The newest assigned reading for English is dropped onto my desk, and not a second later comes its seven-page reading guide, sectioned off into chapters with the due date scribbled across the front page in huge font. The bold directions at the top of the paper include a list of checkmarks in addition to reading the 400-page novel, such as “embedding strong textual evidence” and “answering in a complete, well-thought paragraph”. The class groans in unison.
Reading guides and assigned readings are a package deal, but one that certainly doesn’t save time or money. Instead, they add another hefty workload to an already time-consuming class, turn reading into a chore, and stifle students’ creativity. Contrary to the goals of English class, where students are taught to analyze and interpret literary works to ultimately write an essay of their own, mandatory reading guides eliminate the “critical thinking” aspect of English.
Amidst an already packed schedule, reading long novels within a short time frame can often take up hours of a high schooler’s time. However, filling out reading guides takes just as long, if not longer, due to the sheer amount of evidence and sentences students need to find, put together, and write. Asking students to spend their time finding page numbers so that they can cite evidence, or identifying specific sentences, is neither beneficial nor encourages “in-depth reading”.
This emphasis on trivial aspects of assigned readings consequently turns reading into a side task, a supplement to aid in completing reading guides, when it should be the opposite. Often, novels and reading guide packets are open side-by-side, students skimming over the passages in search of the next question to answer. Even worse, when people are constantly in search of an answer to a specific question, it’s even harder to comprehend the passages. Reading guides encourage surface-level engagement, churning out answers instead of reflecting on the text.
Forcing students to complete packets that dictate what chapters they should be paying attention to – which aspects of the text are the most “important” – only stifle their creativity and curiosity. Adding in open-ended questions only turns reading into a frustrating chore, instead of the skill English is meant to cultivate. The times I most enjoyed a book were not when I had a packet of questions trying to “guide” me, but when I could sit down, read at my own pace, and explore the questions that interested me.
Not only do reading guides detract from comprehension, but they also are harmful when it comes to preparing for tests and essays. Although they are intended to be, as the name implies, a “guide” when it comes to assigned readings, they are in reality more of a hindrance. Instead of teaching students how to review and study for exams, as high schoolers are expected to do when they get older, reading guides provide an easy way out. Students end up memorizing the questions on the reading guide instead of making sure they understand the book, or reflecting on the parts of the text that they struggle with.
Relying on reading guides sets students up for failure, especially when test questions are comprehensive, and meant to test readers’ ability to analyze and break down the text – something reading guides could never do. In the long term, students will never have to remember a certain name or traits of a character, but they will need to learn to interpret works and make insights of their own.
A common worry regarding assigned readings is that students will not read the book independently or will not know what to study come testing time without a guide. However, reading guides do not encourage comprehensive reading – if anything, students will just scan the passages necessary to answer the questions. Further, classes are meant to teach high schoolers how to study and revise on their own. When they get older, jobs and colleges won’t hand out packets telling them which areas to study. And schools may find that students may feel more incentivized and encouraged to read on their own when there isn’t the thought of a seven-page packet needing to be completed.
The use of reading guides in English classes overall only increases feelings of resentment and frustration when it comes to assigned readings. Making reading guides optional rather than mandatory, and emphasizing open discussions (similar to fishbowl discussions) rather than rote memorization, may achieve what reading guides cannot: a deeper understanding of the literature, and a space for genuine curiosity.