Motivation. As defined by Webster, motivation is a force or
influence that causes someone to do something. When dealing with teens, reading
becomes a game in which they keep score. If they read a book then what reward,
or score, will they receive? Some type of motivation is needed to levitate any
reaction from them regarding reading. If there are no major grades involved and
no personal interest, student will go days without cracking the covers of a
single book. As heartbreaking as this is, the percentages seem to be rising.
At Batesville High, the English Language Arts department
faces this problem daily. Our curriculum institutes Accountable Independent
Reading (AIR) as portion of the students’ grades, but, as the teacher have
noticed, the accountability of a weekly grade does not motivate reading. Yes,
there are some students that love to read. The accountability grades did not
change their reading habits. Other, lacking a reading habit, failed to start a
routine of reading. Instead, they turned in doctored reading logs showing
consistent reading of books they never even cracked open.
With that being said, we come back to the question of how to
motivate. We can try as many extrinsic motivators as we can, but in the end I
feel that the motivation must come from a heart determined to read. Reading
becomes a lifestyle. So, to create an atmosphere of reading, teachers need to
help develop this reading lifestyle. Once this is established, we should see a
different culture of students in the classrooms. This does not only happen at
the secondary level. This is easy applicable for elementary, for it is in the
lower grades reading is introduced to the students. If they see an eagerness
from a young age, there is a chance this love for reading can be established
early on.
Resources:
I have noticed that schools that have a strong reading program in the early grades (where it is just the love for reading in which the teachers get the students excited about books) tend to have students who want to read in their high school years. These students were never offered a reward, per say, for their reading; they simply fell in love with reading at a young age, and teachers fostered this love of reading all the way through high school. I couldn't agree more with you when you state "This [atmosphere for reading] does not only happen at the secondary level." It must start in the early grades and work up!
ReplyDeleteReading is definitely a lifestyle and all about finding books that speak to you. As a librarian, I take special interest in helping students find books they will enjoy. I never 'recommend' a book I have not personally read. I may comment that lots of students check it out or it's popular, but my personal recommendation is very important to me. Students know that if I recommend a book or it is on "Mrs. H's Favorite's" bookshelf it is a good book.
ReplyDeleteReading is definitely a lifestyle and all about finding books that speak to you. As a librarian, I take special interest in helping students find books they will enjoy. I never 'recommend' a book I have not personally read. I may comment that lots of students check it out or it's popular, but my personal recommendation is very important to me. Students know that if I recommend a book or it is on "Mrs. H's Favorite's" bookshelf it is a good book.
ReplyDelete