A growing movement to revolutionize the way literature is taught in school aims to engage students and turn them into lifelong readers. The approach, called reading workshop, allows students varying amounts of freedom in selecting the books they read.

A recent New York Times article follows teacher Lorrie McNeill after she was inspired to start a reading workshop in her middle-school class. Literary experts say that giving students a say in what they read is a powerful motivator. However, they caution that the choice of reading material should be limited to quality literature. Some proponents feel that almost any book is okay, as the teacher can then guide the student to choose books that are more challenging. For example, one of McNeill's students read a memoir by a popular rhythm-and-blues star. McNeill used that as an opportunity to suggest Maya Angelou's autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, followed by Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, and finally A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

Those who favor the traditional method of teaching literature point to the importance of a shared literary experience and exposing students to books that are rich with language, nuance, and layers of meaning. Sharing books as a group can lead to deeper insights, and many educators feel it is the best way to prepare students for standardized tests.

Books selected for the purpose of instruction are--and should be--different from books for independent reading.

Some schools take the best of both approaches, with some books read and explored as a group and others chosen by the students. After all, isn't instilling the habit of reading as important as creating a common standard?