But I do assign or suggest other reading materials. In the short time that students are in class, I encourage them to read books. Word of mouth by other students is one of the best encouragements to get students to read certain books. The Terri McMillan books, Mamma and Waiting to Exhale, are two books that got great reviews from students. Books that relate to students' lives encourage them to continue reading.
Teachers can help students see themselves in books.
I give students books that I think have a message for them. Sometimes a book can be assigned spontaneously. It doesn't take long for a student to see herself relating to the role of the central character when the issues are similar in their lives. Students get to see that Jonathan Livingston Seagull was determined and put forth the effort that enabled him to reach his goal and then to go back and encourage others he had left behind. Sometimes feelings of loneliness and incompetence in the eyes of others dampen the spirit and prevent one from doing well.