One of the changes I have made this year, in terms of assessing the personal reading of my students, was to add the row in the rubric that targets challenging oneself as a reader. I know from my own reading experience that it is easy to get sucked into the world of only reading certain genres and particular authors. This makes me lazy when I read because I know what the author will do, or what to expect from reading so many other similar books.
My students, and their parents, have asked, "How do we challenge ourselves as readers." Here is the beginning of an answer.
The first thing to do is to read outside your comfort zone. Pick up books in genres you may not be familiar with. Explore new authors. This was the goal of the "Around the Library in 14 Genres" contest held earlier in the year. The amazing thing to me is that when you branch out and try new reading materials you discover so many wonderful things. I, personally, don't really enjoy mystery novels, and yet some of the most enjoyable books I have read in the last year have been in that genre. I have read the first two books by the late Steig Larsson. You never know. You may discover that you actually enjoy what you thought you didn't.
Drop into a library and browse through the shelves. Some books may just jump out at you.
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