Early Claim for Final Paper & Reason 1

Claim: Too often in their attempts to challenge students' reading abilities and preconceived values, professors' efforts are counterproductive.

Reason 1: Professors choose books that students are unable to relate to because the author's viewpoints are too foreign. By forcing adolescents to trudge through books that would never mirror their own lives, teachers and professors are decreasing the possibility of molding their students into life long readers because students begin to categorize reading as an unexciting task rather than a pleasurable activity. Louis Stover, Chair of the Education Department of the River Gazette, preaches that "...the texts we ask our students to read in school...undercut our efforts to develop [their] passion reading...If the goal is to...create a citizenry of life-long readers, we might be better served by asking students to read (gasp!) a Harry Potter novel. Through the Rawlings books, students can examine themselves and their relationships, learn to negotiate a world that is more often gray than black and white, and come to appreciate and understand the craft of the novel (Stover 9). Instead of trying to picture himself or herself arguing a topic that would only prove necessary in the 18th century, students can draw from their own real-life experiences to create a boost in class discussion with more solid opinions.