I am a self-proclaimed avid reader. During summer holidays, I can’t wait to get to the local library and pick up a stack of books. Spring break? I’ve already got a hold of the Canada Reads list to make my way through. I do love a great story.
It’s funny how stories can take on different meanings for me throughout my life. As I’ve heard, then read, then re-told the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, I notice that it has taken on different meanings for me. As a child, I felt like this was a serious warning: respect others’ privacy and property, be careful when you’re out alone. As an adult, I thought about Goldilocks as a curious child getting into mischief. And as of late, I’ve learned of interpretations that compare the story to gentrification and colonization. In all the ways I have thought of this story over the years, I’ve found it interesting to revisit, to turn it over in my mind, and consider different messages.
As an educator, I think of Goldilocks’ story as a metaphor for the way children try different things to discover what they like and don’t like. Those famous phrases, “This porridge is too hot! This porridge is too cold! This porridge is just right!” are the ways I hear children moving through the world. I hear them trying on clothing, activities, identity, and yes, even the ways they figure out what they like about school.
Building a love of reading in students can look like this as well; trying out many different stories and authors. Reading a variety of genres helps students to know what they like best: mysteries, drama, science fiction, comedy, non-fiction, etc. There’s also different forms of writing: poetry, prose, verse, graphic novels, and more. There are so many more options for children to explore and love than I had when I was a student. Libraries have a beautiful, wide selection for students and learning how to navigate that space can expose them to many different worlds.
I used to be a real stickler for reading the entire story. For myself, I used to insist on reading a book right to the end – even when I didn’t fully enjoy it, I powered my way through every page. My perspectives have now changed; life is too short to spend reading books that don’t resonate with me. I might try a ‘bite’ of a chapter or two and then decide it’s too wordy, the setting isn’t quite right, the pacing feels uncomfortable. It’s just not for me. And, like Goldilocks, I am giving myself permission to put it down and try something else.
Extending this invitation to students also gives them the opportunity to think about themselves as readers. Of course, I want them to find a book they love and read it through to the end, but sometimes the book they’ve selected just isn’t the book for them. If students aren’t finishing books they’ve self selected, that also speaks to them as a reader. Perhaps they need to think about what they like or what style of writing works for them. If they want to ‘take a bite’ of a book then put it down for another, a conversation may help to guide some of this self-reflection. Using questions like:
- What’s this book about? What made you pick it up?
- Why isn’t this book for you? What made you change your mind about this book?
- What type of book do you think you would like to try next?
- How can we track the types of books, authors, styles you like so you will know what to look for in the school library?
These conversations may help to guide your discussions with students. Taking on a curious stance means that it’s less about students feeling like they are wrong for not finishing their book and more about how we care about helping them find the right fit book for them. When the educator takes on a guiding role, mentoring students from a position of care, we are developing relationships. Instead of telling them what kind of reader they should be, we are helping them to learn more about themselves and what kind of reader they are.
What makes Goldilocks and the Three Bears interesting is that there is no wrapped up happy ending, like in other fables. We don’t know what happens to Goldilocks as she is “never seen again” at the end of the story. I wonder where she went and if she told anyone what she saw or did. If I could rewrite this ending from my educator lens, I’d love it if the surprised bears taught Goldilocks how to make porridge and build furniture she thought was best. Goldilocks would learn these skills from the bears, perhaps even sharing some skills and knowledge of her own that the bears could use in their cottage. And both of them would learn that there are many different ways to be ‘just right’.
