64*(0.7#8()4#6*"9()(*"3:#;*<=-&/#6=-)=/.# >.%)3#&"9#?"9.<."9.")#@.&9("2## by Melinda S. Butler
Melinda S. Butler, EdD, is an assistant professor of literacy in the Department of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Southern Maine and the Director of the USM Summer Reading and Writing Workshop. Her research interests include popular culture texts, student access to texts, and independent reading.
I
n an elementary classroom, students sit in
plethora of texts in his classroom library from
comfortable chairs or recline on pillows on the
which to choose. Importantly, Mr. Noyes’s
floor. The room is silent, except for an occasional
classroom library contains popular culture texts:
chuckle from a student reader, the hushed voices
texts based on television, movies, sports, and
of a teacher and student engaged in a reading
videogames.
conference, and the rustle of a page turn. Over by
Is there anything wrong with this vignette? It
the fish tank, Deepak is reading Rodrick Rules: Diary
depends upon whom you ask. Although many
of a Wimpy Kid (Kinney, 2008). In the beanbag chair,
elementary students are provided choice in
Ayesha is devouring Guts (Telgemeier, 2019), the
selecting texts for independent reading, the
latest graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier. Ayesha is
“choice” is often conditional (Butler, 2018). For
a passionate Raina Telgemeier fan and cherishes
instance, in some classrooms, students choose
her dog-eared copies of Smile, Drama, and Sisters
texts from leveled book bins. That is, teachers
(Telgemeier, 2010, 2012, 2014). Over there, under
assess students at the beginning of the school year,
the teacher’s desk, Avery is poring over a
determine students’ reading levels, and require
Spiderman comic book. Every student is immersed
students to select independent reading texts at or
in a book. Indeed, they are in the reading zone
around their reading level. Although this is a
(Atwell & Merkel, 2016). Deepak, Ayesha, and
prevalent practice, Fountas and Pinnell (2018)
Avery are reading texts they selected based on their
advised teachers to use reading levels primarily for
interests. Regardless of text level. Regardless of
guided reading instruction. Simply put, Fountas
genre. Mr. Noyes, their teacher, has created a safe
and Pinnell (2018) advised teachers not to restrict
environment for free voluntary reading (Krashen,
students from selecting texts for independent
2011): free choice, an abundance of time, and a
reading based on a predetermined reading level 11
