What is a "Good" Reader?

During our class session on Nov 2^nd, we discussed the idea of a “good” reader. Classmates offered their perspective on assessments and anecdotal evidence of reading. It became clear that the term “good” reader can vary widely based on experience; one colleague refuses to use the term because she learned the term “good” adds value and we should simply encourage students to be readers. I think a “good”” reader is not only someone who can read fluently and comprehend, but also understand the value of reading. For example, a “good” reader would know the importance of reading to gather information about an unknown topic, or how texts on the same topic can discuss varying viewpoints which contribute to new knowledge. As a teacher who wants to see students become lifelong learners, I think understanding the value of text is almost as important as understanding the skills to decode and comprehend text.

In an effort to build students who demonstrate self-efficacy, I think it’s also important to understand student perception of what makes a “good” reader—not only to develop their own perception of their abilities, but to better model practices to guide students in becoming better readers. A 2005 article from The Reading Teacher uses a questionnaire that can be distributed to students throughout the year to gauge their perception of “good” readers. As someone who wants to encourage my students to love and value reading—even if they are still working on the skills to decode, read fluently, and comprehend—I think this type of measure may be useful to better understand how students conceptualize the process of reading and becoming “good” readers.

Johnson, J.C. (2005). What makes a "Good" Reader? Asking students to define "Good" Readers. The Reader Teacher, 58(8), 766-770. doi: 10.1598/RT.58.8.6.