“I Hate Reading”: Overcoming Shame in the Reading Classroom

It can take a lifetime to eradicate a reader’s shame—or it can take one great teacher

Shame-bound readers want someone to notice them. It’s true. But then what does a teacher do to help students? Justin Stygles found fresh answers in Gershen Kaufman’s seminal research on shame and applied it to his teaching. The results proved to him—and now us—that taking deliberate actions to is crucial. At heart, it’s about mentoring these fragile readers. Yet the beautiful surprise in store? A few shifts in classroom practices changed everything for every reader. Learn to:

• Spot all the distress signals, including withdrawal, perfectionism, sweetness 
• Help students see that they are not permanently locked out of a reading life
• Use assessment instruments to note and celebrate incremental change
• Plan mini-units that develop skills in concert with engagement
• Design small group experiences that are free of levels and other shame-inducing labels

It can take a lifetime to eradicate a reader’s shame—or it can take one great teacher

Shame-bound readers want someone to notice them. It’s true. But then what does a teacher do to help students? Justin Stygles found fresh answers in Gershen Kaufman’s seminal research on shame and applied it to his teaching. The results proved to him—and now us—that building relationships and taking deliberate actions to alleviate shame is crucial.

With this remarkable book, Stygles shows us how to build an interpersonal bridge with students and make vulnerability okay. But make no mistake—disengaged readers need to feel competent before they fully buy in, and so the author packs the book with powerful instructional ideas. Learn to:

• Spot all the distress signals, including withdrawal, perfectionism, and compliance.
• Help students see that they are not permanently locked out of a reading life
• Use assessment instruments to note and celebrate incremental change
• Plan mini-units that develop skills in concert with engagement
• Design small group experiences that are free of levels and other shame-inducing labels
• Pump up independent reading with scaffolding and sociability
• Harness writing about reading to convince students of their uniqueness.

The shame factor is real. It’s time we meet it head on, with innovation and the best thinking from multiple research fields. I Hate Reading is the tool that does just that.