Reading Role Models

An aspect of encouraging reading in my classroom that I had never really considered before was presenting the children with an array of reading role models. Since most teachers are female, that is the most common model that children are presented with. As the Cunningham and Allington text discussed, it is important to expand this pool and also include male reading models in your classroom. As I considered this concept, I saw the value in not only focusing on male models but also on people with in the community. Demonstrating to children that reading is a life long skill that is used and valued not only by teachers but also buy firemen/electricians/grocers/etc. These modles would not only read to the children but they could also discuss the many different ways they use  their reading skills. This topic could easily transition into inviting 

 people who read daily for their job like movie producers/reporters/book editors/etc. to come share their passion for reading with your class.