As an elementary teacher, motivating students to read is a
task that is very common in a teacher’s normal daily routine. At the elementary
age, students are still learning the basics of how to read, so they are very
excited to be given the opportunity to read. Motivating them to do reading
outside of school is a key factor in them expanding their reading knowledge.
Based on
the results from the Purple Group’s CLC Survey on Elementary students and their
parents, we found that as a child gets older, their attitude towards reading
changes. As the children get older, they become more involved with different
activities, including a lot of technology, and their positive attitude towards
reading generally goes down. Since they are so wrapped up in other things, like
sports, working, and the Internet, which includes Facebook, video games,
e-mail, etc. Social factors including peers, family members, and the school
atmosphere are also factors that have affected a student’s attitude towards
reading. Another factor that is important to point out from our research is
that a parent’s socio-economic status has a direct affect on a student’s
ability to read and their attitude about reading. A parent’s own personal
feelings towards reading have a dramatic effect on how their own children view
reading. If the parent’s have a positive outlook about reading, their children
are more likely to have a positive attitude about reading.
I am
currently teaching 3rd, 5th and 6th graders
English in South Korea. In Korean age, this makes the students 8-13 years of
age, while if these students in America would be a year younger and between the
ages of 7-12. While my students are at this age, their reading levels in
English are nowhere near the same. If I tested all 400 of my children on their
reading levels, while they would vary depending on the grade and their age, all
their reading levels would be about the same. I would place my students in the
upper portion what Piaget calls the pre-operational period of development
(Travers & Travers p. 192). My students are constantly asking questions
about the material that we read. Since English is their second language, they
have to take a bit more time to understand the material; so many questions are
very common in my classroom.
When I am
planning my lessons for my students, there is always reading and literature
involved. I have to take into consideration that my students reading levels,
while accurately on pace with Korea’s English learning standards, they are very
low compared to American standards. When choosing literature to use in my
classroom, I have to make sure that the level is appropriate for their reading
levels. This usually means the literature used in my classroom is at a
kindergarten to 2nd grade level. When we read literature in my
classroom, we have to read it at a slower pace, so students can take the time
to understand what they are reading. It is not uncommon for my classes to read
the same story a few times in a week because the students take a longer time
understanding the story and once they finally understand the story, they are
captivated by it.
My students
are broken into groups when they are in my classroom. Each group earns points
by participating in class. This includes volunteering to read, answering
questions, participating in partner and/or group activities and by having a
positive attitude. Students also gain individual points and/or stamps for
participating in class. A lot of the participation in class involves reading;
whether it is a small passage, a sentence or a dialog from the textbook. I have
found many times that the Korean English Teachers at schools that I have been
in here have tried forcing children to read. While it gets them to read, they
become frustrated and annoyed, which further pushes them away from gaining a
positive attitude about reading in English. When motivating my students to
read, I try to give them a positive outlook about how reading can be enjoyable.
When I use
English literature in my classroom, my students really enjoy Dr. Suess books.
They really like the way a lot of them rhyme. I have read many of these books
to my students and there have been many times I speed up near the end of the
book and read the long rhyming parts faster than normal. The students seem to
really enjoy it. Other authors that I have been able to find and use here in
Korea are Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr., which have both been a hit with my
students. I feel the more I expose them to English reading, the more likely
they are going to work on gaining a positive attitude towards reading.
Travers, B.E., & Travers, J.F. (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective.
Boston, MA: John Wiley & Sons.
These are great book choices that students usually love and can appreciate. I notice that you mentioned teachers forcing students to read and it turning them off from reading. This holds true for all students, the more they are forced the less likely they will want to read or even enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteA teacher needs to also know their students frustration level, that may be different for each child. I try to read within my students ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development). In first grade this reading level is very accurate to the childs independant and challenging reading level. using this number when planning ensures that a child does not reach their frustration level.
ReplyDeleteWhat I see when I conference with parents about their child's reading progress is parents who were not good students in school. They struggled with reading and have a difficult time helping their child, especially as texts become more difficult.
ReplyDelete