Books as portals: using place to understand rural students’ individuated reading experiences

ABSTRACT Much has been written about the instructional insights illuminated by viewing texts as windows through which readers can view the experiences of those who are different from them in some way, mirrors through which they can see themselves reflected, and sliding glass doors through which they can step to experience a world different from their own. However, discussion of this metaphor’s implications for rural students is notably missing from the literature. Coupling this framework with place-based pedagogy, this inquiry focuses on the insights and experiences of ninth-grade rural students as they reflected on texts. After examining written reflections and transcripts from classroom discussions, the authors found that students made meaningful connections and built empathy through texts they individually identified as windows and sliding glass doors. Mirror texts were empowering – except when students did not feel seen in the literature they read. The authors conclude with instructional recommendations based on findings.