Few Things Motivate Students More Than Chances

The approach to the reading of the novel would be varied. It is anticipated that the class study would begin with a shared reading of the opening chapter to foster students' interest. A prepared reading by the teacher is usually much more involving than a hesitant reading-around-the-class activity (Sykes, n.d.). The aim is to motivate each student to read the

Through the course of reading nonfiction, I found that the greatest lesson I have learned is from Sherman Alexie. In his essay, “Superman and Me” he reflects on how reading has impacted his life from early on. Although he experiences great difficulty of growing up with a Native American heritage and possessing great intellect, Alexie refuses to be classified as a failure. He faces struggles throughout his childhood, but his passion for reading served as an escape from his issues. The lesson of Alexie’s essay is to not let the negative voices of our peers to affect the positive views we should have in ourselves and our capabilities. Our potential is not defined by what people think, but rather it is ultimately how we utilize their criticism

Have you ever read such a great book that you became completely infatuated with it? You feel the pain, happiness, sadness that the characters feel; you feel as if you personally know the characters. You begin to forget that what you are reading is just a creative piece of writing because you are so infatuated with it. Reading for pleasure is a way to escape reality, a way to be inspired, a way to become more knowledgeable, and even a way to gain a new identity (Storm). In this day and age however, students prefer not to read for pleasure during their free time, such as summer vacations (McGaha). A major obstacle that students face today is technology. With technology expanding so rapidly, it seems that students are more focused on owning

Reading is the beginning of every child’s learning. The basis of education begins with learning to read. Short (2010) explained that literature acts as “an inquiry to life” and a “way of knowing” (p. 50). However, in order to support children’s learning, it is essential to show children that learning is interesting from a young age. When Short first began teaching using worksheets and a basal reading program, she wrote, “I often felt that children were learning to read in spite of me” (p. 49). The students were not learning to think critically. However, when she began introducing literature circles to her students, she saw them “critically exploring their understandings with each other” (p. 49).

In the past, knowing that motivation was one of the primary concerns for teachers when teaching them to read (Veenamn, 1984) but today it deals more with finding a way to interest students in reading (O’Flahavan, Gambrell, Guthrie, Stahl, & Alvermann, 1992), Gambrell, Palmer, Codling, & Mazzoni developed a tool to assess student motivation in reading. The Motivation to Read Profile includes a reading survey and a conversational interview. The survey gathers information on reading motivation as it relates to self-concept as a reader and the value of reading. The interview gathers information on books students find most interesting, favorite authors, and where and how students find books. After administering the survey and interview, teachers

Michael Henry’s article “Whats with This Summer Reading” has readers pondering why summer reading has students “moving one step further from reading.” Michael Henry explains that one day he saw a teenager becoming very frustrated with the book he was reading. He asked why the young man was reading the book and the boy said, because it was a summer reading assignment. This made Henry think and he began to research summer reading assignments. He wanted to find out what was causing so much frustration.

I viewed reading as a chore, was often unenthused, and would mostly annotate on the overarching themes without gathering any meaning from them. Books were merely a series of words printed on paper. This school year, however, I began to understand the allure reading has to offer. I have grown to appreciate reading and the insights a book can offer. When reading our numerous texts, I was able to live vicariously through the characters of the books and relate aspects of their lives to my own. Because all of the books from English I pertain to coming of age, I was able to not only learn about maturation as a process, but understand how it pertains to my own life. Through protagonists such as Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye or Esperanza from The House on Mango Street, I learned about my “misguided desire to preserve childhood innocence” and to empower feminism similar to Holden and Esperanza respectively (Heart of Gold, Raghuram). Gradually, I have finally developed the ability to relate to novels and its characters amidst writing my own story.Whether it be thematic elements or the details of a case I am working on, I have become more observant to even the most trivial details. Now when I read, I not only look at the themes, motifs, and symbols, but also repeated phrases or situations that parallel each others as well as the symbolic meaning behind some ambiguous phrases or scenes. Reading now, in contrast to last summer, is a

A growing body of researchers claim that if students are not motivated and engaged in reading, they will not achieve their full literacy potential (Gambrell, 2011; Serravallo 2015; Warner, 2014; Irvin et al., 2007; Parsons et al., 2015). How and why would they read a “broad range of high-quality, increasingly challenging” texts if they are not interested? Research now shows that engagement and reading achievement actually have a symbiotic relationship, such that they must exist simultaneously (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000, as cited in Springer, Harris, & Dole, 2017). As students become more engaged in reading, they develop an increased level of competence, which supports their literacy achievement (Irvin et al., 2007; Springer, Harris, & Dole, 2017). As students’ reading abilities increase, they hold a greater desire to continue reading, along

The experiences that were going on while reading these books and all of the books this year seemed to open doors, and open the eyes of many in the class to the bigger picture of literature, knowing how someone reads is like knowing how their brain works. The comparisons in the experience of reading books is like comparing

During my field experience class this past Fall semester, as I observed a class of 4th graders at George Washington Carver Elementary, I had the opportunity to sit in as the students spent some time in the library with the school librarian, Mrs. Williams. Although I was technically there to observe the regular classroom teacher, the brief amount of time I spent in the library was inspiring to say the least. I watched as the students excitedly told Mrs. Williams and their peers about the books they were reading and how much they were enjoying them. They were so excited about reading, in fact, that they were appalled when I regrettably admitted that I wasn’t currently reading a book. For these students, reading was something that everybody should be doing, and they weren’t accepting any excuses (Believe me, I tried in vain to explain why I wasn’t reading a book). In no time at all, it

She states that the only way students’ reading levels, vocabulary and background knowledge and stamina to read will grow is by allowing students to read challenging books (p.4). In addition, the author goes on to say if students can read books on their own then it is not a useful book to study. However, in order to aid students while reading challenging books teachers need to utilize Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. In order to make certain that students are prepared for the real world, teachers need to plan ahead to ensure that students understand what they are

Not only does it add fresh insights to students daily life, but also gives them the opportunity to learn from others. Dr. Seuss once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go”(Seuss 3). Novels shed light on riveting topics and radical ideas. They enrich students’ minds and provide a concrete basis for new ideas. Moreover, literature elicits gripping responses to unanswered questions. While many students are oblivious to the misfortune in other countries, readers actively search for solutions to these problems. Additionally, authors inscribe lessons and experiences within texts. Readers absorb this knowledge and apply it to life. A philosopher once said, “A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise one learns from the mistakes of others.” While reading, one can observe and internalize the errors of the characters. Through this process, avid readers are capable of successfully maneuvering through life’s hurdles without a scratch. In high school, mistakes can be detrimental to one’s triumphs. Minor and miniscule errors may lead to catastrophic results. Perhaps, by avoiding the errors made by others, one can journey through life unscathed. Thus, literature plays a critical role in the lives’ of high school

Thirty years ago, only 8 percent of 13 year olds and 9 percent of 17 year olds said that they hardly ever read for pleasure. Today, that number is up to 22 and 27 percent (Bruni 2014). Teenagers don’t read as much as they used to unless it is an assignment for school. Many kids think reading is boring but there are other kids who would like to have time to read, but they don’t because of homework and extracurricular activities. School’s have the power to change these statistics if they try. Stamford High should approach the teaching of reading by allowing students to choose a book of their choice and giving them time during class to read. That way, students will start to read more and become smarter and more empathetic.

I’ll admit, English is not my favorite subject. I don’t have a problem with writing, and at times I write for pleasure, however reading seems to bore me. When I was younger, I liked reading, but over the years, it has become something that my teachers force me to do, and it lost my interest. Maybe it could’ve been from the required reading and writing logs, but now I read because I know I have to; not for my own amusement. Despite my animosity of reading, there were two books that stood out for me more than others in this past year. Both selections were assigned to read in our class "book groups". It's unusual that these are the stories that I’ve enjoyed most in the past year, because typically students dislike reading groups. They think they're

English teachers don’t need to be told the enormous value and pleasure of reading whole texts as class readers. Little compares with that feeling when a class are truly engaged in the reading of a really good book. Those moments stay with you forever – indeed, they fuel the desire to find another such book to repeat the experience, again and again. Fortunately, contemporary writers of fiction for young adults continue to offer us fresh opportunities to enjoy literature with our students.