Book Reports Do Not Work

I believe the reason it took me so long to appreciate literacy was the way it was forced upon me as a student. The teachers had to follow a strict curriculum, which meant reading certain novels and plays. Although there were a few that I grew to love, I usually had no interest in reading them. What made it even worse was when the teacher would assign us to write a book report on the reading. This just made the reading part feel more miserable. Instead of just reading a book to enjoy it or escape from reality, I had to actually pay close attention to specific details. And usually in the end I hardly ever actually finished reading the book. I would just skim through it and also read the back cover or inside flap that gives the details of the plot. I feel that in order to get students into reading, they should be aloud to choose what book they want to read at first and then be asked questions as to why they chose it, and what they found to be the most interesting aspect of it. I understand as a literature major that I do have to pay close attention to details in novels, and that is to be expected. But when trying to get a student to read, especially middle and high school, it needs to be a gradual process; letting them pick a few novels on their own, and then introducing them to the curriculum. It could be a way for teachers to learn more about their students and also compare the more modern novels they choose, to the classic novels the curriculum suggests.