Reading in the Wild Quotes

“If we value all readers, we must value all reading.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Readers enjoy talking about books almost as much as they like reading.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Without any reading time in class, too much homework, and little choice provided in reading material or writing topics, Sarah keeps her reading life alive in spite of school, not because of it. Our children shouldn't have to wait for adulthood to become wild readers. For many, it will be too late.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“If we really want our students to become wild readers, independent of our support and oversight, sometimes the best thing we can do is get out of the way.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Failing to graduate a populace that values reading has long-term consequences for everyone.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“The most effective reading teachers are teachers who read. According to Morrison, Jacobs, and Swinyard (1999), “Perhaps the most influential teacher behavior to influence students' literacy development is personal reading, both in and out of school” (p. 81).”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Exposing students to lots of books and positive reading experiences while building a network of other readers who support each other provides students with tools that last beyond the classroom setting.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“We don’t need to have just one favorite. We keep adding favorites. Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favorites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose the old favorites. They’re always with us. We just sort of accumulate them. —Lloyd Alexander”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Children's author C. Alexander London (2011) writes, “It's a fact: people can survive without books. People can even have wonderful, full lives without books. But they can't long endure without community, and a community is built on stories.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“For me, this is what wild reading is: readers who incorporate reading into their personal identities to the degree that it weaves into their lives along with everything else that interests them. As teachers and parents, we spend a lot of time gnashing our teeth and complaining that kids don't read. Reading is a big deal to us because we know that reading well unlocks academic, professional, and social opportunities, but for readers themselves, reading is just part of who they are.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“By believing that only some of our students will ever develop a love of books and reading, we ignore those who do not fall into books and reading on their own. We renege on our responsibility to teach students how to become self-actualized readers. We are selling our students short by believing that reading is a talent and that lifelong reading behaviors cannot be taught.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Professional benefits aside, I read because I love it... The noise of my life demands that I find daily solitude within the pages of my books. I can think and grow and dream. I am happier when I make time to read, and I feel stressed and anxious when I don't read for a few days. Reading centers me.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“Every book begins and ends with other people- the readers who suggest the book to us and encourage us to read it, the talented author who crafted each word, the fascinating individuals we meet inside the pages- and the readers we discuss and share the book with when we finish.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“We reduce the effectiveness of reading interventions when we don't provide our lowest-performing students reading time and encouragement. Developing readers need more reading, not less.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“As legendary musician Charlie Parker said, “If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“As Stephen Krashen and Joanne Ujiie (2005) assert, “Many people are fearful that if children engage in ‘light reading,' if they read comics and magazines they will stay with this kind of reading forever, that they will never go on to more ‘serious' reading. The opposite appears to be the case. The evidence suggests that light reading provides the competence and motivation to continue reading and to read more demanding texts” (p. 6).”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“I don't believe some teachers consider whether their classroom instruction fosters the development of reading habits in their students. Reflecting on the landslide of crossword puzzles, dioramas, annotations, and reading logs assigned to their students for every book they read, teachers might realize that instead of encouraging students to read, these mindless assignments make kids hate reading. Primarily assigned to generate grades and give teachers a false sense that they are holding students accountable for reading, these counterfeit activities—that no wild reader completes on his or her own—guarantee that their students will avoid reading. If we care about our students' reading lives, we must foster their lifelong reading habits and eliminate or reduce the negative influences of classroom practices that don't align with what wild readers do.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Students need to make their own choices about reading material and writing topics.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Although I enjoy digging through the library to help students find books, my aim is to help them develop self-confidence in choosing books for themselves.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Talk with your table groups about your weekend. Were there any moments when you were waiting and bored?”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Reading fits into her self-identity.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“Keeping Track of Your Reading Life: Students document their reading habits throughout the school year using their readers’ notebooks. In this section, we examine components of the reader’s notebook that reinforce wild reading habits, describing how each tool holds students accountable for their reading and provides reflection and planning opportunities for both readers and teachers.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“I take a book everywhere with me. I tell my daughter that I will never be lonely because I love to read.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“Teaching children the simple habit of carrying a book with them for reading emergencies helps them capitalize on the edge time in their days.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“The more students practice, the more they enjoy and develop confidence in reading and the more likely they are to read in their free time.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“If students remain dependent on teachers to remove all obstacles that prevent them from reading, they won't become independent readers.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“Our true obligations regarding children's literacy: fostering their capacity to lead literate lives.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“Students need to feel that they are part of a community of readers and writers. Students develop confidence and self-efficacy as readers through their relationships with other readers.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild

“No matter what our curriculum requires us to teach or how little class time we have, children must read a lot in order to attain even minimum levels of reading achievement. This requires a daily commitment to reading at school and home.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

“While we need to stay informed about what they read and remain connected to our students, we don't need to participate in every discussion or endorse every book. If students depend on our validation for every book they read, they aren't reading for their own purposes and needs. They are playing the teacher-pleaser game.”
― Donalyn Miller, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits