Reluctant Readers

Dear Tom Uga,

Let me assure you that you are not alone. At some point every teacher has difficulty finding ways to motivate their students to read. I am pleased that you would ask for my advice and I hope that I can help you. It is important for teachers to share what works for them because it is one of the best sources of information that we have in our profession.

One strategy that has helped me is I have my students complete a reading survey at the beginning of every course. They answer questions such as “What type of books do you read? and “What do you enjoy doing after school?”. Their answers help me get to know my students better and choose reading that they can relate to on a more personal level. Remember that it helps to make the reading as meaningful as possible not only for them but for you as well.

Another technique is to get the students to predict what the reading is going to be about. You can use a variety of objects to get them started such as a picture, the cover of the book or a quote. Students can write their predictions on a piece of paper and share their ideas with the class or wait until after the reading and then reveal their answers. Whatever you choose is up to you. Remember that students love to make predictions and it gets them thinking about the topic.

Another important technique is to make sure that you activate the students’ prior knowledge about the reading. For example, if you are going to read about Fidel Castro don’t assume all of your students know the history of Cuba or for that matter know where the country is located on a map. I have made this mistake many times before. In order to save yourself a lot of time and to avoid possibly embarrassing the students, have them answer questions, discus the subject in groups or complete a survey. Regardless of which strategy you choose, remember to take the time to build the students’ foundation of prior knowledge so that they will not get lost as easily.

Finally, a little competition always seems to work. Through the years I have discovered that most students love to compete. I enjoy creating different games in my classroom because it tends to motivate the students and it is a fun way to teach. In order to increase their motivation to read, you can create a game yourself or simply steal the idea from others. For example you might try putting the students in groups and answer questions about the reading. I find that group work is less intimidating for some students and it gives everyone the opportunity to discus the questions and help each other. After a certain amount of time, the group must answer the question. If they miss it then the question continues to the next group. The group with the most correct answers wins. You can offer whatever incentives you prefer. Remember to have fun with the students and they won’t even realize that they are learning.

I hope that these few suggestions will help you or at the very least get you thinking about a solution that works. Remember that not every class will respond the same way to your strategies. Don’t let it get you down. Stay positive and continue to focus on finding ways to motivate them. I’m sure that you will do fine. If you have any other questions or if there is something that you would like to share with me please feel free to do so at anytime.
Thanks,
Mr. Campbell