The Importance of Real Reading for Resistant Readers

2/1/2018

5 Strategies for Engaging Reluctant Readers

A reluctant reader is, quite simply, whatever student who does non show an involvement in reading. These students may actively resist reading, mask their dislike past clowning around or misbehaving when asked to read, go hands frustrated during reading, or need to exist coaxed into picking up a volume. Identifying reluctant readers is the kickoff stride in amend engaging these students as readers. Merely co-ordinate to the Lexile® Framework for Reading, it is important to note that reluctant readers are not necessarily the same as struggling readers. Although their reading abilities may vary, these young people have problem connecting with books independently.

Why are these readers reluctant?

Earlier educators can endeavour to help a reluctant reader become more engaged in reading, they demand to understand why the student is reluctant to read. A student's reluctance could have many root causes: Are they struggling with item reading skills? Are they disinterested in what they are reading? Are in that location tasks associated with reading that the educatee is resisting? An effective and easy place to starting time is observation. For example,, an educator might observe that the student begins a reading task but quickly becomes frustrated. This educatee could exist reading above their reading level. Does the student seem uncomfortable when asked to read out loud or participate in a discussion? This student may exist cocky-conscious and reluctant to read because they feel unsuccessful or pressured to read at an uncomfortable pace or level.

If observing the reluctant reader does non assist to unravel the why, effort asking the student directly. Although students aren't always able to enunciate why they don't like reading, they tin can sometimes exist quite straightforward. Fifty-fifty if the student can't articulate the crusade of their reluctance, speaking candidly with them can help to demystify the event.

Because each student is unique, it may crave trial and mistake to find an advisable approach to engage a reluctant reader. More than probable, though, information technology volition take a combination of strategies.

The importance of intrinsic motivation

Simply equally knowing why a student is reluctant to read is important, and so is knowing how they are motivated to read. Intrinsically motivated readers read because it gives them enjoyment or satisfaction in some way. Extrinsically motivated readers are driven by some outside force per unit area, such equally a promised advantage or the fear of a failing grade. Studies prove a positive correlation between intrinsically motivated readers and reading achievement across grade levels, and by high school, extrinsic motivations for reading are actually negatively correlated to reading achievement. When creating or selecting strategies for reluctant readers, it is of import to continue this in mind. We non merely need to motivate reluctant students to read, we need to take the more than hard path of helping them become intrinsically motivated to exercise so.

Here are v actionable strategies for helping students cultivate their intrinsic motivation.

1. Read for fun

In the classroom, reading often comes with "work." For case, students might be asked to annotate the book as they read, keep a daily reading journal, fill out graphic organizers, or take a examination on the reading material. While these activities admittedly have their place in literacy didactics, it isn't difficult to run into how they may contribute to a educatee's reluctance to read. Sometimes, students only need to read for fun. Allowing independent reading time with no strings attached can motivate reluctant readers by helping to motion reading from "work" to "fun."

2. Emphasize the ability of selection

One powerful way to engage reluctant readers is to allow them a pick of what to read, thereby giving them ownership of their own learning. Choice also helps to motivate students by allowing them to select reading material on topics that are of interest to them and in formats with which they experience comfortable. Giving students a pick of reading materials tin can also validate literacy activities in which they participate exterior of the classroom. Students may not make the connection between the basketball weblog they devour at home each night, the how-to book they are using to set up their bike, and the texts they are learning to read in schoolhouse. Understanding that each is a valid course of literacy can be a revelation to students.

Even so, allowing students a choice of reading cloth does not necessarily mean taking them to the library and letting them loose, every bit they demand scaffolding to assistance them select appropriate texts. For case, independent reading is perhaps the easiest fashion to give students gratuitous choice, but while allowing reluctant readers to cull their own text can help them to be more engaged, the reverse effect will be achieved if they become frustrated because the text they selected is too hard. To this end, students demand to exist given the tools to select a "just correct" book. Similar whatever other skill, they can practice strategies for selecting appropriate texts, and should exist allowed to make mistakes. If they select a book that turns out to not be "just right" afterward all, they should be empowered to put that text down and select another, even if they are already halfway through it.

Often—peculiarly when reading in a field of study or within a theme—students demand to be given boosted parameters within which they tin choose their text. The key is for these parameters to allow for texts that both encounter the educator's instructional goals and allow the pupil meaningful choice. One way this can exist achieved is to allow students to choose from within a set of educator-selected texts. To be constructive, this prepare of texts needs to be comprehensive in type of material, reading level, and topic, which is no small task! For example, suppose students are studying the Holocaust. The educator tin can provide a number of preselected texts on this topic, ranging from fictional works to informational texts. This is a topic large enough to encompass multiple angles, so the educator could include books focusing on military actions, the ascent of Hitler, and even the "degenerative" art forbidden by the Nazi regime. The bespeak is to give students as broad a pick as possible within the topic. The door should always be left open for students to pitch a dissimilar text, every bit well, as long as information technology is appropriate and relevant.

3. Play the social game

Socializing and interacting with peers is extremely important to students at any grade level, and we tin bring the power of social activities into the literacy classroom. Appoint reluctant readers by creating a infinite where literacy is a communal activity and students feel they belong to that community. I mode to do this is through small student-led discussion groups. Allowing students to lead these groups themselves is key, every bit studies have shown that student-led word groups result in deeper, more elaborate discussions than those led by a teacher. Providing the opportunity for students to make meaning of a text with their peers can too help reduce misconceptions about the text and expand their perceptions of what they read. Grouping student at varying reading levels tin can have an added value, every bit well: Struggling readers do good from the insights and perspectives of more avant-garde readers, while advanced readers benefit from clarifying and explaining their own reading strategies to their peers. As with whatever new activeness, it is important to model these discussion groups with students before leaving them on their own. Literature Circles (Harvey Daniels; Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Pupil-Centered Classroom, 1994) offering a way to formalize roles and responsibilities inside a student-led discussion group.

4. Use Reader'due south Theater as an accurate repeated reading strategy

The repeated readings method is a well-known strategy for increasing reading fluency and comprehension. This strategy non merely helps the educatee read a detail text more fluently and comprehend it meliorate, it has too been shown to increment fluency and comprehension in new passages across all form levels. The problem with rereading the same passage over and over is that this tin go boring and may increase students' reluctance to read. Whileany educators introduce competition (either students against themselves or each other) as an extrinsic motivator, Reader'south Theater can offering a more authentic reason for students to reread texts.

Reader's Theater allows students to dramatize a book or story they have read. In Reader's Theater, students read aloud, rather than memorize brusk scripts based on a book. Reader'south Theater is by nature a cooperative, social action, equally students piece of work together to select, rehearse, and perform their piece. Multiple readings of the text are inherent in the activity as students rehearse and perform, and Reader'south Theater can also make reading more palatable for reluctant readers, since a script is broken upward into smaller chunks. Reader'due south Theater besides offers an piece of cake outlet for differentiation, as students may self-select parts they are comfortable reading, or the instructor may assign parts based on reading ability.

5. Incorporate move and hands-on activities

Sometimes, students are reluctant to read simply because it is hard for them to sit quietly—but reading doesn't have to be a passive activeness. Consider letting students walk around every bit they read (as long as they don't disturb other students), provide some pillows, a place to stretch out, and some standing desks for those who don't desire to sit down. In add-on, let students to quietly share fun or interesting things from their reading with each other. Reading can and should be a gateway to additional exploration, and this can exist fostered by tying easily-on explorations with reading. In one case you establish this practice, students will probable take over some of the planning: A educatee reading Skellig by David Almond might inquire to dissect an owl pellet, while a learner reading near Disney World may desire to make a model roller coaster.

The Importance of Real Reading for Resistant Readers

Source: https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/5-strategies-engaging-reluctant-readers

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