In this article, Linda Gambrell outlines 7 specific things teachers and educators can do in order to enhance students' motivation to read for pleasure. Like in the past few chapters in Subjects Matter, Gambrell emphasizes the importance of letting students choose what they want to read when you can. Logically, students will be more inclined to read things that they are interested in! She also explains that "students are more motivated to read when they have ample opportunities to engage in sustained reading" (174). This is the idea of SSR mentioned earlier in the book.
And finally, and my personal favorite, Gambrell states that "students are more motivated to read when they have opportunities to socially interact with others about the text they are reading" (175). This can be done seamlessly with the book clubs addressed in Subjects Matter. Not only are students able to pick books that interest them, but by talking with other students they are able to have low stakes conversations about what they have read. In my own experience, I usually prefered to talk with other students rather than have whole class discussions-- which at times can be overwhelming or even chaotic.
If we can enhance our students intrinsic motivation to read, I assume we (as educators) would see an improvement in student performance across content areas. A student reading on their own about their interest in outer space can improve their performance in the science class, for example. As a future math teacher, I can see the advantages of allowing students to have designated reading for pleasure time in my class.
For a good laugh:
Gambrell, L. B. (2011, November). Seven Rules of Engagement: What's Most Important to Know About Motvation to Read. The Reading Teacher, 65(3), 172-178.
(word count: 293)
The video is really cute. It's weird, too, because my Uncle Kevin just got back from the moon, like, two weeks ago or something.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the article about nurturing positive attitudes towards reading. At the end of the day, it really seems like that needs to be step one for helping students improve their reading skills--or any other skills, really. I know when students come into my class that they come carrying lots of "baggage" about reading. This is especially true in middle and high school, I think, as students formative experiences in elementary school may have cemented particular dispositions toward school. It's true for math, too, right? Many students walk into math class "hating" math. If that's true, it's probably a mistake for teachers to jump right into teaching reading or math without addressing the attitude. It might be fun to begin a class with a "therapy" session in which students unpack their baggage. From there, the teacher could design lessons and activities that help reinforce a positive attitude towards the discipline. Thanks for sharing, Sarah!