Introduction: Why should we read?

In the assignment given last week were to to come up with an essential question as well as some unit questions. My essential question was Why should we read? This is a great question mainly because it is an open question and can have a variety of answers. It is not a yes or no question and forces the student to think about the question and how it can be answered. It is a broad question and can open up several discussions for students amongst themselves as well as in the classroom.

Inquiry based learning is great for this question and will help the students come up with their own answers and possibly other questions. Teachers should help the students to answer the question and provide them with the proper materials but not give them the knowledge or the answers they are looking for but to simply guide them in the right direction. One of my unit questions is can reading be fun? Well of course reading can be fun but the students have to find that out on their own. If the teacher can provide fun reading material that will keep the students interest and relate the material to their lives they will learn how fun reading can be.

Another unit question that I have listed is why do I have to learn to read? As we all know reading is very important in our lives. Students may or may not know this and may ask this question while they learn about reading. By the teacher guiding them and helping them learn why reading is so important and how it will always be used in life the teacher may also help the students relate writing and reading. The last unit question added is how do I know what level of reading I am. Many teachers use level books to help students know exactly what level they are reading at. If a teacher does not have level books they may have a classroom library and by simply leveling the books themselves the students will know where to start. The students may also set goals for themselves and want to be on a different level by the end of the year.

Reading is just one subject that they may ask and is just one essential question but while they are learning they may come up with other questions and the learning process can branch out into many other subjects.