Three Ways to Increase Student Engagement in Reading
The research is clear: If a student is not motivated to read and is not engaged in the text, all of the strategy instruction a teacher might provide may be for naught (Guthrie and Klauda, 2014; Ivey, 2014; Wanzek et al, 2014). That is why it is critical that we make reading meaningful so that students make meaning out of what they are reading and become lifelong readers.
The following three activities are excellent beginnings for increasing reading engagement.
1. Reading Aloud
This is quite possibly the most underutilized practice K-12 that also has the greatest potential for developing engaged readers. It's how I got engaged in reading - my 3rd grade teacher read aloud Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. I was hooked. I don't know how many times I reread that book after hearing it read aloud (my parents could verify).
When I was a 5th and 6th grade teacher, one of my go-to resources was The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. The treasury of recommended read alouds in the back of the book was indensible to me as a busy classroom teacher. Whatever he recommended, I know I could count on as a quality text that would create an excellent shared reading experience with my students.
As a school principal, I continue to utilize reading aloud. For example, I read favorite poems, jokes and quotes during morning announcements. Also, teachers invite me to read a favorite picture book in their classroom. It's a great way to share an excellent story while also getting to know the students better. In addition, I model for everyone - students and teachers - the importance of creating shared experiences around the written word.
2. Speedbooking
The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to new titles they might want to read and add them to their to-read list. The power in this practice is that the students are the ones recommending the books, not the teacher. This idea comes from an article out of the Wisconsin State Reading Association journal. It is an activity designed for English language learners, but as with most better practices, it is excellent for all students.
To start, I explain the purpose for the activity (to discover new books to read; to build a stronger community of readers; to learn how to write and share a short book review). Then I model for the students how to prepare their reviews. Recently, I used a favorite chapter book/read aloud of mine, The Smartest Man in Ireland by Mollie Hunter. Here are my notes I wrote under the document camera for 5th graders.
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The students write their own short summary notes as I write mine in front of them. I make the point that the focus is on being able to verbally share a book review. The notes are there as talking points. Also stressed is the importance of stating the author's name and considering why the audience might want to read the book. Students are apt to describe why they like something without thinking about their listeners in their review.
With notes and book in hand, students get into two circles facing each other. For some humor, I share with the students that adults used to participate in speeddating to meet someone they might want to date ("Ewww!" is the common response). To draw the analogy, I explain that they should be particular about which book(s) they might want to read and to be a critical consumer if they don't find a title appealing.
This leads into each student getting 1-2 minutes to verbally share a book revew of their favorite title with their partner and then switch. One side of the circle moves either to the left or to the right, and the process starts over again. When a book strikes their fancy, they should write it down to consider for later. They may not hear every book and that is okay. A final product is a to-read list on an index card they can use as a book mark.
3. Book Raffle
In 2013 I wrote about hosting a book raffle in a 5th grade classroom (click here for that post). The idea comes from Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits by Donalyn Miller and Susan Kelley. Here is how it works:
Select books from the school library and bring them into the classroom.
Provide a list of the titles for each student + sticky notes for the raffle.
Recommend each book to the students while they note which ones they want.
Students put raffle tickets in for the texts they want to read.
I have read all of these books. I could not recommend them without having read them.
Students note which books they want on the list and prepare raffle tickets.
The cups in front of each book will hold their raffle tickets.
Students put in their raffle tickets for the books they want to read
All of the titles are from our school library. With the lists the students now have, they can check out any book they want but couldn't get right away at a later date. I encourage students to "bug" their classmates to finish a book they want to read next.
All three of these activities are only the beginning for building reading engagement in a classroom. Teachers have to keep the momentum going, by reading aloud daily in the classroom, by frequently checking in and conferring with students during independent reading time, and by celebrating their literary accomplishments, such as number of books read and how widely they are reading. Donalyn Miller's two resources (The Book Whisperer, Reading in the Wild) are filled with excellent ideas for any teacher looking to build reading engagement in their classrooms.
References
Guthrie, J. T., Klauda, S. L. (2014). Effects of Classroom Practices on Reading Comprehension, Engagement, and Motivations for Adolescents. Reading Research Quarterly. 49(4), 387-416.
Ivey, G. (2014). The Social Side of Engaged Reading for Young Adolescents. The Reading Teacher. 68(3), 165–171.
Wanzek, J., Roberts, G., Al Otaiba, S., Kent, S. C. (2014). The Relationship of Print Reading in Tier I Instruction and Reading Achievement for Kindergarten Students at Risk of Reading Difficulties. Learning Disability Quarterly. 37(3), 148-160.