Some sobering statistics:
“What Kids Are Reading: The Book-Reading Habits of Students in American Schools,” a report by Renaissance Learning, Inc.
80 page PDF
http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R004101202GH426A.pdf
Table of Contents
“Foreword by Dan Gutman, Author of the My Weird School Series
Introduction by Jeff Kinney, Author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
Section I: Overall Reading
WhatShould Kids Be Reading? by Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform, University of Arkansas
What Should Kids Be Reading?
by Barry Gilmore, Chair of Humanities/English Teacher, Hutchison School, Memphis, TN
Top 40 Books Read Overall and by Gender, Grades 1–12
Section II: Graphic Novels
What Should Kids Be Reading? by Dav Pilkey, Author of the Captain Underpants Series
Top 40 Graphic Novels Read, Grades 1–12
Section III: Common Core State Standards Exemplars
What Should Kids Be Reading? by David Coleman, Student Achievement Partners/ Common Core State Standards Contributing Author
Common Core State Standards Exemplars—Informational Texts and Stories
Section IV: Librarians’ Picks
What Should Kids Be Reading? by Terri Kirk, Librarian, Reidland High School, Paducah, KY
Librarians’ Picks: Top 25 Books by Interest Level
Section V: Frequently Challenged Books
What Should Kids Be Reading? by Ellen Hopkins, Author of the Crank Trilogy
Top 10 Challenged Books by Year, 2008–2010, from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom ”
Review at 21st Century Fluency
http://www.21stcenturyfluency.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=2629
“American High School Students Are Reading Books At 5th-Grade-Appropriate Levels: Report
High school students today are reading books intended for children with reading levels far below those appropriate for teens, according to a recent report.
A compilation of the top 40 books teens in grades 9-12 are reading in school shows that the average reading level of that list is 5.3 — barely above the fifth grade.”
“Top 20 Books Read Among U.S. High Schoolers 2010-2011:
1. Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (ATOS book level 5.3)
2. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck (4.5)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (5.6)
4. Night, Elie Wiesel (4.8)
5. The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks (5.1)
6. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins (5.3)
7. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins (5.3)
8. Animal Farm, George Orwell (7.3)
9. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer (4.9)
10. A Child Called “It”, Dave Pelzer (5.8)
11. Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer (4.8)
12. The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan (4.7)
13. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton (4.7)
14. Dear John, Nicholas Sparks (5.5)
15. Crank, Ellen Hopkins (4.3)
16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling (6.9)
17. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (7.3)
18. Lord of the Flies, William Golding (5.0)
19. The Giver, Lois Lowry (5.7)
20. Marked: A House of Night Novel, P.C. Cast (5.4)”
Stephen
One Response
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Shows how limited ATOS is in aiding the selection of books that high school students should read. Does any librarian or teacher believe that Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Night is more suitable for fifth-graders than for high schoolers?