Reading motivation

In education, reading motivation refers to the likelihood of students to engage in reading. It encompasses the attitudes, values, and behaviors that children associate with reading books. Teachers and educators strive to understand reading motivation to determine what encourages children to read.

Motivation plays an important role in transforming students into proficient readers. Motivated students read more than those who are not motivated. Three key motivations—interest, dedication, and confidence—can drive students toward books or deter them from reading.

Teachers and educators seek to nurture reading motivation in the classroom. By tapping into reading motivation, teachers can help children develop their reading skills and comprehension. Classroom practices that motivate successful reading include allowing students to choose what they read, building a balanced selection of books, highlighting texts, reading aloud, fostering group discussions, and offering incentives and rewards.

Background

Reading is made up of two parts: skill and will. The skills include phonics, vocabulary, and basic comprehension. Will refers to the motivation to read.

Usually, as a student's reading skills improve, the child's will to read also increases. Students who enjoy reading will likely read more often. Children who read frequently will become more proficient at it.

The relationship between reading motivation and reading proficiency starts early. As young as first grade, children who begin mastering their reading skills may read three times more frequently on their own. However, students who have difficulty reading will try to avoid it. By not practicing the activity, they will likely fall behind the students who are successful readers.

As students enter adolescence, their motivation to read decreases. Children typically start school wanting to read. However, as students move up each grade level, reading assignments grow more challenging. Students may view reading as less fun and more of a mandatory activity.

Much research has been conducted to determine what motivates students to read. Reading motivation is largely shaped by three factors: interest, dedication, and confidence.

Children who are interested in what they are reading will read more frequently. They may enjoy books, a certain author, or learning new information. Interest is an intrinsic motivation, which means children find gratification in reading for its own sake.

Students may dedicate themselves to reading because they think it is important. Children may value reading because they realize they will need it to succeed in everyday life, from reading the news to paying bills.

Children who are confident in their reading abilities are more likely to read. Students who evaluate their reading experiences as successful will continue to build their proficiency. As their confidence increases, they will be more willing to tackle advanced reading assignments. Conversely, students who have trouble reading may doubt themselves, not complete assignments, and avoid challenging texts.

A student may have all three motivations, while others may have just one. A child may enjoy reading, but he is not dedicated to it. Another student may like reading, but she is not confident in her abilities.

Children may find reading motivation at home or from their peers, but most of it is developed in school. Knowing what influences students' reading motivation can help teachers encourage children to read and achieve proficiency.

Overview

Teachers can motivate children to read in the classroom by implementing six practices. These methods can foster students' interest, dedication, and confidence as well as boost their intrinsic motivation.

Educators should give students a choice in what they read. Using interesting texts, such as trade books and electronic books, encourages children to make reading decisions that are meaningful and relevant to them. Students who choose their texts typically learn more from them. As the activity of reading becomes more personal, children will likely increase their commitment to it. By selecting their own reading materials, children are more likely to engage in reading.

Teachers should put together a balanced selection of books. In doing so, students will have access to various reading materials from which to choose. The collection should include different genres, informational titles, nonfiction books, fiction books, poetry, magazines, and newspapers. In selecting the collection of texts, the students' cultural backgrounds should also be considered. Having reading materials available that incorporate familiar experiences or topics will likely encourage young readers. Reading materials can be paired with hands-on classroom activities as part of a comprehensive program. However, care must be taken when selecting electronic texts to ensure the material available to students is appropriate.

Highlighting texts in the classroom encourages children to read them. When teachers single out a book, students are more likely to choose that book from the shelves. Teachers can select specific titles to appear in themed displays or book baskets. Taking a book and placing it on a table will draw students' attention to the title. Teachers can read a few pages from the book to pique students' interest.

Reading aloud enables teachers to demonstrate key strategies for reading in the classroom. By reading to their students, teachers can spread the excitement of reading and promote interaction among the class. Reading aloud turns the act of reading into a social activity. It encourages collaboration as teachers and students find meaning from the text. Teachers should invite students to vote on the read-aloud title and give students the opportunity to read aloud.

Teachers should facilitate group discussions among students in their reading programs. Small group conversations give children an active role in understanding and interpreting the texts. Children have more opportunities to talk with one another about what they are reading. They can share their ideas and exchange different points of view.

Incentives and rewards can be used to motivate students to read. As opposed to intrinsic motivation, such rewards are external and can be given by teachers and parents. Children who receive books as an incentive are more likely to read those titles. The Book It! reading program, established in 1984 by the national restaurant chain Pizza Hut, rewards students in kindergarten through sixth grade who reach their reading goals with certificates for free pizza. Other nationwide programs and associations that encourage young people to read include Reach Out and Read, the National Summer Learning Association, the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, and the Reading Is Fundamental.

Reading motivation is a critical part of helping students achieve reading proficiency. Teachers can implement motivational practices in the classroom by understanding the factors that encourage children to read. As their reading motivation is enhanced, children will strengthen their reading skills and are more likely to become successful readers.

Bibliography

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