By Dec. 5, please respond to the following questions: What are key issues or strategies as you try to motivate student reading? What questions do you have about reading motivation (i.e., self-selected reading)?
I really enjoyed the section that shows us how to adapt our books so children with disabilities can explore them more independently. I will definitely be using this to make books available for my future students. I would also like to see how the BookWorm works, and see how I could use it in my future classroom. There have been so many online resources mentioned in our book that I really hope that I have an interactive white board, and mimeo where I teach so I can use the resources often. The most important thing is to somehow make students want to read. Making the materials accessible, encouraging appropriate reading level materials, having materials that are interesting to the students, giving students the opportunity to share about what they read, and helping students see why reading is important. A question about how to carry this out in the classroom that I have been in this semester … I would think that they would need headphones that would read the story to them but I don’t think they would be able to follow along. How would individual reading time take place in this kind of classroom? It would seem that every child would need one-on-one support. ~Laura Chrisco
I found this information really useful, I liked the selection of books that are based on characters with disabilities, I think that this wil be a good way to get students interested in a book if they see there are characters like them. This is something that they are not used to reading about, or hearing about in most books. Adapting books to make them easier for students to hold or to listen to will take a huge obstacle out of the way for students and let them concentrate on reading. I hope to try to have many different options in my classroom to try to accomadate all students. It says in the text that children are always encouraged but not required to read on their own level. How do you deal with a situation where a child picks harder books to try to keep up with his peers on a differnet reading level? Would this be where you could bring in books they with topics they are interested in and let them pick from those books?
I learned so much through this section!!!! Self-selected reading programs offer children a chance to become avid readers by choosing books and other materials to read on their own. As a teacher I would provide a variety of materials for children to choose from and place these in a central location or in several locations around the classroom. These are often referred to as reading centers. I would also make suggestions to the students while they are selecting books or magazines. After the students have settled in and are reading silently, I would sit with individual students in turn to discuss what they are reading, how they are progressing with it, and what they would like to read next.
Self-selected reading programs provide a break from traditional reading programs and create an activity that students look forward to - thus encouraging children to see reading as a pleasure and not a chore. I feel children should receive free time to read books selected on a school library visit, from the classroom collection, or from a school book club, like Scholastic Books.
My questions are:
In the upper grades, Middle School and High School, it is difficult to set aside reading time due to pressure to prioritize explicit instruction over free reading time in order to prepare for tests and teach skills. How can you incorporate a self-selected reading program into this type of curriculum?
Many students show a steady decline in reading attitudes and voluntary reading as they progress through school. How can I get those students that HATE reading hooked again???
A key issue in trying to motivate student reading is keeping them interested. Here are a few ways to do this. Teachers should interview students about their interests, adapt books to accommodate student's individual differences, and incorporate technology use into the lessons. Make reading materials available that are based on student's interests, at levels of difficulty they can manage, and in accessible formats. During conferencing with the student the teacher tries to discover what makes a book a favorite and then offer more books that meet those criteria. Also during conferencing provide actual book choices and assist the student in searching for a book. Show a genuine interest in student's reading and steer struggling readers to personally interesting, easy books. Allow student's to experience teacher modeling of reading and use of technologies to support readers, as well as book sharing with peers while the student uses variations and technologies as needed. In the classroom offer a wide variety of literature, texts forms, and technologies which will increase a student's opportunities for engaging in successful reading experiences.
In the text a couple of self regulating strategies where mentioned which will allow students who experience attention difficulties to develop habits to attend to, enjoy, and understtand gradually longer texts. And this was described as an independent discovery by the student during self-selected reading. My question is will we as teachers give suggestions of these strategies specifically to a student we know that has attention difficulties or will we just offer them as possibilities to the entire group and let the individual student choose if or which one they want to try?
This is Mary Law. As I build the strategies that I might use to motivate student reading, I need to allow opportunities to read selections that are of interest, in an environment that is comfortable, as often as possible, while assisting students with ways to share their interest with others. (I especially like the idea of utilizing the lyrics to popular songs).
STRATEGIES: • Teacher read aloud- introduce children to a wide variety of text, reading levels, and use opportunities to read about children with disabilities. • Mini Lessons- a little teaching and a lot of experience • Children Reading “On Their Own Levels” from a Variety of Books- assist students with making choices by ‘blessing” (offering it to the student) or “selling” (make it interesting) the books. Students with cognitive, learning, or communication disabilities may need to have lessons modeled using cue cards, writing and talking word processors, story structure guides, inspiration, or Kidspiration. Some students may also need to have other resources modeled such as ReadPlease, Starfall, and WriteOut:Loud. Students also need to know if a book is not as interesting as they first thought, that it’s okay to put it down. Let them experience what good reading will/can feel like. • Teacher Conferencing with Students-Use this time helps teachers to help students to find books that fit both the interests and abilities. Teaching the student to respond and answer questions is the objective. • Opportunities to Share What They Are Reading with Their Peers- (about 2 minutes each) Students may share what they liked or didn’t like, teacher may model questions, students may share summaries, or students may share books (like picture books) with the teacher asking leading questions.
My question: (reviewing the IEP goals on page 62) What would be an appropriate goal for a student who shows better comprehension while reading silently than reading aloud, when the read aloud and comprehension needs to improve?
While self-selected reading is inherently multilevel for most children, it requires conscious effort by the teacher to make it multilevel for students with disabilities. If students are to have true choices, then their interests must be represented in the available reading materials, at levels of difficulty they can manage, and in accessible formats. To make the self-selected reading block multilevel for all students, the teachers should interview students about their interests, collect the widest range of levels, topics, and genres of books possible. The teacher should also incorporate technology use into the Block to further enhance students' independence in selecting, reading, and sharing books. My question is: What is the best time of day to have self-selected reading? Morning or afternoon?
I found this to be an interesting section of the book. I like the idea of letting the child pick the book that they would like to read based on their interest of the topic and that the book is on their level of ability. I agree that this would motivate more kids to read.In our Kindergarten class at school the teacher refers to it as a good fit book. I also like the idea of the child sharing their book with the class. I like this strategy because it is a way that we as teachers can assess what information and comprehension the child is gaining from the book. I also agree that the teacher should introduce technology to the class to enhance the reading experience for students that cant read indepently. How do we change a students continued attempts to read books that are above their ability level?
Self-selected reading helps students develop a love of reading. It is an activity that can be done daily in order to help sudents use the skills they are learning during the other 3 blocks. It is crucial for students to have a choice in what they read during this block. Teachers can assist them in locating texts to read but the choice belongs to the student. This is why it's also important to have a wide variety of text materials available, including technology, and a wide variety of reading topics. Teachers read aloud during the first 5 - 10 minutes of this block. This offers the students a good role model and also introduces them to a wider range of reading genres.It is also during this time that a teacher can demonstrate how to select an appropriate book. Teacher conferencing can be done with a few students a day. This allows the teacher to keep data, progress notes, and frees up the rest of the time to support those students that need more individual assistance. I believe that closing this block with a time of sharing is valuable. By doing so the teacher can create a reading community of children who are honest about what they're reading. My question is how do you keep a child with an attention deficit focused during this block of reading?
One of the best ways to keep children motivated in reading is to offer a variety for them to choose from that range from an easy reading level to a more difficult level. I feel that it is important to get to know your students and find out things that are of interest to them and to bring in literature accordingly. It is also important for students to be able to share what they have learned. Sometimes when students hear from their peers about a subject it becomes more appealing than having a teacher discuss it leading to students broadening their horizons. One on one is another way to get students to read. Often kids do not feel comfortable reading aloud or lose focus during silent reading, but will read with a teacher. Unfortunately, time does not always make this an option. Reading is something that so many kids do not want to do, but it is very important for them to be able to do it and the book offered great ideas on how to encourage kids of all abilities to read. I have been working with students with disabilities who are pre-K through 7 years old and have noticed that they all enjoy books. They enjoy read aloud time and when an adult reads with them. They also enjoy just being able to look at pictures and identifying what they know. My question is what is the best way to encourage a child to read that is ashamed or embarrassed to read because they are on a lower reading level than their peers.
Motivation is the key to reading! If a child is motivated to read, they will be more likely to read. A student needs to be interested in what they are expected to read. In my class we do alot of books on tape. I have a Story Book Reader that I like to use with my students. We have several different disc that the student chooses from, and then they listen to that story. In the classroom that I work in we have a wide variety of books. Alot of these books have the "talking" device. For example we have a Blue's Clue book that helps a child learn to tell time. We also have a book that sounds out each of the ABC's. Our students love these books. We actually have to put them away so that the students will focus on other material. Working with students that have been diagnosed with Austism, my question would be how can we get them to be self motivated? I can give them a "push" toward any type of book, but how can I help them become more self aware of their choices of reading material???
Some of the key issues pointed out in the self-selected reading block are that we need to employ a variety of strategies and techniques to help students build fluency and cultivate a love for reading. This includes teacher read-alouds because they help enhance vocabulary, knowledge, love of reading, and broader interests. I really loved the point the book made about including books including characters with disabilities to help students better identify with and accept differences. The list of recommendations is one I will get started with collecting right away for my future classroom. To further assist students with self selecting we should use mini lessons to help students with different aspects of reading. We need to remember that as a result of peer issues or fear of struggling, students may consistently choose books that are either too hard or too easy. We can also teach helpful mini-lessons that address some deficits impeding independent reading or sharing by modeling how to use some of the amazing technological helpers out there such as ReadPlease, Starfall, WriteOut:Loud, Inspiration, Kidspiration, etc. This overall point of encouraging us to take advantage of technology has been very inspirational to me. I particularly appreciate the textbooks abundant lists of resources and recommendations. To further encourage self selected reading and motivation, we need to conference with our students to see how they are doing, determine what variations or modifications may be the most beneficial in terms of how, where, and what the children read, and ensure that they are reading books fitted to their interests and abilities. Lastly, sharing is a very important experience for the students and we should and we should ensure that this process includes everyone. By modeling the reading and questioning process first, then participating in and supporting the group(s) as necessary, and making modifications as needed, we can ensure that the process is as beneficial as possible for all students.
My question would be how do we (or should we) make painfully shy or embarrassed students (who are poor readers) participate in the sharing process without it being counterproductive to our goal of making them learn to love reading?
Without having been in the classroom much so far, sometimes the simplest things in the reading really turn a light on in my mind. The statement that "some disabilities restrict a student's range of experience, which, in turn, often limits reading interest" made me think about what I could do to remedy that during my read aloud time. That would be my opportunity to expose them to things they never knew they were interested in. The student could also be exposed to new ideas in reading with a peer and taking turns with that person selecting materials. It had also never occured to me that kids had a hard time choosing a self-selected reading book if all books are on the shelf with only the spine displayed. I go to the library with the kids in the class I visit some times, and it's no wonder why we have a hard time choosing books! So one strategy in motivating kids to read would be to arrange my library in a way that is more appealing to them and that makes it easier for them to choose a book on their own. It seems like one issue in motivating student self-selected reading is choosing where the students should read. I can see why a student would think it unfair to have to stay at his or her desk while another student got to go to the bean bag chairs in the corner, for example. For those who need more structure I would remedy that feeling that I was being unfair by letting them have time at the computer reading books online with head phones. It would be the same scenario as sitting at their own desk, but a little bit cooler so life didn't seem so unfair. My question is a random one, but something I've wondered about. I know teachers who have extensive libraries in their own classroom. The book states that "teachers often find that their school and classroom doesn't meet the needs of students with disabilities." On my salary, once I become a teacher, how am I going to be able to afford to supply my students with materials that are accessible and that they are truly interested in?
What are key issues or strategies as you try to motivate student reading? What questions do you have about reading motivation (i.e., self-selected reading)?
The key issues and/or strategies to motivate any student to read are getting them interested. Whether you have comic books, milk cartons, picture books or any type of book in your classroom, they need to get interested to become successful readers. Students who have the want to, to read are 90% more likely to be successful than those who are made to read whatever is put in front of them. The key to making them successful is to have a huge selection of reading material available. Picture books are a good beginning. The best readers have the want to. My question is: How do we get students on board when they have been given up on and dismayed from even trying?
I try to motivate the child I work with in reading, by letting him go to the media center and let him get his on easy book. From here I copy the pages in bigger letters, so that he can see them better. He will attempt to read the words that he knows. I will then help him with the words that he does not know. My question is how to get him to try to read more with his hearing and vision impairment?
Co-founder and former director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. Currently professor in Language, Reading, and Exceptionalities Dept. at Appalachian State University.
I really enjoyed the section that shows us how to adapt our books so children with disabilities can explore them more independently. I will definitely be using this to make books available for my future students. I would also like to see how the BookWorm works, and see how I could use it in my future classroom. There have been so many online resources mentioned in our book that I really hope that I have an interactive white board, and mimeo where I teach so I can use the resources often.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing is to somehow make students want to read. Making the materials accessible, encouraging appropriate reading level materials, having materials that are interesting to the students, giving students the opportunity to share about what they read, and helping students see why reading is important.
A question about how to carry this out in the classroom that I have been in this semester … I would think that they would need headphones that would read the story to them but I don’t think they would be able to follow along. How would individual reading time take place in this kind of classroom? It would seem that every child would need one-on-one support.
~Laura Chrisco
I found this information really useful, I liked the selection of books that are based on characters with disabilities, I think that this wil be a good way to get students interested in a book if they see there are characters like them. This is something that they are not used to reading about, or hearing about in most books. Adapting books to make them easier for students to hold or to listen to will take a huge obstacle out of the way for students and let them concentrate on reading. I hope to try to have many different options in my classroom to try to accomadate all students. It says in the text that children are always encouraged but not required to read on their own level. How do you deal with a situation where a child picks harder books to try to keep up with his peers on a differnet reading level? Would this be where you could bring in books they with topics they are interested in and let them pick from those books?
ReplyDeleteI learned so much through this section!!!! Self-selected reading programs offer children a chance to become avid readers by choosing books and other materials to read on their own. As a teacher I would provide a variety of materials for children to choose from and place these in a central location or in several locations around the classroom. These are often referred to as reading centers. I would also make suggestions to the students while they are selecting books or magazines. After the students have settled in and are reading silently, I would sit with individual students in turn to discuss what they are reading, how they are progressing with it, and what they would like to read next.
ReplyDeleteSelf-selected reading programs provide a break from traditional reading programs and create an activity that students look forward to - thus encouraging children to see reading as a pleasure and not a chore. I feel children should receive free time to read books selected on a school library visit, from the classroom collection, or from a school book club, like Scholastic Books.
My questions are:
In the upper grades, Middle School and High School, it is difficult to set aside reading time due to pressure to prioritize explicit instruction over free reading time in order to prepare for tests and teach skills. How can you incorporate a self-selected reading program into this type of curriculum?
Many students show a steady decline in reading attitudes and voluntary reading as they progress through school. How can I get those students that HATE reading hooked again???
A key issue in trying to motivate student reading is keeping them interested. Here are a few ways to do this. Teachers should interview students about their interests, adapt books to accommodate student's individual differences, and incorporate technology use into the lessons. Make reading materials available that are based on student's interests, at levels of difficulty they can manage, and in accessible formats. During conferencing with the student the teacher tries to discover what makes a book a favorite and then offer more books that meet those criteria. Also during conferencing provide actual book choices and assist the student in searching for a book. Show a genuine interest in student's reading and steer struggling readers to personally interesting, easy books. Allow student's to experience teacher modeling of reading and use of technologies to support readers, as well as book sharing with peers while the student uses variations and technologies as needed. In the classroom offer a wide variety of literature, texts forms, and technologies which will increase a student's opportunities for engaging in successful reading experiences.
ReplyDeleteIn the text a couple of self regulating strategies where mentioned which will allow students who experience attention difficulties to develop habits to attend to, enjoy, and understtand gradually longer texts. And this was described as an independent discovery by the student during self-selected reading. My question is will we as teachers give suggestions of these strategies specifically to a student we know that has attention difficulties or will we just offer them as possibilities to the entire group and let the individual student choose if or which one they want to try?
This is Mary Law. As I build the strategies that I might use to motivate student reading, I need to allow opportunities to read selections that are of interest, in an environment that is comfortable, as often as possible, while assisting students with ways to share their interest with others. (I especially like the idea of utilizing the lyrics to popular songs).
ReplyDeleteSTRATEGIES:
• Teacher read aloud- introduce children to a wide variety of text, reading levels, and use opportunities to read about children with disabilities.
• Mini Lessons- a little teaching and a lot of experience
• Children Reading “On Their Own Levels” from a Variety of Books- assist students with making choices by ‘blessing” (offering it to the student) or “selling” (make it interesting) the books. Students with cognitive, learning, or communication disabilities may need to have lessons modeled using cue cards, writing and talking word processors, story structure guides, inspiration, or Kidspiration. Some students may also need to have other resources modeled such as ReadPlease, Starfall, and WriteOut:Loud. Students also need to know if a book is not as interesting as they first thought, that it’s okay to put it down. Let them experience what good reading will/can feel like.
• Teacher Conferencing with Students-Use this time helps teachers to help students to find books that fit both the interests and abilities. Teaching the student to respond and answer questions is the objective.
• Opportunities to Share What They Are Reading with Their Peers- (about 2 minutes each) Students may share what they liked or didn’t like, teacher may model questions, students may share summaries, or students may share books (like picture books) with the teacher asking leading questions.
My question: (reviewing the IEP goals on page 62) What would be an appropriate goal for a student who shows better comprehension while reading silently than reading aloud, when the read aloud and comprehension needs to improve?
While self-selected reading is inherently multilevel for most children, it requires conscious effort by the teacher to make it multilevel for students with disabilities. If students are to have true choices, then their interests must be represented in the available reading materials, at levels of difficulty they can manage, and in accessible formats. To make the self-selected reading block multilevel for all students, the teachers should interview students about their interests, collect the widest range of levels, topics, and genres of books possible. The teacher should also incorporate technology use into the Block to further enhance students' independence in selecting, reading, and sharing books. My question is: What is the best time of day to have self-selected reading? Morning or afternoon?
ReplyDeleteI found this to be an interesting section of the book. I like the idea of letting the child pick the book that they would like to read based on their interest of the topic and that the book is on their level of ability. I agree that this would motivate more kids to read.In our Kindergarten class at school the teacher refers to it as a good fit book. I also like the idea of the child sharing their book with the class. I like this strategy because it is a way that we as teachers can assess what information and comprehension the child is gaining from the book. I also agree that the teacher should introduce technology to the class to enhance the reading experience for students that cant read indepently.
ReplyDeleteHow do we change a students continued attempts to read books that are above their ability level?
Allen Sigmon
Self-selected reading helps students develop a love of reading. It is an activity that can be done daily in order to help sudents use the skills they are learning during the other 3 blocks. It is crucial for students to have a choice in what they read during this block. Teachers can assist them in locating texts to read but the choice belongs to the student. This is why it's also important to have a wide variety of text materials available, including technology, and a wide variety of reading topics.
ReplyDeleteTeachers read aloud during the first 5 - 10 minutes of this block. This offers the students a good role model and also introduces them to a wider range of reading genres.It is also during this time that a teacher can demonstrate how to select an appropriate book. Teacher conferencing can be done with a few students a day. This allows the teacher to keep data, progress notes, and frees up the rest of the time to support those students that need more individual assistance.
I believe that closing this block with a time of sharing is valuable. By doing so the teacher can create a reading community of children who are honest about what they're reading.
My question is how do you keep a child with an attention deficit focused during this block of reading?
One of the best ways to keep children motivated in reading is to offer a variety for them to choose from that range from an easy reading level to a more difficult level. I feel that it is important to get to know your students and find out things that are of interest to them and to bring in literature accordingly. It is also important for students to be able to share what they have learned. Sometimes when students hear from their peers about a subject it becomes more appealing than having a teacher discuss it leading to students broadening their horizons. One on one is another way to get students to read. Often kids do not feel comfortable reading aloud or lose focus during silent reading, but will read with a teacher. Unfortunately, time does not always make this an option. Reading is something that so many kids do not want to do, but it is very important for them to be able to do it and the book offered great ideas on how to encourage kids of all abilities to read. I have been working with students with disabilities who are pre-K through 7 years old and have noticed that they all enjoy books. They enjoy read aloud time and when an adult reads with them. They also enjoy just being able to look at pictures and identifying what they know. My question is what is the best way to encourage a child to read that is ashamed or embarrassed to read because they are on a lower reading level than their peers.
ReplyDeleteMotivation is the key to reading! If a child is motivated to read, they will be more likely to read. A student needs to be interested in what they are expected to read. In my class we do alot of books on tape. I have a Story Book Reader that I like to use with my students. We have several different disc that the student chooses from, and then they listen to that story. In the classroom that I work in we have a wide variety of books. Alot of these books have the "talking" device. For example we have a Blue's Clue book that helps a child learn to tell time. We also have a book that sounds out each of the ABC's. Our students love these books. We actually have to put them away so that the students will focus on other material. Working with students that have been diagnosed with Austism, my question would be how can we get them to be self motivated? I can give them a "push" toward any type of book, but how can I help them become more self aware of their choices of reading material???
ReplyDeleteSome of the key issues pointed out in the self-selected reading block are that we need to employ a variety of strategies and techniques to help students build fluency and cultivate a love for reading. This includes teacher read-alouds because they help enhance vocabulary, knowledge, love of reading, and broader interests. I really loved the point the book made about including books including characters with disabilities to help students better identify with and accept differences. The list of recommendations is one I will get started with collecting right away for my future classroom. To further assist students with self selecting we should use mini lessons to help students with different aspects of reading. We need to remember that as a result of peer issues or fear of struggling, students may consistently choose books that are either too hard or too easy. We can also teach helpful mini-lessons that address some deficits impeding independent reading or sharing by modeling how to use some of the amazing technological helpers out there such as ReadPlease, Starfall, WriteOut:Loud, Inspiration, Kidspiration, etc. This overall point of encouraging us to take advantage of technology has been very inspirational to me. I particularly appreciate the textbooks abundant lists of resources and recommendations. To further encourage self selected reading and motivation, we need to conference with our students to see how they are doing, determine what variations or modifications may be the most beneficial in terms of how, where, and what the children read, and ensure that they are reading books fitted to their interests and abilities. Lastly, sharing is a very important experience for the students and we should and we should ensure that this process includes everyone. By modeling the reading and questioning process first, then participating in and supporting the group(s) as necessary, and making modifications as needed, we can ensure that the process is as beneficial as possible for all students.
ReplyDeleteMy question would be how do we (or should we) make painfully shy or embarrassed students (who are poor readers) participate in the sharing process without it being counterproductive to our goal of making them learn to love reading?
Without having been in the classroom much so far, sometimes the simplest things in the reading really turn a light on in my mind. The statement that "some disabilities restrict a student's range of experience, which, in turn, often limits reading interest" made me think about what I could do to remedy that during my read aloud time. That would be my opportunity to expose them to things they never knew they were interested in. The student could also be exposed to new ideas in reading with a peer and taking turns with that person selecting materials. It had also never occured to me that kids had a hard time choosing a self-selected reading book if all books are on the shelf with only the spine displayed. I go to the library with the kids in the class I visit some times, and it's no wonder why we have a hard time choosing books! So one strategy in motivating kids to read would be to arrange my library in a way that is more appealing to them and that makes it easier for them to choose a book on their own. It seems like one issue in motivating student self-selected reading is choosing where the students should read. I can see why a student would think it unfair to have to stay at his or her desk while another student got to go to the bean bag chairs in the corner, for example. For those who need more structure I would remedy that feeling that I was being unfair by letting them have time at the computer reading books online with head phones. It would be the same scenario as sitting at their own desk, but a little bit cooler so life didn't seem so unfair. My question is a random one, but something I've wondered about. I know teachers who have extensive libraries in their own classroom. The book states that "teachers often find that their school and classroom doesn't meet the needs of students with disabilities." On my salary, once I become a teacher, how am I going to be able to afford to supply my students with materials that are accessible and that they are truly interested in?
ReplyDeleteWhat are key issues or strategies as you try to motivate student reading? What questions do you have about reading motivation (i.e., self-selected reading)?
ReplyDeleteThe key issues and/or strategies to motivate any student to read are getting them interested. Whether you have comic books, milk cartons, picture books or any type of book in your classroom, they need to get interested to become successful readers. Students who have the want to, to read are 90% more likely to be successful than those who are made to read whatever is put in front of them. The key to making them successful is to have a huge selection of reading material available. Picture books are a good beginning. The best readers have the want to.
My question is: How do we get students on board when they have been given up on and dismayed from even trying?
I try to motivate the child I work with in reading, by letting him go to the media center and let him get his on easy book. From here I copy the pages in bigger letters, so that he can see them better. He will attempt to read the words that he knows. I will then help him with the words that he does not know. My question is how to get him to try to read more with his hearing and vision impairment?
ReplyDelete