A Teacher's Concern: Reading Issues in My Classroom
The term "literacy crisis" might sound like a distant headline, but for me, a 5th-grade teacher, it is the daily reality I face in my classroom. I see it in students who can focus for hours on YouTube and games, yet find it increasingly difficult to finish a single book.
This crisis becomes audible in their questions, like, "Teacher, when do we have to finish this by?" or their sighs of, "This is too long and boring." Each comment deepens my concern and highlights the urgency of the problem. While I still believe in the profound value of reading physical books, it's clear we must find new ways to connect with a generation navigating a very different world.
A Small Experiment in the Classroom
That's why I decided to try something new. My goal was to find a way to leverage the digital environment our children love, without sacrificing the depth of a meaningful reading experience. We're currently in the second unit of our Social Studies curriculum, "Respect for Human Rights and a Just Society." I thought, what if my students could experience this topic not just through a textbook, but through a living, breathing story?
A New Approach: The Interactive Novel
1. The Experience of Becoming the Protagonist Instead of passively reading a story, the students step into the shoes of the main character. They make their own choices and decisions to drive the narrative forward, naturally prompting them to ask, "What would I do in this situation?"
2. Choices That Shape Different Endings The decisions students make throughout the story lead to various outcomes. This means they can experience different endings from their classmates, which naturally sparks discussions about the choices they made and why.
This project is still in its early stages, but I'm already so curious to see how the students will respond. How will the children who usually struggle with reading react to this new format? Can we make serious topics like human rights and justice genuinely engaging? And on a larger scale, could this be part of a solution to the fundamental problem of declining literacy?
The literacy crisis is a challenge that affects us all. However, I believe we can address it with the right approach and innovative ideas. I plan to consistently create and share content for students in this "Interactive Fiction" category. If you have any thoughts or ideas after reading this, please feel free to share them in the comments. Thank you to everyone who joins me in thinking about the future of our children's education.