How Can We Help Students Develop A Desire To Read At Home? is the new “question of the week” at my Education Week Teacher column.
Feel free to leave your responses there or here in the comments….
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How Can We Help Students Develop A Desire To Read At Home? is the new “question of the week” at my Education Week Teacher column.
Feel free to leave your responses there or here in the comments….
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Self selected reading is the best way create interest in reluctant readers. Let them read whatever they want – as long as they’re reading! I tell kids this all the time and they are so happy when you tell them to select things they like.
I agree, let them read whatever they want, including comic books and gaming manuals. I also encourage parents to let me read motor bike magazines or anything of interest to them, no one wants to be told what they can read all the time.
I believe that it is extremely important for students to be reading self-selected books in an area of interest. Along with that, there needs to be some guidance
from an adult that the books are at a “just right” level for that student. I find many students do always chose a book that they can read comfortably.
Have a vibrant SSR program in class that has them start books they can’t wait until next time to read. Have great books available and a teacher who is an active reader who can match kids and books. It’s the best thing I have found.
Yes, self selected reading is essential. However there is a second branch: incentives. Nobody works for free (except when your activity is not seen as “work=effort” rather than “pleasure”) and most students consider reading a synonym of work (since many school readings are not especially attractive, I must agree with them in considering reading an effort).
So, how can a teacher “pay” them or their work? The answer is “good grades”. So the message is “you choose a book, you write this short book review and I’ll grade you well”.
Give them TIME to read AT SCHOOL, so they stay hooked to whatever it is they’re reading. We then get to see what they’re enjoying (and what they’re not), and suggest the next books for them… Just had a parent last night (7th grade) tell me that her daughter has read SIX books this year so far – because I “give them time.” Ahhh…