Students are motivated in different ways. Motivation for reading and other activities varies greatly from student to student. Being aware of students’ literacy personalities can give you insight into how to motivate them.
It is important to establish a purpose for reading. I have many students ask me every week why are we reading this, why are we writing that, why do we have to do this? Most teachers respond by telling the students because we have to, its part of the curriculum, the state/school says I have to teach it. If we give students more practical reasons for whey they have to complete a task, they will most likely be more motivated to complete it. Some students such as one in the study from the article, “What Motivates Students to Read,” is intrinsically motivated. These students want to read and want to do well in school. They put forth their best effort and do not need tangible motivators to complete assignments.
Other students are motivated mostly by tangible rewards. I have one student who is a struggling reader that needs daily tangible rewards to motivate him to read and participate in guided reading group. This particular student does well utilizing strategies that he has learned to decode words and help to understand a story. On his current instructional level, he is doing well. If he is not interested in a particular topic of a book we are reading, he often times chooses to engage in avoidance behaviors. I try to find books that will hold his attention, but that is not always possible. He earns a small tangible reward on days that he is reading in an appropriate voice and participates in discussions about what we have read. We have tried many different approaches with this student including non-tangible rewards, but the current plan in place has had the most success.
I have noticed that students’ motivation to read changes as he or she grows and develops as a reader. It is important to get to know your students not only as readers, but also as individuals. Student backgrounds can play an important role in their level of engagement and enjoyment in reading as well as writing. Providing various opportunities for reading, both structured and unstructured, is key. Guided reading groups are important to teach students the skills necessary to learn and grow as readers. To help build interest in reading, students need a time to read independently too. I like the Daily 5 because it gives students choice in their reading. The books students choose from are on their individual levels, but the key is that they choose the books. They not only choose the books, but they also choose a spot to read in the room. I have seen many students motivated to read by simply being given choice.
Thinking back to my reading as a child, I was more motivated by the expectations of both my teachers and my parents to complete work. Although I did not always like reading as a child, I did it when it was assigned because I was a student who followed directions and had much support at home. As I got older, I began to like reading more and more. My reading skills developed and so did my interest in reading. By middle school I enjoyed reading when I was given choice. This is when I went through my mystery phase and my favorite author was Agatha Christie. I eventually grew out of that and began reading many different genres and authors. To this day I still enjoy reading for pleasure. When it comes to reading for assignments, I do it, but it stems back to my need to do my work as asked of by the teacher. If students see their teachers reading or making connections to books they have read throughout the school day, they will have a positive role model for reading.
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