modern prose speaks the language of a teenager and what he cares about here and now: friendship, first love, fear of not fitting in. This is not a substitute for the classics, but rather an entrance door," the teacher emphasized.
38% of the teachers surveyed recommend works by contemporary Russian authors that are not included in the program to students. Teachers believe that it is important to raise the topics of bullying, personal boundaries, romance and loneliness, as well as relationships within a single-parent family in adolescent literature.
For example, the wordsmiths who participated in the Guardians of the Russian Language Olympiad advise schoolchildren to read Tamara Mikheeva's novel "Don't Betray Me" about growing up, bullying and first love. And also — the story "Arabella" by Maria Zakruchenko, whose heroine finds friends among fans of her favorite series.
When characters face problems that are close to the child, he gets additional motivation to read, explained psychologist Natalia Naumova.
— The process becomes exciting, similar to communicating with a friend. It allows you to see different points of view and understand that there are several solutions to the same problem," she explained.
Comparing classical and modern works helps to discuss moral issues with schoolchildren and encourages teenagers to think about their own actions, says Ksenia Moldavskaya, a teacher and critic of children's literature.
However, not all teachers actively turn to modern literature in the classroom. Natalia Danko, for example, prefers to introduce students to the classics through history.
— I rarely recommend modern authors. They are too "hype" for me, which means they are superficial. I try to consider the works of classical literature in a historical context. I explain, for example, that Leo Tolstoy did not write "War and Peace" for teenagers of the 21st century, but there are many nuances that are revealed through his era," said the teacher.
Children can also be interested in discussing works familiar from childhood from an unexpected side. So, Natalia Danko recently had a discussion with a tenth-grader about the fairy tale "Cinderella".
"What kind of prince is this who can't recognize the girl he likes?" And what size is the shoe, if there is no word that it is magical and only suitable for the owner? — she gave an example of the issues for discussion.
Time to read
High workload does not always leave students with the opportunity to read for their own pleasure, says Anna Sternberg, a teacher of Russian language and literature, a member of the Board of the KTR from the Teacher trade union. It is especially difficult for high school students who need to prepare for exams.
— I have seen children who come to the 10th grade without reading a single book on the program. Not a single one. And at the same time, they have normal grades," the teacher said.
The mother of a ninth-grader told Izvestia that she read to her daughter before going to bed when she was little, and later they began to read great works to each other in turn. The girl was fond of Anatoly Rybakov's books and Conan Doyle's detective stories, as well as the modern Agatha Mystery series.
The student's interest is also supported by her teacher.
— She likes to talk about literature with her teacher, she always listens to her advice. She can analyze the work she has read, she always defends her point of view," my mother shared. However, according to her, due to the school workload, the girl has less and less time for books that she would like to read herself.
The right to choose
In order to interest modern children in literature, it is important to give them the opportunity to choose books themselves, Anastasia Fokina believes.
— The main trick is to remove the "obligation" from the first meeting with the book. We read aloud the first pages of several books, and then we suggest choosing which one to return to. At the same time, we do not necessarily require you to go to the end: if you are not interested in the story for 50 pages, you can postpone it without feeling guilty," the teacher said.
Another way is the so—called blind dates with books. The volumes are wrapped in paper and leave three hints about the content, according to which the children choose what to read.
For some, audiobooks are the first step towards getting to know literature. Anastasia Fokina also organizes literary lounges and short joint readings on Fridays.
— Children vote for a particular work, then they just talk about it over tea — without grades and without essays. Usually 10-15 people gather, and this is the same class that pretends not to open the book in class," the teacher shared.
Students' interests can help teachers engage them in literature. By getting to know what teenagers choose for themselves, teachers better understand which topics are close to them, and show that classics wrote about similar experiences. This is how modern works help to bring children to the program works, which become closer to them thanks to their own reading experience.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
