There have been many situations where I have been asked by teachers what my least favorite part of English class was during middle and high school, and I always have the same answer: “popcorn” reading. “Popcorn” reading was the nightmare of English class, and I have never met a student who didn’t despise and dread it. Some of my most vivid memories of middle and high were sitting at the desk, near tears, and sweating, anxiously waiting for it to be my turn. I don’t think I ever actually paid any attention to what we were reading, as I was too busy rehearsing every line in the book so I wouldn’t embarrass myself.
For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, “popcorn” reading is essentially having a student read a paragraph of a text, and then once they finish, you call upon another random student to read the next section. Supposedly, many like it because it puts pressure on students to make sure they are following along and paying attention. Here is my problem with that theory: students aren’t retaining anything about what they are reading. For all the times I remember the anxiety and panic from these situations, I can not recall what we were reading, let alone what it was about or what I was supposed to be taking away from it. For many other students I have talked to, this is the same situation. When stressed about reading aloud, the students can become hyper-focused on their stress and making sure they don’t make mistakes, causing them to be merely reading the words out loud, instead of grasping what the text is saying.
However, I do see the other side of this, being that if we don’t do popcorn reading, how do we get students to participate and become engaged? The fact of the matter being, there isn’t a foolproof way to get students “engaged” without this method. I put engaged in quotations there, though, because engagement doesn’t have to equal active participation. Students can still be engaged and focused on what they are learning without actually speaking out in class. I think that sacrificing so many students’ mental health for the sake of active participation is not worth it in this situation. Having students volunteer to read can be a great compromise here. I know many students’ who adored reading aloud and jumped at the chance to do so, so this could be a great opportunity. If too little or no students volunteer, you can also choose to read aloud to the class as the teacher or have students read the text independently.
Another argument that many have for this method is that, as adults, we have to speak in front of people, and students need to develop these skills. And while yes, I agree these skills are essential, I think there are other ways to obtain them. It is crucial to remember a couple of things here. For starters, students are much meaner then adults most of the time. When a child struggles with reading and has to read in front of the class, their peers are much more likely to make fun of them or bully them. Adults tend to be more respectful and understanding in this sense, and the struggling reader doesn’t face the same level of scrutiny. Secondly, teens have a much higher “need” to fit in. Middle and High schoolers are often incredibly focused on what their fellow classmates might think of them and have a much lower confidence level. I have found that it is an entirely separate thing to present in front of coworkers than to present in front of my classmates. The pressure and environment are so much different. Instead, these skills can be developed by presenting in small groups, creating video presentations, and presenting to a teacher. These are much more comfortable and less stressful ways for students to obtain public speaking skills.
Overall, while I see the argument for “popcorn” reading, I don’t think it outweighs the stress and anxiety it causes students, and I believe there are better ways to achieve the same goal. Encouraging students to volunteer and read, reading to the class as the teacher, and having students read independently can accomplish the same outcome without sacrificing the readers’ mental health.
