Knowing students and how they learn is central to quality teaching. Knowing students as readers is at the core of being able to teach reading well. Given that reading is a complex process that has intellectual, social, emotional, and cultural dimensions, getting to know students as readers is an ongoing process that requires a range of approaches.

Over the coming weeks I will be discussing specific activities which allow teachers to see reading from the perspective of students. These include using metaphor to capture levels of reading engagement, drawing reading, teacher and student reading conferences, and question prompts for reflective writing and discussion. Suggested by academics Amanda McCraw and Mary Mason in their text Activating Reading Capabilities in English, these activities reveal insights into the complexity of student reading experiences and identify the impact certain factors might have on a student’s reading capabilities.

Metaphors are powerful elements in making meaning. They are an imaginative way of describing something by referring to something else. The metaphors we create and use, help us to grasp, reflect on, and express ideas, feelings, and understandings. The metaphor of a deep-sea diver is a useful starting point when asking students to consider how deeply engaged they are in reading. A deep-sea diver explores new territory, takes risks, is curious, well-equipped, and immerses themselves in the world under water. In addition to this, an experienced deep-sea diver knows what to do in challenging situations, reflecting on knowledge gained during previous diving encounters. The deep-sea diver is a very useful metaphor for exploring the notion of deep reading and deep learning.

In contrast to the deep-sea diver and deep learning, we have surface learning. The surface reader could be compared to someone on a sailing boat cruising the ocean. A further position again – this time representing reading disengagement – could be captured in a person standing on a jetty, looking out aimlessly at the water.

Once students understand the power of metaphor to name the quality of their reading and learning experiences, they can be encouraged to find their own. My Year 9 English class responded this week with some interesting individual metaphors. Three of these included a mountain climber attempting to conquer Everest; a surfer, sitting on her board out beyond the break, waiting for the right wave to appear; and a fussy eater, with strong preferences and an unwillingness to try new foods. These identifications proved to be a rich form of insight for the students and a wonderful source of information for their teacher.

Clare Murphy

English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach