What types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
I currently teach first grade and love it. I find that my students who are reading, love it and find time at home to read during the evenings and on the weekends. I have also found that many of my struggling readers tend to not read with parents at night and do not like it as much as my other students. This aligns with my groups CLC project survey results. To motivate all of students I use extrinsic rewards. I have found that my school likes to think that intrinsically our children will be motivated to do work and succeed but through some recent professional development, research shows that extrinsic and intrinsic rewards align with each other. Having heard that it is ok to reward children with tangible items, I have made a few motivational activities in my classroom.
During independent reading, I hand out a prize to the best reader in class. The best reader means that they are following our independent reading chart. Their eyes are on their book, they are building stamina, they are staying in one spot and they are reading for the entire time. Children build stamina, starting from 3 minutes in September to 20 minutes in May. I use the same motivational strategy for partner reading and so on. This is the first year that I have implemented this and it has been a success.
The second motivational activity that I do is I have reading challenges. During our long breaks of one week to two weeks, children keep a log on how many minutes they read to an adult out of a "just right" book. Children who read for 15 minutes each day receive a special picnic lunch with friends and myself. I did this in December and 16 out of my 20 participated. The 4 children who didn't participate were my struggling readers.
I then realized that this reading challenge was not motivating my struggling students to read. I sat down with each child individually and had lunch. We talked about reading and why we read. We also talked about what motivates them and what would they work for. I talked with parents on rewards and had each child pick a reward. I made up new reading challenges for those children. Some children worked for a sweatshirt, other picked lego time and one little girl wants a movie night with mom. In the end, all four of my children were motivated and completed a 4 day challenge. I'm working on making it a 7 day challenge for next time.
I enjoy showing the children what I'm reading and also like displaying new books on my little book shelf for children to browse. When I do my daily read aloud, I give the book to the child who was the most engaged. That child then gets to have the book in his or her books box for the day. I thought of this one day when listening was a challenging task for many. It's been a huge success.
Monique Bruce There are five stages to reading: Emerging Pre-Reader, Novice Reader, Decoding Reader, Fluent, Comprehending Reader, and Expert Reader In my third grade classroom, my students fall between Novice Reader to Fluent, Comprehending Reader. Emerging Pre-Reader or reading readiness is the first stage of a child’s language development. The students in my class are able to identify their alphabets and sounds. Some students still struggle in reading. The problems I see are my students are able to blend certain sounds or understand vowel sounds. Somewhere between kindergarten to 2nd grade the basis of reading did not develop for some students. Novice Readers decode print and understanding the meaning of words. The student would be able to identify sight words in literature. Now even though I teach third grade, sadly there are about 1/6 of my class fall in Novice Reader stage. These students struggle not only in reading fictional literature, but also especially in content areas such as Social Studies or Science. My students are able to read content area vocabulary such as minerals or Great Depression. Students are able to identify these big words but are unable to read words like rocks or press. Often times students are just learning the words not understanding the words. Decoding Reader is a more confident reader. The children are no longer sounding out words and are able to understand what they read and write. More than half of my students are still the stage of decoding readers. My students started out school very shy and timid, scared to make mistakes. Now as the school year is about to end you can see the kids confidence grow greatly. Student’s reading abilities also grow in confidence. My class tend to read with out worrying about not saying a word correctly or understanding what the word means. The students read fluently and are able to comprehend the story. By this time in my class we are able to show multiple ways to show understanding. We use a lot of graphic organizers to tell about the different aspects of reading. The students use graphic organizers to help organize their thoughts. Fluent, Comprehending Reader is where the student is no longer learning to read but now reading to learn. Students are able to make connections or draw their own inferences from what was read. Students are starting to ask questions and wondering what the author mean. Especially this year, I have been able to show my students the power of retelling. Students are asking questions, making connections, interpretation of text, and understanding of vocabulary from just one piece of literature. This is just the beginning stage to becoming an Expert Reader. Depending on each student’s life experiences, my hope is each student reaches their true potential in reading.
For our CLC assignment, I researched a study conducted by Kathleen Cruea who utilized the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. In her study of upper elementary students, she concluded that while the majority of her students had “happy” feelings about reading in general, there was a distinction between attitudes about reading at school and reading for pleasure. Students seemed fairly satisfied to read at school, accepting it as a required part of their day, although overall they didn’t enjoy doing academic tasks associated with reading such as answering comprehension questions, reading aloud, or doing reading projects. The distinction came in, though, when they were questioned about reading in the home and for pleasure. Fewer students responded positively when asked their feelings about reading during their free time at home and reading instead of playing.
I see this evidenced in my classroom as well. While this survey was designed for use with students in grades 1-6, I have actually given it to my kindergartners as part of a pre and post reading attitudes study requested by a company gifting our classroom some electronic reading materials. I found similar results with my group. While they indicate that they are OK with reading at school, going to the library, and receiving books for gifts, some responded more negatively when asked about reading at home for fun, reading instead of playing, and doing academic tasks connected to reading. I shared the results of my survey with parents at conference time as I felt they could perhaps do more to affect the attitudes about reading for pleasure. Some parents seemed surprised (some embarrassed) by the results and others simply nodded and agreed that they “didn’t have time” for much reading at home. Not so surprisingly, my most struggling readers came from homes where the parents indicated they hadn’t made reading a priority.
Most of my kindergartners are at the intial reading and decoding stage although I do still have a few pre-readers. I find that the stages indicated in our reading this week do not quite align with the expectations for literacy proficiency in my district. The readings refer to Stage 0 as the pre-reading stage for children up to age 6 and Stage 1 as the initial reading and decoding stage for children in grades 1 and 2. Here, we solidly expect students to be at that intial reading stage by mid-kindergarten year when many students are still five years old. Students who do not perform at that level are identified for intervention and categorized as at-risk.
Motivating kindergartners to read in class isn’t overly challenging. Their egos are easily stroked with praise of their outstanding efforts ;) I speak often about the purposes for reading and point out situations in which we might not be successful if we weren’t good readers (thank goodness we are!) I keep a well-stocked classroom library with popular titles, authors, and topics. I am careful to try to maintain a balance between fiction and informative texts and offer a wide range of text difficulties to reach both my most struggling and successful readers.
To motivate students to read in the home, I use the Pizza Hut Book It program to encourage reading to a goal each month. Participants are rewarded with a free personal pizza coupon. I created a student book club where small groups are given books to read at home, which they get to keep, and participants are invited to each lunch with me to discuss the books. I also send take-home literacy kits which include books, literacy props, and activities to encourage reading in the home as well as family involvement.
My school also uses the Pizza Hut coupons. My class gets so excited when I hand them out. I give them out for every twenty books they read. It is a great incentive!
It depends on the grade level on how much ego will need to be stroke when it comes to reading. I remember the Pizza Hut program. At my school I learned that students are more motivated if it is a school effort. Especially if the students are talking about it around school.
I love how you state it's not overly challenging to motivate kindergartners. The good thing about that age group is that if you are excited and enthusiastic towards something, they will more than likely follow the behavior.
Brandy Head Reflection My students have really come along way since I took over this class in January. They are still in the beginning stages of reading. We are working on decoding strategies as well as high frequency word recognition. The first thing that I take into consideration when developing my unit plans is what standards do I need to cover this nine week grading term. I know that sounds like teaching to the test but I want to make sure that my students can pass the assessment when I give them. The next thing that I look at is the books I want to use to supplement my basal readers. I look at which books will work for read alouds and then which books I want to use for my leveled reading time. I try to motivate my students to read first by reading myself and letting them see that. During our SSR time I get them started reading then I get a book myself and sit down and read. This lets them see that I am interested in reading and they see an adult reads just like them. Another thing I do is I try to have seasonal themes in my reading center that are inviting for the students to visit. (such as summer I have a beach chair and an umbrella) Also we do a driven to read program and for every reading log the students bring back they get a prize and get to move their car on the track. When they get to the finish line they receive a special prize.
I love the idea of doing seasonal themes for your reading areas. I know that will really make students want to read especially if you get to relax on a beach chair. So the kids are essentially racing for success.
The Purple Group’s Survey results found that most children read only because it is required at home. Only 1 out 3 students own their own books. The researchers found that students were motivated to read more when the topic of the reading material coalesced with their personal interests. The children became more interested in reading when the child has materials at home accessible for them to read. Homes that are literacy based allowed students to become engulfed in a print rich environment. The home environment is the precursor to children’s attitude towards reading. Most parents either read for fun or for work purposes only. The experiences children have at home set the stage for attitudes towards reading at school (Santos & Alfred, 2011). The parents’ attitude towards reading is based on the upbringing of the parent and rather or not the parent see reading to be important. Parents have the greatest impact on not just reading but on education as a whole. E-books and digital textbooks have proven to be a more cost effective way to get information to the literary community
4) Recommend some books that you have found to be successful as motivational tools. I’m currently an ESE self contained high school teacher; the students that I work with aren’t very high academically however; sociably they are well beyond their age bracket. When developing a literature-based lesson plan that is motivational to my students, there are a few things that I always take into consideration. The first thing I try to target is their IEP (Individual education plan) this document will identify several things but, what I look for is what age level the student is currently reading on, their social background (their social economic status), and their cognitive ability. These things are important because it helps prepare my lesson according to their strengths, weakness, and reading interest. Because my students are such low readers I’m constantly searching for relatable reading material, that would motivate or spark their attention towards reading. To arouse their curiosity I like to do a group read aloud on subjects that they deal with on a daily basis; theses social influences consist of gangs, poverty, bullying, drugs, bibliographies on athletes and rappers, and positive books that speak on struggling families or people that have made it out of the ghetto; books such as these really tend to speak to the my students and they are always interested to know more. Books that we have covered in my classroom, and would be my recommendation to you would be: 1. Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson 2. I know why the caged bird sings by: Maya Angelou 3. Fahrenheit by: Ray Bradbury 4. Black like me by: John Howard Griffin 5. The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton 6. To kill a mockingbird by: Harper Lee 7. Monster by: Walter Dean Myers Although some of these books maybe a little challenging, in groups I tend to coach my student through the readings this method helps to decrease the students’ frustration level. These books not only support the interest level of the students but it tends to bring conversation, curiosity, and it exposes the students to new motivating information.
My 2nd grade class is reading Charlotte's Web. The book is above most of my student's reading level, but like you I am coaching them through it and they are loving it! I love hearing can I take out Charlotte and read I am done my work!
What types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom? I teach 2nd grade at an inner city school. I teach at an all-African American population. I have 22 students in my classroom with all but two students reading on grade level. My two students who are reading below grade level are reading at the beginning of first grade level. I have several motivational activities that I use with my students. For my struggling readers, I use extra computer time, for websites such as Starfall or ticket to read. My school also participates in 100 book challenge. After reading a 100 books, they receive a bronze medal at the school assembly, after 200 boos, they receive a silver medal and after 300 books they receive a gold medal. Every teacher also has a prize basket they may choose a prize from. I also give out Pizza Hut coupons for reading 20 books at their level. The Pizza Hut coupon gives them one free personal sized pizza. This great motivator. My students keep a book log of what they read at night and it must be signed by an adult who witnessed them reading. During breaks my principal sends home a book log for each student to record how many books they read, and the student with the most read books in each grade will have breakfast with her. One of the teachers applied for a grant, I am not sure what the name is but each child received three books to keep. Teachers were requested to pick the books, but the students were able to keep them. My class now loves A to Z Mystery books, because it was one of the books I chose for them. Currently we are reading Charlotte’s Web and they love it! They look forward to reading a chapter each day after lunch!
I remember the pizza hut tickets! I wished the pizza hut tickets was something that took place throughout all grade levels such as high school; because where I work I haven't seen them around.
I think that is awesome to have only two that are below grade level. I think that when you have buy in from the school or principal then kids want to read more. My kids just love for me to read to them. I think it is because very little is read to them at home.
That's neat that your principal gets involved too. :) I have pizza coupons too but they are Godfather's. Excellent motivators, the parents love them too!
The results from our CLC Reading Interest Survey across the board expressed how students feel about reading; within the school setting students are detached and bored. In order to change this perception reading must be fun, interactive, relatable, and interesting in order for the student to stay engaged in what’s being read. According to Travers & Travers (2008), any time a student can personally relate to a topic, they will automatically be more engaged, as they can relate the new information to experiences they have had or now have. Because reading can change lives and influence the impossible, teachers must take a part in the selection of books and if possible the teacher may just have to be the first person to even place a book in that child’s hand. According to Travers & Travers (2008), teachers must play an active role in order to guide them to make good selections and open their eyes to a plethora of high quality literature written specifically for them.
Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. Boston: Wiley and Sons. ISBN-13: 9780470111048
In analyzing our CLC survey, I found that the most prominent point was that students need to have positive attitudes towards reading throughout their academic careers in order to achieve the highest level of success (in school). When students have negative feelings about reading, it shows in their behaviors and their work effort. Kasten, Kristo, & McClure (2005) claim that teachers need to be able to build on what we know about developing positive attitudes toward reading, and to counteract or avoid the elements that build poor attitudes.
There are many factors that can go into developing a literature-based lesson, however Harste (2003) states that good curriculum needs three things: meaning making, language study, and inquiry-based learning. These apply to a literature-based lesson in that we make meaning with language, we study language, and we inquire through books and other resources, through student research that is meaningful. It is imperative to make meaningful connections throughout teaching. When students can relate to work, they are more motivated to participate and succeed.
Some motivational activities that I have used in my classroom is teaching reading skills through songs. Students are highly engaged and interacting with literacy through music. They are making personal connections to certain reading skills and can refer back to the experience while trying to interpret or decode other texts. Travers & Travers (2008) have determined that integrating motivational techniques with engaging lessons creates a classroom climate that will successfully involve students in the process of learning to read and reading to learn.
Harste, J.C. (2003). What do we mean by literacy now? Voice in the middle. 10(3), 8-12
Kasten, W., Kristo, N., & McClure, A. (2005). Living literature: Using children's literature to support reading and language arts. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. Boston: Wiley and Sons. ISBN-13: 9780470111048
Once again, I love the songs! Never underestimate the power of a song! I write most of my own so they're pretty corny but they really do work. My principal told me I should start marketing them! LOL Whatever works to get students motivated and get them to learn!
I agree that students must have meaningful connections to their learning. I teach high school and my students are extremely emotional. They do not know who they are from day to day. A lot of their learning is based on what emotions are associated with the concept therefore there has to be a connection for them. It is imperative that we create a positive learning environment conducive to learning and keep it consistent from year to year and teacher to teacher.
What types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
I currently teach 1st grade, and this is my 4th year teaching this grade. I absolutely love this grade. I do a lot of different things in my classroom for reading The first one I have talked about a lot is Daily 5. This starts from week 1 with Read to Self. We work on our reading stamina (how long they can sustain their independent reading). After they get this down really good, we slowly start working on the other parts. These are work on writing, word work, read with someone, and listen to reading. Once we get all of these down real good, I give them their daily 5 tic tac toe sheet. Every day they choose 3 different choices and work on filling this sheet up. Each time they fill up a sheet, they recieve a sticker to add to their folder. Honestly, this is my students' favorite time of the day. Another motivation I do for reading is our home reading sheets. These change throughout the year. Our one right now is A Reading we will "Grow". I have a bulletin board out in the hallway. For each reading sheet my kids bring back, they get to add a flower with their name on it to our board. They also get to choose from AppleBee's, Godfather's, or Village Inn. Each reading incentive lasts about 2-3 months. At the end of this time, we have a big reading celebration. This is usually eating lunch in the classroom, but we have also had bring a stuffed animal to school day and we will read to them throughout the day. I have a contest for the most reading sheets as well. That student gets to choose from my prize box. Our last winner had 5 reading sheets! Every time they bring in a reading sheet, I also make a really big deal out of it and announce it to the class. Sometimes I'll do a little song and dance, and just get a little silly. My students really enjoy this! The last thing I do is teach through songs a lot. I have a different spelling sound song each week, and various other songs. Anytime we can get up and move around, and have a little fun, we do! Those are all the ways I motivate my students.
I need to look into getting reading incentives from Applebee's or Village Inn. I think that would be really neat. I still need you to send me all these songs you use in your class.
I try to take the energy of an early childhood or elementary teacher into my classroom. I love the celebrations. I am sure when you sing to your students they appreciate your effort, my high school students think that I am crazy and need to be sedated, but I sing anyway!! Love the incentives. I use cash (not much)as a motivation technique. Students may have the opportunity to earn from a dollar to five dollars depending on the task and how close it is to payday.
I currently teach s 2-3rd grade special education class. My students have emotional and behavioral disabilities. Currently my students are is a wide range of development. I have two students who are reading at grade level material, one student is close to grade level. I have another reading at a first grade level and two other students who read at a kindergarten level. I am currently using a wide range of interventions for help my students, but reading is especially challenging. I try a range of reading activities in my classroom to get my students excited about books. First, I have students read books at levels that are appropriate for them. I also try to select books that work on the skills we are learning in class. For example, if I am teaching particular sounds blends to students, I select books that will give them a great opportunity to practice those. I also select books that I can do fun activities with the kids. My students always know that when they read their story for the week, all of their activities will be centered on that story. I also try to have the kids do expressive artwork with their stories to help them express to me that they have understood the content of the story. I like to select books in which the characters can relate to my students. I love it when my students say, “hey that kid looks like me,” or “Look! This character likes dinosaurs too!” That is the best part because I know that my students are connecting with the text and that it is meaningful to them.
I currently teach second grade and have to use numerous motivation activities to get my students excited about reading. One of the activities that we do is imagination reading. I have the students close their eyes and we get on a magic reading spaceship that will take us wherever we want to go. I choose one student each time to choose the location we will go to. We pretend that we fly to that location and when we land we get to read in that location. The students get so excited and really play into the pretend location we are at. I can hear them when they are picked up by their parents telling them the place we went that day. It is an easy and fun way to get them reading.
Another activity that I have found to work in motivating them to read is utilizing reading buddies. I find a older grade teacher each year to buddy up with. This teacher brings their students in and they are buddied up with my students to read together. This allows the older grades to read books that they loved as a child and for my students to feel "cool" because they are hanging out with older kids. This has always been a success every year that I have done it so it really is something I will continue to do.
Surveying Student Reading Interest: A Summary of Survey Research
Angella Fruehstorfer AnnMarie Harris Brandy Head Kristi Mayo
One of the most important aspects of teaching is finding out what motivates students to learn. This is especially true when it comes to teaching reading. An important part of the reading teacher’s role is engaging each student and instilling a love of reading that will lead them down the road of life-long learning. This collaborative research paper summarizes a variety of surveys given to elementary and secondary school students to find out what motivates them to read.
Hale and Crowe Longitudinal Study “I Hate Reading If I Don’t Have To: Results from a Longitudinal Study of High School Students’ Reading Interest” was a reading interest survey conducted by Lisa A. Hale and Chris Crowe. This survey was conducted over a fifteen year time span among high school aged students. The survey was handed out to all grade levels within an Arizona school.
The survey started out by asking gender and year questions. It then went on to ask what types of books the students read for school and what types were read for pleasure. The survey also asked the students to choose the favorite types of literature they liked to read. The results of the survey did find that many high school students did read for pleasure, Stephen King and John Steinback being among some of the authors listed as favorites. The survey also showed that females are more likely to read for pleasure than males. Crowe reported that, “70% of boys and 80% of girls listed at least one pleasure read” (2001). Mystery was chosen as one of the most popular young adult genres while autobiography and historical fiction were listed as unfavorable. The overall result concluded that the interest level of high school readers has not decreased during the fifteen years the survey was conducted.
The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) is a survey designed in the late 1980’s so teachers could quickly and easily determine reading attitudes of students (McKenna and Kear, 1990). This survey was created because many teachers began to speculate that students’ attitudes about reading could be best measured using the students’ emotional responses to how they felt about reading at school and at home. Thus, the survey was created so that students could give an “emotional score” to aspects of reading such as: Do you like getting a book for a present? How do you feel about reading instead of playing? How do you feel about going to a bookstore? (McKenna and Kear, 1990).
Based on these questions, students are shown four images of “Garfield” the cartoon/ comic character. The four images, as expressed below, allow students to circle an emotion that they see within Garfield that can explain the students’ feelings.
Accoding to McKenna and Kear (1990), the survey prototype was initially given to over 499 students in a mid-sized school in the central United States. After careful selection and alteration of scoring methods, another more finalized draft of the survey was given to more than 18,000 elementary school students in January of 1989 (McKenna and Kear, 1990). Based on students answers, they are given a score of 1 through 4. The questions fall within two categories, recreational and academic reading. Teachers then add up the scores from the two category columns, and the student earns a raw score. Based on the scores, teachers will use a scale sheet to determine how their students score compared to the generated national average based on the creators’ collected and analyzed data (McKenna and Kear, 1990). Scores can help teachers to understand what areas, academic or recreational reading, students need help to improve their attitudes upon. For example, if a student scores low in the category of recreational reading, perhaps the teacher will work to provide that student with appropriate materials to explore when reading alone.
For the CLC assignment I researched “Why students read?” and “The feelings about e-readers and digital textbooks.” I teach grades 9-12 which is English 1- English 4. For the classes that have a state mandated test the curriculum dictates which units I teach. I do not teach to the test (wink, wink), but that is a key factor in determining the units that are taught. I have a little more flexibility in my junior and senior English classes therefore interest, SAT, ACT and English 101 are factors that I consider. My students love read alouds. Even in high school the students love being read to and then we discuss what we read in writing and make predictions about what will happen next. I also try to motivate my readers by using what we call “reading snippets” where I read only a portion of the novel, enough to get them hooked and then make them find the novel and continue reading it on their own. Book reports are not that effective for me because my high school students love websites like book rags and spark notes therefore I do not get many original ideas. If I let them do a book report using PowerPoint, photo story or make them create a website for the book, I am amazed at how much more original the finish piece becomes. I have learned that the students have to be considered one hundred percent of the time in order to create meaningful assignments. My students love reading Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes, Tears of A Tiger by Sharon Draper, It Happened to Nancy edited by Beatrice Sparks and Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. These books wake up the sleeping reader that was on the inside of my high school students. I have students that want to read at least one of these books all four years of their high school career. It is funny that no one asks for a second read of 1984 or Brave New World.
The Cruea Reading Interest Survey (2006) was conducted at an urban elementary school in Dayton, Ohio. Approximately half of the student population was classified as economically disadvantaged. The participants in the survey attended the third grade.
Students completed the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna and Kear, 1990) during which they were asked a series of questions about their reading attitudes as well as behaviors and indicated their responses by pointing to cartoon characters displaying facial feeling indicators ranging from very happy to very upset.
The results of the survey were inconsistent overall in terms of determining the students’ exact feelings about reading but there were some key indicators that give comparable insight to the children’s reading attitudes. Among the questions students were asked was, “How do you feel about reading a book at school during free time?” The students results were: 65% very happy, 29% slightly happy, and 6% slightly upset. Another question asked was “How do you feel about reading for fun at home?” Those results were: 35% very happy, 47% slightly happy, and 18% slightly upset (Cruea, 2006).
It is worth noting that the difference in attitude about reading during free time at school versus at home may indicate that some students feel reading is a school task or when compared to other leisure activities available in the home, reading is not as pleasurable. This was further evidenced in the results of the question, “How do you feel about reading instead of playing?” This question’s results were: 24% very happy, 47% slightly happy, 18% slightly upset, and 12% very upset (Cruea, 2006).
Student choice in book selection seemed to be a key factor in positive attitudes toward reading and generally led to higher scores. When asked, “How do you feel about learning from a book?” the response was 94% very happy and 6% slightly happy, and when the students were asked, “How do you feel about picking your own books to read?” the results were strongly positive at 88% very happy and 12% slightly happy. When asked, “How do you feel about reading your school books?” the results were only 64% very happy, 24% slightly happy, 6% slightly upset, and 6% very upset (Cruea 2006).
Interestingly, the most positive response, given at 100% very happy, was to the question, “How do you feel when you have finished a book?” (Cruea 2006). The study’s author did not speculate on this question’s response and it leaves unanswered the question of whether third graders were very happy about finishing a book due to satisfaction with the book ending well, a boost in self-esteem for completing the task, a sense of relief that a work task was complete, or for some other reason.
Overall, the majority of students gave positive responses in terms of attitudes toward the act of reading but gave less positive responses concerning reading behaviors such as answering questions about books, reading aloud, and taking tests about their reading.
In this study the researchers look at using Howard Gardner’s 8 multiple intelligences to increase students’ reading motivation. The study was conducted by four teachers who taught in the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth grades. The second and fourth grade teachers taught all subjects while the sixth and eighth grade teachers taught reading and language arts. There were 26 second graders, 25 fourth graders, 46 sixth graders and 33 eighth graders surveyed in this study, for a total of 133 participants.
There were three tools used in this project to document evidence of a lack of reading motivation. Using tallies during observation was the first tool used to measure student behaviors during Silent Sustained Reading time. The second tool was a survey that included nine questions about student feelings toward reading. Results showed that, although students believed they read well and enjoyed being read to by their teacher, students did not read at home, did not enjoy reading for fun, and did not like visiting a library nor were comfortable reading new words. A third tool used was a teacher survey given to gain insight on the lack of reading motivation and corrective strategies used by teachers at the different sites.
Overall results showed that the two most common intelligences that are dominantly taught through in the classrooms were verbal/linguistic and interpersonal while the least common addressed were intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligences. By doing this survey, teachers realized they needed to become more tolerant of students' needs and behaviors that are attributed to their dominant intelligence.
Conclusion
When researching and comparing these types of reading surveys, our group found many similarities and differences. We found that many researches put forth a lot of trial and error to make sure these studies were going to be beneficial for both the teacher in planning instruction for their classrooms and for the student who is expected to learn new material. Although some studies were not as reliable as others, depending on research methods used and trial sample size, we believe that this array of surveys is a good representation of materials available to teachers to use with their students, and the conclusions drawn give good cause for reflection in our daily work with our own students.
Michael Phillips "Strategies for Motivating Students"
What stages of development are you students in? I teach seventh grade students. My students are considered Stage 3 learners, “Reading to Learn”. However, I have more than a few students who are still Stage 2 learners, “Learning to Read”. The students in the Green Group’s matrix are a combination of all levels from elementary through high school. The elementary students exhibited an encouraging mind-set towards reading. Students reached middle school the mind-set change about reading. This mind-set changes I believe is due to the fact they are having difficulties with reading. These students have not mastered the “Learning to Read” phase of development, and are required to shift into the “Reading to Learn” phase.
What factors do you take into consideration when developing a literature-based lesson plan or unit plan?
When planning a literature-based lesson plan or unit, I take into consideration the reading levels of my students, what are the interests, and state standards needed to allow my students to read and comprehend the text required and to assist my students to become learners for life. I take look at my students’ reading levels at the beginning and middle of the year. I also use formative assessments when my students take weekly test on books they are reading. I have them complete a reading interest survey at the beginning and middle of the year in order to find out what my students’ interests are. As the move along their interest might change.. What types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
I allow my students to be a part of the decision making process as far as routine or project requirements. I think if they have a part in the decision making process and they know the requirements; they do better and become more engaged. When I know the kinds of books my students enjoy. I have had success getting students to read when I read the same books and have discussions about the books. This isn’t always practical, but I have been able to help some males that dislikes reading on their own choose a chapter book and reading. What does not work with my students is if I tell them that they must have these skills to do the state test. However, I tell them that this will help them become life-long learners.
Recommend some books that you have found to be successful as motivational tools.
Books that have been successful as motivational tools have been books about sports figures, singers, dancers, and actors that are popular and famous now. The popular series books have been great motivational tool.
Researchers and educators have become increasingly aware of the significance of reading motivation on children’s literacy development (Mazzoni & Gambrell, 1999). There are many factors that go into children’s reading habits and attitudes towards reading. Some students are more enthusiastic towards reading with a positive outlook on the elements of literacy, while some student’s have little or want nothing at all to do with reading. It is said that effective learning in the classroom depends on the teacher’s ability to maintain the interest that brought students to the course in the first place (Ericksen, 1978). In order to maintain interest, teachers must be knowledgeable of their student’s habits and attitudes towards reading. After reviewing the survey results, one thing is for sure; Student engagement in reading content is key (Gillet, Temple, Crawford, 2008). It is imperative that we motivate children throughout their elementary years so that they will enter middle school and high school with a positive approach to reading. It is crucial for teachers in the middle school and high school level to grab the student’s attention and making reading/learning relevant to the student. Even the most non-motivated child can be influenced by a spark of interest. In the following example, Jason, a high school student, enjoys fishing; however he doesn’t enjoy reading. When asked what was the latest story he had read he expressed that it was a survival story out of a fishing magazine. Jason, who is now known as a student that is disinterested in reading, has found literature that sparks his attention; and because he loves the outdoors, he has expressed to his grandfather that he would like his help in purchasing his very own subscription of the magazine (Pitcher, Albright, DeLancy, Walker, Seunarinesingh, Mogge, et al., 2007). Elementary students are said to be the easiest to motivate. Travers & Travers (2008) claim that elementary children are naturally drawn to books with intriguing illustrations, books that rhyme, and stories they can relate to on a personal level. However, not all elementary students are enthusiastic about reading. According to (Pitcher et al., 2007) many students don’t enjoy reading because they consider their selves as being poor readers, and as readers, their value of reading coincided with their reading choices and the overall affects of the enjoyment of reading. These students state that they do not like reading or that the teacher is boring.
Brewster and Fager (2000) have created a list of strategies teachers can use to engage and motivate students. The most effective strategy is to ensure that course materials relate to students’ lives and highlight ways learning can be applied in real-life situations. Another strategy is to assign challenging but achievable tasks for all students. When students achieve success in a challenging task, you are building confidence which aides in motivating struggling readers. Teachers should arouse students’ curiosity about the topic being studied. The intrigued student always wants to learn more no matter how disinterested they claim to be. The final strategy for motivating students is to design projects that allow students to share new knowledge with others (Brewster & Fager, 2000). Interaction and discussion among others in the classroom helps build personal connections. Teachers, for all grade levels, need to provide students with a variety of literature for students to read. This can be in form of song, play, book, poem, blog, or anything that will make the student engaged. According the student motivation interest survey, elementary students enjoy read-alouds, storytelling, big books, and partner reading. Middle school and high school students enjoy text in forms of blogs, texts, or anything via web. It is uncommon for a high school student to become excited over a textbook, however, when a textbook is presented to them in a digital form, all feelings change. During adolescence, teachers need to consider what development issues middle grade students face in order to provide selections that may be appealing to these students (Travers & Travers, 2008). In this case, incorporating technology into instruction is one of the best strategies to a teacher could use to integrate literature into the content areas. Another positive attitude students can have towards reading is when they are exposed to it in a variety of places other than school. It is important for parents to understand that learning takes place not only in school, but in the home as well. When parents exhibit good reading habits, their children will likely follow along and display the same positive reading traits. For elementary students, it is beneficial for parents to read with their child at least 20 minutes a day. At this time, children are making special connections to text, because you are involving someone important to the child, such as a parent. This will encourage them to look at reading with a positive attitude.
This is a more challenging task for parents of adolescent children. A parent can still make reading fun and enjoyable if they help connect literature to their child. A suggestion to help parents motivate their high school and middle school child could be to read a series with their child. At this stage, a child should be able to independently read and hold a discussion about a book. Parents and their children could have a family book club or take family trips to the library. No matter what the age of the child, if students are constantly exposed to literature in a positive manner, they will more likely enjoy reading on their own without being forced. Literature can be a powerful influence in shaping a reader’s understanding of the world. Teachers must be aware of the wide variety of literature available to all students (physical or digital) in order to guide them to make good selections and open their eyes to a plethora of high quality literature written specifically for them (Travers & Travers, 2008). Not only does literature shape the minds’ of students, but it also provides children with knowledge and experiences that they may not be able to create in real life. Children can explore the world and go on adventures just by visiting the library and reading a book. According to Travers & Travers (2008), any time a student can personally relate to a topic, they will automatically be more engaged, as they can relate the new information to experiences they have had. Teachers must keep students continually engaged throughout elementary, middle, and high school in order for students to have positive experiences with literature throughout their whole life.
References Brewster, C., & Fager, J. (2000). Increasing student motivation and engagement: From time on task to homework. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Ericksen, S. C. (1978). “The Lecture.” Memo to the Faculty, no. 60. Ann Arbor: Center for Research on Teaching and Learning, University of Michigan Gambrell, L.B., & Mazzoni, S.A. (1999). Principles of best practice: Finding the common ground. In L.B. Gambrell, L.M. Morrow, S.B. Neuman, & M. Pressley (Eds.), Best practice in literacy instruction (pp. 11-21). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Gillet, J. W., Temple, C., & Crawford, A. N. (2008). Understanding reading problems: Assessment and instruction (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN-13: 9780205520282 Gunter, D. A., (2011). “Motivation for High School Students to Read: Differences among Student Perceptions and Differences between Student and Teacher Perceptions”. Retrieved March 20, 2012, Educational Leadership Dissertations: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/diss/4 Pitcher, M. S., Albright, K. L., DeLancy, J. C., Walker, T. N., Seunarinesingh, K.,
References continued
Mogge, S., et al. (2007). Assessing adolescents’ motivation to read. International Reading Association, 10(1598), (pg. 378-398). Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://www.education.txstate.edu/ci/people/faculty/Delaney/contentParagraph/04/ document/Delaney%2B3.pdf
Sheehan, J (2011, July). Research on healthy eating habits & student learning. Home diet& nutrition healthy eating healthy eating habits. Retrieved March 22, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/497063-research-on-healthy-eating- habits-student-learning/
Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. Boston: Wiley and Sons. ISBN-13: 9780470111048
What types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI currently teach first grade and love it. I find that my students who are reading, love it and find time at home to read during the evenings and on the weekends. I have also found that many of my struggling readers tend to not read with parents at night and do not like it as much as my other students. This aligns with my groups CLC project survey results. To motivate all of students I use extrinsic rewards. I have found that my school likes to think that intrinsically our children will be motivated to do work and succeed but through some recent professional development, research shows that extrinsic and intrinsic rewards align with each other. Having heard that it is ok to reward children with tangible items, I have made a few motivational activities in my classroom.
During independent reading, I hand out a prize to the best reader in class. The best reader means that they are following our independent reading chart. Their eyes are on their book, they are building stamina, they are staying in one spot and they are reading for the entire time. Children build stamina, starting from 3 minutes in September to 20 minutes in May. I use the same motivational strategy for partner reading and so on. This is the first year that I have implemented this and it has been a success.
The second motivational activity that I do is I have reading challenges. During our long breaks of one week to two weeks, children keep a log on how many minutes they read to an adult out of a "just right" book. Children who read for 15 minutes each day receive a special picnic lunch with friends and myself. I did this in December and 16 out of my 20 participated. The 4 children who didn't participate were my struggling readers.
I then realized that this reading challenge was not motivating my struggling students to read. I sat down with each child individually and had lunch. We talked about reading and why we read. We also talked about what motivates them and what would they work for. I talked with parents on rewards and had each child pick a reward. I made up new reading challenges for those children. Some children worked for a sweatshirt, other picked lego time and one little girl wants a movie night with mom. In the end, all four of my children were motivated and completed a 4 day challenge. I'm working on making it a 7 day challenge for next time.
I enjoy showing the children what I'm reading and also like displaying new books on my little book shelf for children to browse. When I do my daily read aloud, I give the book to the child who was the most engaged. That child then gets to have the book in his or her books box for the day. I thought of this one day when listening was a challenging task for many. It's been a huge success.
Great strategies! I especially like the reading challenges and rewards students could work for!
DeleteYou didn't identify yourself, though!
Opps. I thought it said my name since I signed in and made that my account name. The above post is from Rachel Freundlich.
DeleteThanks, Rachel!
DeleteI love the picnic lunch idea! That's great, my students would love that! I am going to have to try that for next weeks spring break
DeleteMonique Bruce
ReplyDeleteThere are five stages to reading: Emerging Pre-Reader, Novice Reader, Decoding Reader, Fluent, Comprehending Reader, and Expert Reader In my third grade classroom, my students fall between Novice Reader to Fluent, Comprehending Reader. Emerging Pre-Reader or reading readiness is the first stage of a child’s language development. The students in my class are able to identify their alphabets and sounds. Some students still struggle in reading. The problems I see are my students are able to blend certain sounds or understand vowel sounds. Somewhere between kindergarten to 2nd grade the basis of reading did not develop for some students.
Novice Readers decode print and understanding the meaning of words. The student would be able to identify sight words in literature. Now even though I teach third grade, sadly there are about 1/6 of my class fall in Novice Reader stage. These students struggle not only in reading fictional literature, but also especially in content areas such as Social Studies or Science. My students are able to read content area vocabulary such as minerals or Great Depression. Students are able to identify these big words but are unable to read words like rocks or press. Often times students are just learning the words not understanding the words.
Decoding Reader is a more confident reader. The children are no longer sounding out words and are able to understand what they read and write. More than half of my students are still the stage of decoding readers. My students started out school very shy and timid, scared to make mistakes. Now as the school year is about to end you can see the kids confidence grow greatly. Student’s reading abilities also grow in confidence. My class tend to read with out worrying about not saying a word correctly or understanding what the word means. The students read fluently and are able to comprehend the story. By this time in my class we are able to show multiple ways to show understanding. We use a lot of graphic organizers to tell about the different aspects of reading. The students use graphic organizers to help organize their thoughts.
Fluent, Comprehending Reader is where the student is no longer learning to read but now reading to learn. Students are able to make connections or draw their own inferences from what was read. Students are starting to ask questions and wondering what the author mean. Especially this year, I have been able to show my students the power of retelling. Students are asking questions, making connections, interpretation of text, and understanding of vocabulary from just one piece of literature. This is just the beginning stage to becoming an Expert Reader. Depending on each student’s life experiences, my hope is each student reaches their true potential in reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/learning_to_read
DeleteFor our CLC assignment, I researched a study conducted by Kathleen Cruea who utilized the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. In her study of upper elementary students, she concluded that while the majority of her students had “happy” feelings about reading in general, there was a distinction between attitudes about reading at school and reading for pleasure. Students seemed fairly satisfied to read at school, accepting it as a required part of their day, although overall they didn’t enjoy doing academic tasks associated with reading such as answering comprehension questions, reading aloud, or doing reading projects. The distinction came in, though, when they were questioned about reading in the home and for pleasure. Fewer students responded positively when asked their feelings about reading during their free time at home and reading instead of playing.
ReplyDeleteI see this evidenced in my classroom as well. While this survey was designed for use with students in grades 1-6, I have actually given it to my kindergartners as part of a pre and post reading attitudes study requested by a company gifting our classroom some electronic reading materials. I found similar results with my group. While they indicate that they are OK with reading at school, going to the library, and receiving books for gifts, some responded more negatively when asked about reading at home for fun, reading instead of playing, and doing academic tasks connected to reading. I shared the results of my survey with parents at conference time as I felt they could perhaps do more to affect the attitudes about reading for pleasure. Some parents seemed surprised (some embarrassed) by the results and others simply nodded and agreed that they “didn’t have time” for much reading at home. Not so surprisingly, my most struggling readers came from homes where the parents indicated they hadn’t made reading a priority.
Most of my kindergartners are at the intial reading and decoding stage although I do still have a few pre-readers. I find that the stages indicated in our reading this week do not quite align with the expectations for literacy proficiency in my district. The readings refer to Stage 0 as the pre-reading stage for children up to age 6 and Stage 1 as the initial reading and decoding stage for children in grades 1 and 2. Here, we solidly expect students to be at that intial reading stage by mid-kindergarten year when many students are still five years old. Students who do not perform at that level are identified for intervention and categorized as at-risk.
Motivating kindergartners to read in class isn’t overly challenging. Their egos are easily stroked with praise of their outstanding efforts ;) I speak often about the purposes for reading and point out situations in which we might not be successful if we weren’t good readers (thank goodness we are!) I keep a well-stocked classroom library with popular titles, authors, and topics. I am careful to try to maintain a balance between fiction and informative texts and offer a wide range of text difficulties to reach both my most struggling and successful readers.
To motivate students to read in the home, I use the Pizza Hut Book It program to encourage reading to a goal each month. Participants are rewarded with a free personal pizza coupon. I created a student book club where small groups are given books to read at home, which they get to keep, and participants are invited to each lunch with me to discuss the books. I also send take-home literacy kits which include books, literacy props, and activities to encourage reading in the home as well as family involvement.
My school also uses the Pizza Hut coupons. My class gets so excited when I hand them out. I give them out for every twenty books they read. It is a great incentive!
DeleteIt depends on the grade level on how much ego will need to be stroke when it comes to reading. I remember the Pizza Hut program. At my school I learned that students are more motivated if it is a school effort. Especially if the students are talking about it around school.
DeleteI love how you state it's not overly challenging to motivate kindergartners. The good thing about that age group is that if you are excited and enthusiastic towards something, they will more than likely follow the behavior.
DeleteBrandy Head Reflection
ReplyDeleteMy students have really come along way since I took over this class in January. They are still in the beginning stages of reading. We are working on decoding strategies as well as high frequency word recognition. The first thing that I take into consideration when developing my unit plans is what standards do I need to cover this nine week grading term. I know that sounds like teaching to the test but I want to make sure that my students can pass the assessment when I give them. The next thing that I look at is the books I want to use to supplement my basal readers. I look at which books will work for read alouds and then which books I want to use for my leveled reading time. I try to motivate my students to read first by reading myself and letting them see that. During our SSR time I get them started reading then I get a book myself and sit down and read. This lets them see that I am interested in reading and they see an adult reads just like them. Another thing I do is I try to have seasonal themes in my reading center that are inviting for the students to visit. (such as summer I have a beach chair and an umbrella) Also we do a driven to read program and for every reading log the students bring back they get a prize and get to move their car on the track. When they get to the finish line they receive a special prize.
I love the idea of doing seasonal themes for your reading areas. I know that will really make students want to read especially if you get to relax on a beach chair. So the kids are essentially racing for success.
DeleteThe Purple Group’s Survey results found that most children read only because it is required at home. Only 1 out 3 students own their own books. The researchers found that students were motivated to read more when the topic of the reading material coalesced with their personal interests. The children became more interested in reading when the child has materials at home accessible for them to read. Homes that are literacy based allowed students to become engulfed in a print rich environment. The home environment is the precursor to children’s attitude towards reading. Most parents either read for fun or for work purposes only. The experiences children have at home set the stage for attitudes towards reading at school (Santos & Alfred, 2011). The parents’ attitude towards reading is based on the upbringing of the parent and rather or not the parent see reading to be important. Parents have the greatest impact on not just reading but on education as a whole. E-books and digital textbooks have proven to be a more cost effective way to get information to the literary community
ReplyDelete4) Recommend some books that you have found to be successful as motivational tools.
ReplyDeleteI’m currently an ESE self contained high school teacher; the students that I work with aren’t very high academically however; sociably they are well beyond their age bracket. When developing a literature-based lesson plan that is motivational to my students, there are a few things that I always take into consideration. The first thing I try to target is their IEP (Individual education plan) this document will identify several things but, what I look for is what age level the student is currently reading on, their social background (their social economic status), and their cognitive ability. These things are important because it helps prepare my lesson according to their strengths, weakness, and reading interest.
Because my students are such low readers I’m constantly searching for relatable reading material, that would motivate or spark their attention towards reading. To arouse their curiosity I like to do a group read aloud on subjects that they deal with on a daily basis; theses social influences consist of gangs, poverty, bullying, drugs, bibliographies on athletes and rappers, and positive books that speak on struggling families or people that have made it out of the ghetto; books such as these really tend to speak to the my students and they are always interested to know more.
Books that we have covered in my classroom, and would be my recommendation to you would be:
1. Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson
2. I know why the caged bird sings by: Maya Angelou
3. Fahrenheit by: Ray Bradbury
4. Black like me by: John Howard Griffin
5. The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton
6. To kill a mockingbird by: Harper Lee
7. Monster by: Walter Dean Myers
Although some of these books maybe a little challenging, in groups I tend to coach my student through the readings this method helps to decrease the students’ frustration level. These books not only support the interest level of the students but it tends to bring conversation, curiosity, and it exposes the students to new motivating information.
My 2nd grade class is reading Charlotte's Web. The book is above most of my student's reading level, but like you I am coaching them through it and they are loving it! I love hearing can I take out Charlotte and read I am done my work!
DeleteWhat types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI teach 2nd grade at an inner city school. I teach at an all-African American population. I have 22 students in my classroom with all but two students reading on grade level. My two students who are reading below grade level are reading at the beginning of first grade level. I have several motivational activities that I use with my students. For my struggling readers, I use extra computer time, for websites such as Starfall or ticket to read. My school also participates in 100 book challenge. After reading a 100 books, they receive a bronze medal at the school assembly, after 200 boos, they receive a silver medal and after 300 books they receive a gold medal. Every teacher also has a prize basket they may choose a prize from. I also give out Pizza Hut coupons for reading 20 books at their level. The Pizza Hut coupon gives them one free personal sized pizza. This great motivator. My students keep a book log of what they read at night and it must be signed by an adult who witnessed them reading. During breaks my principal sends home a book log for each student to record how many books they read, and the student with the most read books in each grade will have breakfast with her.
One of the teachers applied for a grant, I am not sure what the name is but each child received three books to keep. Teachers were requested to pick the books, but the students were able to keep them. My class now loves A to Z Mystery books, because it was one of the books I chose for them. Currently we are reading Charlotte’s Web and they love it! They look forward to reading a chapter each day after lunch!
I remember the pizza hut tickets! I wished the pizza hut tickets was something that took place throughout all grade levels such as high school; because where I work I haven't seen them around.
DeleteI think that is awesome to have only two that are below grade level. I think that when you have buy in from the school or principal then kids want to read more. My kids just love for me to read to them. I think it is because very little is read to them at home.
DeleteThat's neat that your principal gets involved too. :)
DeleteI have pizza coupons too but they are Godfather's. Excellent motivators, the parents love them too!
The results from our CLC Reading Interest Survey across the board expressed how students feel about reading; within the school setting students are detached and bored. In order to change this perception reading must be fun, interactive, relatable, and interesting in order for the student to stay engaged in what’s being read. According to Travers & Travers (2008), any time a student can personally relate to a topic, they will automatically be more engaged, as they can relate the new information to experiences they have had or now have. Because reading can change lives and influence the impossible, teachers must take a part in the selection of books and if possible the teacher may just have to be the first person to even place a book in that child’s hand. According to Travers & Travers (2008), teachers must play an active role in order to guide them to make good selections and open their eyes to a plethora of high quality literature written specifically for them.
ReplyDeleteTravers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. Boston: Wiley and Sons. ISBN-13: 9780470111048
I love the part when you said, "Because reading can change lives and influence the impossible." Thats brilliant! YOu have great ideas in your post.
DeleteIn analyzing our CLC survey, I found that the most prominent point was that students need to have positive attitudes towards reading throughout their academic careers in order to achieve the highest level of success (in school). When students have negative feelings about reading, it shows in their behaviors and their work effort. Kasten, Kristo, & McClure (2005) claim that teachers need to be able to build on what we know about developing positive attitudes toward reading, and to counteract or avoid the elements that build poor attitudes.
ReplyDeleteThere are many factors that can go into developing a literature-based lesson, however Harste (2003) states that good curriculum needs three things: meaning making, language study, and inquiry-based learning. These apply to a literature-based lesson in that we make meaning with language, we study language, and we inquire through books and other resources, through student research that is meaningful. It is imperative to make meaningful connections throughout teaching. When students can relate to work, they are more motivated to participate and succeed.
Some motivational activities that I have used in my classroom is teaching reading skills through songs. Students are highly engaged and interacting with literacy through music. They are making personal connections to certain reading skills and can refer back to the experience while trying to interpret or decode other texts. Travers & Travers (2008) have determined that integrating motivational techniques with engaging lessons creates a classroom climate that will successfully involve students in the process of learning to read and reading to learn.
Harste, J.C. (2003). What do we mean by literacy now? Voice in the middle. 10(3), 8-12
Kasten, W., Kristo, N., & McClure, A. (2005). Living literature: Using children's literature to support reading and language arts. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. Boston: Wiley and Sons. ISBN-13: 9780470111048
Once again, I love the songs! Never underestimate the power of a song! I write most of my own so they're pretty corny but they really do work. My principal told me I should start marketing them! LOL Whatever works to get students motivated and get them to learn!
DeleteI agree that students must have meaningful connections to their learning. I teach high school and my students are extremely emotional. They do not know who they are from day to day. A lot of their learning is based on what emotions are associated with the concept therefore there has to be a connection for them. It is imperative that we create a positive learning environment conducive to learning and keep it consistent from year to year and teacher to teacher.
DeleteWhat types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI currently teach 1st grade, and this is my 4th year teaching this grade. I absolutely love this grade. I do a lot of different things in my classroom for reading
The first one I have talked about a lot is Daily 5. This starts from week 1 with Read to Self. We work on our reading stamina (how long they can sustain their independent reading). After they get this down really good, we slowly start working on the other parts. These are work on writing, word work, read with someone, and listen to reading. Once we get all of these down real good, I give them their daily 5 tic tac toe sheet. Every day they choose 3 different choices and work on filling this sheet up. Each time they fill up a sheet, they recieve a sticker to add to their folder. Honestly, this is my students' favorite time of the day.
Another motivation I do for reading is our home reading sheets. These change throughout the year. Our one right now is A Reading we will "Grow". I have a bulletin board out in the hallway. For each reading sheet my kids bring back, they get to add a flower with their name on it to our board. They also get to choose from AppleBee's, Godfather's, or Village Inn. Each reading incentive lasts about 2-3 months. At the end of this time, we have a big reading celebration. This is usually eating lunch in the classroom, but we have also had bring a stuffed animal to school day and we will read to them throughout the day. I have a contest for the most reading sheets as well. That student gets to choose from my prize box. Our last winner had 5 reading sheets! Every time they bring in a reading sheet, I also make a really big deal out of it and announce it to the class. Sometimes I'll do a little song and dance, and just get a little silly. My students really enjoy this!
The last thing I do is teach through songs a lot. I have a different spelling sound song each week, and various other songs. Anytime we can get up and move around, and have a little fun, we do!
Those are all the ways I motivate my students.
I need to look into getting reading incentives from Applebee's or Village Inn. I think that would be really neat. I still need you to send me all these songs you use in your class.
DeleteI try to take the energy of an early childhood or elementary teacher into my classroom. I love the celebrations. I am sure when you sing to your students they appreciate your effort, my high school students think that I am crazy and need to be sedated, but I sing anyway!! Love the incentives. I use cash (not much)as a motivation technique. Students may have the opportunity to earn from a dollar to five dollars depending on the task and how close it is to payday.
DeleteI currently teach s 2-3rd grade special education class. My students have emotional and behavioral disabilities. Currently my students are is a wide range of development. I have two students who are reading at grade level material, one student is close to grade level. I have another reading at a first grade level and two other students who read at a kindergarten level. I am currently using a wide range of interventions for help my students, but reading is especially challenging.
ReplyDeleteI try a range of reading activities in my classroom to get my students excited about books. First, I have students read books at levels that are appropriate for them. I also try to select books that work on the skills we are learning in class. For example, if I am teaching particular sounds blends to students, I select books that will give them a great opportunity to practice those. I also select books that I can do fun activities with the kids. My students always know that when they read their story for the week, all of their activities will be centered on that story. I also try to have the kids do expressive artwork with their stories to help them express to me that they have understood the content of the story. I like to select books in which the characters can relate to my students. I love it when my students say, “hey that kid looks like me,” or “Look! This character likes dinosaurs too!” That is the best part because I know that my students are connecting with the text and that it is meaningful to them.
I currently teach second grade and have to use numerous motivation activities to get my students excited about reading. One of the activities that we do is imagination reading. I have the students close their eyes and we get on a magic reading spaceship that will take us wherever we want to go. I choose one student each time to choose the location we will go to. We pretend that we fly to that location and when we land we get to read in that location. The students get so excited and really play into the pretend location we are at. I can hear them when they are picked up by their parents telling them the place we went that day. It is an easy and fun way to get them reading.
ReplyDeleteAnother activity that I have found to work in motivating them to read is utilizing reading buddies. I find a older grade teacher each year to buddy up with. This teacher brings their students in and they are buddied up with my students to read together. This allows the older grades to read books that they loved as a child and for my students to feel "cool" because they are hanging out with older kids. This has always been a success every year that I have done it so it really is something I will continue to do.
Blue Group CLC Summary:
ReplyDeleteSurveying Student Reading Interest: A Summary of Survey Research
Angella Fruehstorfer
AnnMarie Harris
Brandy Head
Kristi Mayo
One of the most important aspects of teaching is finding out what motivates students to learn. This is especially true when it comes to teaching reading. An important part of the reading teacher’s role is engaging each student and instilling a love of reading that will lead them down the road of life-long learning. This collaborative research paper summarizes a variety of surveys given to elementary and secondary school students to find out what motivates them to read.
Hale and Crowe Longitudinal Study
“I Hate Reading If I Don’t Have To: Results from a Longitudinal Study of High School Students’ Reading Interest” was a reading interest survey conducted by Lisa A. Hale and Chris Crowe. This survey was conducted over a fifteen year time span among high school aged students. The survey was handed out to all grade levels within an Arizona school.
The survey started out by asking gender and year questions. It then went on to ask what types of books the students read for school and what types were read for pleasure. The survey also asked the students to choose the favorite types of literature they liked to read. The results of the survey did find that many high school students did read for pleasure, Stephen King and John Steinback being among some of the authors listed as favorites. The survey also showed that females are more likely to read for pleasure than males. Crowe reported that, “70% of boys and 80% of girls listed at least one pleasure read” (2001). Mystery was chosen as one of the most popular young adult genres while autobiography and historical fiction were listed as unfavorable.
The overall result concluded that the interest level of high school readers has not decreased during the fifteen years the survey was conducted.
....continued in next comment
Blue Group Part 2...
ReplyDeleteThe Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) is a survey designed in the late 1980’s so teachers could quickly and easily determine reading attitudes of students (McKenna and Kear, 1990). This survey was created because many teachers began to speculate that students’ attitudes about reading could be best measured using the students’ emotional responses to how they felt about reading at school and at home. Thus, the survey was created so that students could give an “emotional score” to aspects of reading such as: Do you like getting a book for a present? How do you feel about reading instead of playing? How do you feel about going to a bookstore? (McKenna and Kear, 1990).
Based on these questions, students are shown four images of “Garfield” the cartoon/ comic character. The four images, as expressed below, allow students to circle an emotion that they see within Garfield that can explain the students’ feelings.
Accoding to McKenna and Kear (1990), the survey prototype was initially given to over 499 students in a mid-sized school in the central United States. After careful selection and alteration of scoring methods, another more finalized draft of the survey was given to more than 18,000 elementary school students in January of 1989 (McKenna and Kear, 1990). Based on students answers, they are given a score of 1 through 4. The questions fall within two categories, recreational and academic reading. Teachers then add up the scores from the two category columns, and the student earns a raw score. Based on the scores, teachers will use a scale sheet to determine how their students score compared to the generated national average based on the creators’ collected and analyzed data (McKenna and Kear, 1990).
Scores can help teachers to understand what areas, academic or recreational reading, students need help to improve their attitudes upon. For example, if a student scores low in the category of recreational reading, perhaps the teacher will work to provide that student with appropriate materials to explore when reading alone.
....continued in next comment
For the CLC assignment I researched “Why students read?” and “The feelings about e-readers and digital textbooks.” I teach grades 9-12 which is English 1- English 4. For the classes that have a state mandated test the curriculum dictates which units I teach. I do not teach to the test (wink, wink), but that is a key factor in determining the units that are taught. I have a little more flexibility in my junior and senior English classes therefore interest, SAT, ACT and English 101 are factors that I consider. My students love read alouds. Even in high school the students love being read to and then we discuss what we read in writing and make predictions about what will happen next. I also try to motivate my readers by using what we call “reading snippets” where I read only a portion of the novel, enough to get them hooked and then make them find the novel and continue reading it on their own. Book reports are not that effective for me because my high school students love websites like book rags and spark notes therefore I do not get many original ideas. If I let them do a book report using PowerPoint, photo story or make them create a website for the book, I am amazed at how much more original the finish piece becomes. I have learned that the students have to be considered one hundred percent of the time in order to create meaningful assignments. My students love reading Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes, Tears of A Tiger by Sharon Draper, It Happened to Nancy edited by Beatrice Sparks and Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. These books wake up the sleeping reader that was on the inside of my high school students. I have students that want to read at least one of these books all four years of their high school career. It is funny that no one asks for a second read of 1984 or Brave New World.
ReplyDeleteBlue Group Part 3...
ReplyDeleteCruea Reading Interest Survey
The Cruea Reading Interest Survey (2006) was conducted at an urban elementary school in Dayton, Ohio. Approximately half of the student population was classified as economically disadvantaged. The participants in the survey attended the third grade.
Students completed the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna and Kear, 1990) during which they were asked a series of questions about their reading attitudes as well as behaviors and indicated their responses by pointing to cartoon characters displaying facial feeling indicators ranging from very happy to very upset.
The results of the survey were inconsistent overall in terms of determining the students’ exact feelings about reading but there were some key indicators that give comparable insight to the children’s reading attitudes. Among the questions students were asked was, “How do you feel about reading a book at school during free time?” The students results were: 65% very happy, 29% slightly happy, and 6% slightly upset. Another question asked was “How do you feel about reading for fun at home?” Those results were: 35% very happy, 47% slightly happy, and 18% slightly upset (Cruea, 2006).
It is worth noting that the difference in attitude about reading during free time at school versus at home may indicate that some students feel reading is a school task or when compared to other leisure activities available in the home, reading is not as pleasurable. This was further evidenced in the results of the question, “How do you feel about reading instead of playing?” This question’s results were: 24% very happy, 47% slightly happy, 18% slightly upset, and 12% very upset (Cruea, 2006).
Student choice in book selection seemed to be a key factor in positive attitudes toward reading and generally led to higher scores. When asked, “How do you feel about learning from a book?” the response was 94% very happy and 6% slightly happy, and when the students were asked, “How do you feel about picking your own books to read?” the results were strongly positive at 88% very happy and 12% slightly happy. When asked, “How do you feel about reading your school books?” the results were only 64% very happy, 24% slightly happy, 6% slightly upset, and 6% very upset (Cruea 2006).
Interestingly, the most positive response, given at 100% very happy, was to the question, “How do you feel when you have finished a book?” (Cruea 2006). The study’s author did not speculate on this question’s response and it leaves unanswered the question of whether third graders were very happy about finishing a book due to satisfaction with the book ending well, a boost in self-esteem for completing the task, a sense of relief that a work task was complete, or for some other reason.
Overall, the majority of students gave positive responses in terms of attitudes toward the act of reading but gave less positive responses concerning reading behaviors such as answering questions about books, reading aloud, and taking tests about their reading.
Blue Group Part 4...
ReplyDeleteSaint Xavier Study on Multiple Intelligences
In this study the researchers look at using Howard Gardner’s 8 multiple intelligences to increase students’ reading motivation. The study was conducted by four teachers who taught in the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth grades. The second and fourth grade teachers taught all subjects while the sixth and eighth grade teachers taught reading and language arts. There were 26 second graders, 25 fourth graders, 46 sixth graders and 33 eighth graders surveyed in this study, for a total of 133 participants.
There were three tools used in this project to document evidence of a lack of reading motivation. Using tallies during observation was the first tool used to measure student behaviors during Silent Sustained Reading time. The second tool was a survey that included nine questions about student feelings toward reading. Results showed that, although students believed they read well and enjoyed being read to by their teacher, students did not read at home, did not enjoy reading for fun, and did not like visiting a library nor were comfortable reading new words. A third tool used was a teacher survey given to gain insight on the lack of reading motivation and corrective strategies used by teachers at the different sites.
Overall results showed that the two most common intelligences that are dominantly taught through in the classrooms were verbal/linguistic and interpersonal while the least common addressed were intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligences. By doing this survey, teachers realized they needed to become more tolerant of students' needs and behaviors that are attributed to their dominant intelligence.
Conclusion
When researching and comparing these types of reading surveys, our group found many similarities and differences. We found that many researches put forth a lot of trial and error to make sure these studies were going to be beneficial for both the teacher in planning instruction for their classrooms and for the student who is expected to learn new material. Although some studies were not as reliable as others, depending on research methods used and trial sample size, we believe that this array of surveys is a good representation of materials available to teachers to use with their students, and the conclusions drawn give good cause for reflection in our daily work with our own students.
Michael Phillips
ReplyDelete"Strategies for Motivating Students"
What stages of development are you students in?
I teach seventh grade students. My students are considered Stage 3 learners, “Reading to Learn”. However, I have more than a few students who are still Stage 2 learners, “Learning to Read”. The students in the Green Group’s matrix are a combination of all levels from elementary through high school. The elementary students exhibited an encouraging mind-set towards reading. Students reached middle school the mind-set change about reading. This mind-set changes I believe is due to the fact they are having difficulties with reading. These students have not mastered the “Learning to Read” phase of development, and are required to shift into the “Reading to Learn” phase.
What factors do you take into consideration when developing a literature-based lesson plan or unit plan?
When planning a literature-based lesson plan or unit, I take into consideration the reading levels of my students, what are the interests, and state standards needed to allow my students to read and comprehend the text required and to assist my students to become learners for life. I take look at my students’ reading levels at the beginning and middle of the year. I also use formative assessments when my students take weekly test on books they are reading. I have them complete a reading interest survey at the beginning and middle of the year in order to find out what my students’ interests are. As the move along their interest might change..
What types of reading motivational activities do you employ in your classroom? What have you tried that worked or did not work in your classroom?
I allow my students to be a part of the decision making process as far as routine or project requirements. I think if they have a part in the decision making process and they know the requirements; they do better and become more engaged. When I know the kinds of books my students enjoy. I have had success getting students to read when I read the same books and have discussions about the books. This isn’t always practical, but I have been able to help some males that dislikes reading on their own choose a chapter book and reading. What does not work with my students is if I tell them that they must have these skills to do the state test. However, I tell them that this will help them become life-long learners.
Recommend some books that you have found to be successful as motivational tools.
Books that have been successful as motivational tools have been books about sports figures, singers, dancers, and actors that are popular and famous now. The popular series books have been great motivational tool.
CLC - GREEN GROUP ESSAY
ReplyDeleteResearchers and educators have become increasingly aware of the significance of reading motivation on children’s literacy development (Mazzoni & Gambrell, 1999). There are many factors that go into children’s reading habits and attitudes towards reading. Some students are more enthusiastic towards reading with a positive outlook on the elements of literacy, while some student’s have little or want nothing at all to do with reading. It is said that effective learning in the classroom depends on the teacher’s ability to maintain the interest that brought students to the course in the first place (Ericksen, 1978). In order to maintain interest, teachers must be knowledgeable of their student’s habits and attitudes towards reading.
After reviewing the survey results, one thing is for sure; Student engagement in reading content is key (Gillet, Temple, Crawford, 2008). It is imperative that we motivate children throughout their elementary years so that they will enter middle school and high school with a positive approach to reading. It is crucial for teachers in the middle school and high school level to grab the student’s attention and making reading/learning relevant to the student. Even the most non-motivated child can be influenced by a spark of interest.
In the following example, Jason, a high school student, enjoys fishing; however he doesn’t enjoy reading. When asked what was the latest story he had read he expressed that it was a survival story out of a fishing magazine. Jason, who is now known as a student that is disinterested in reading, has found literature that sparks his attention; and because he loves the outdoors, he has expressed to his grandfather that he would like his help in purchasing his very own subscription of the magazine (Pitcher, Albright, DeLancy, Walker, Seunarinesingh, Mogge, et al., 2007).
Elementary students are said to be the easiest to motivate. Travers & Travers (2008) claim that elementary children are naturally drawn to books with intriguing illustrations, books that rhyme, and stories they can relate to on a personal level. However, not all elementary students are enthusiastic about reading. According to (Pitcher et al., 2007) many students don’t enjoy reading because they consider their selves as being poor readers, and as readers, their value of reading coincided with their reading choices and the overall affects of the enjoyment of reading. These students state that they do not like reading or that the teacher is boring.
CLC - GREEN GROUP (PART 2)
ReplyDeleteBrewster and Fager (2000) have created a list of strategies teachers can use to engage and motivate students. The most effective strategy is to ensure that course materials relate to students’ lives and highlight ways learning can be applied in real-life situations. Another strategy is to assign challenging but achievable tasks for all students. When students achieve success in a challenging task, you are building confidence which aides in motivating struggling readers. Teachers should arouse students’ curiosity about the topic being studied. The intrigued student always wants to learn more no matter how disinterested they claim to be. The final strategy for motivating students is to design projects that allow students to share new knowledge with others (Brewster & Fager, 2000). Interaction and discussion among others in the classroom helps build personal connections.
Teachers, for all grade levels, need to provide students with a variety of literature for students to read. This can be in form of song, play, book, poem, blog, or anything that will make the student engaged. According the student motivation interest survey, elementary students enjoy read-alouds, storytelling, big books, and partner reading. Middle school and high school students enjoy text in forms of blogs, texts, or anything via web. It is uncommon for a high school student to become excited over a textbook, however, when a textbook is presented to them in a digital form, all feelings change. During adolescence, teachers need to consider what development issues middle grade students face in order to provide selections that may be appealing to these students (Travers & Travers, 2008). In this case, incorporating technology into instruction is one of the best strategies to a teacher could use to integrate literature into the content areas.
Another positive attitude students can have towards reading is when they are exposed to it in a variety of places other than school. It is important for parents to understand that learning takes place not only in school, but in the home as well. When parents exhibit good reading habits, their children will likely follow along and display the same positive reading traits. For elementary students, it is beneficial for parents to read with their child at least 20 minutes a day. At this time, children are making special connections to text, because you are involving someone important to the child, such as a parent. This will encourage them to look at reading with a positive attitude.
CLC - GREEN GROUP (Part 3)
ReplyDeleteThis is a more challenging task for parents of adolescent children. A parent can still make reading fun and enjoyable if they help connect literature to their child. A suggestion to help parents motivate their high school and middle school child could be to read a series with their child. At this stage, a child should be able to independently read and hold a discussion about a book. Parents and their children could have a family book club or take family trips to the library. No matter what the age of the child, if students are constantly exposed to literature in a positive manner, they will more likely enjoy reading on their own without being forced.
Literature can be a powerful influence in shaping a reader’s understanding of the world. Teachers must be aware of the wide variety of literature available to all students (physical or digital) in order to guide them to make good selections and open their eyes to a plethora of high quality literature written specifically for them (Travers & Travers, 2008). Not only does literature shape the minds’ of students, but it also provides children with knowledge and experiences that they may not be able to create in real life. Children can explore the world and go on adventures just by visiting the library and reading a book. According to Travers & Travers (2008), any time a student can personally relate to a topic, they will automatically be more engaged, as they can relate the new information to experiences they have had. Teachers must keep students continually engaged throughout elementary, middle, and high school in order for students to have positive experiences with literature throughout their whole life.
CLC - GREEN GROUP (references)
ReplyDeleteReferences
Brewster, C., & Fager, J. (2000). Increasing student motivation and engagement: From
time on task to homework. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
Ericksen, S. C. (1978). “The Lecture.” Memo to the Faculty, no. 60. Ann Arbor: Center
for Research on Teaching and Learning, University of Michigan
Gambrell, L.B., & Mazzoni, S.A. (1999). Principles of best practice: Finding the common
ground. In L.B. Gambrell, L.M. Morrow, S.B. Neuman, & M. Pressley (Eds.), Best practice in literacy instruction (pp. 11-21). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Gillet, J. W., Temple, C., & Crawford, A. N. (2008). Understanding reading problems: Assessment and instruction (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN-13: 9780205520282
Gunter, D. A., (2011). “Motivation for High School Students to Read: Differences among Student Perceptions and Differences between Student and Teacher Perceptions”. Retrieved March 20, 2012, Educational Leadership Dissertations:
http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/diss/4
Pitcher, M. S., Albright, K. L., DeLancy, J. C., Walker, T. N., Seunarinesingh, K.,
References continued
Mogge, S., et al. (2007). Assessing adolescents’ motivation to read. International Reading Association, 10(1598), (pg. 378-398). Retrieved March 20, 2012, from http://www.education.txstate.edu/ci/people/faculty/Delaney/contentParagraph/04/ document/Delaney%2B3.pdf
Sheehan, J (2011, July). Research on healthy eating habits & student learning. Home diet& nutrition healthy eating healthy eating habits. Retrieved March 22, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/497063-research-on-healthy-eating- habits-student-learning/
Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective. Boston: Wiley and Sons. ISBN-13: 9780470111048