Motivating Children to Read
Get Children Reading! Tips and Ideas on How to Motivate Them
Reading literature and reading projects are important tasks for getting children reading especially in elementary school. Here are a few tips and ideas.
Reading literature projects are difficult to assess. In today's Internet age, getting children to read is becoming increasingly problematic, coupled with the fact that some students simply do not enjoy doing independent reading projects. This is also exacerbated by the fact that once elementary school children reach junior high, their reading habits slowly become fossilized. As a new or even seasoned teacher, you can get children reading as early as possible. Books themselves are essential in motivating students.
Developing Independent Readers
Extensive reading or independent reading, is an important factor in learning English, whereby students choose their own readers. Semi-extensive reading is the best way to prepare students for independent reading such as book reports and other independent reading projects. Semi-extensive reading is best accomplished when a teacher selects a book which is likely to interest the majority of the class - "average" level difficulty.
Here are some important teaching tips for getting children to read:
- Focus on the content - Make sure elementary school readers enjoy the experience. What key themes are of importance? Example: Compare the life of the horse (Black Beauty) to the life of the children.
- Avoid language exercises and tests.
- Teacher should read parts of the story dramatically aloud. Other parts should be read silently by the class. This allows the teacher to help others who have finished or those experiencing language difficulty.
- During semi-extensive reading, teach helpful strategies such as prediction and inferencing.
- You can talk about what the students read at home in class. Start the lesson with one leading question regarding the text.
Encouraging Reading in the Elementary School Classroom
- Dictionaries should only be used for key words.
- When students are ready to choose their books, guide them. Take a personal interest by setting up an attractive display of books. Example: display book jackets in the classroom.
- Ensure the students choose books according to their own level and interests. They should read many easier books rather than a few harder ones.
- Regular "silent reading lessons" enable you to check progress. Gather details about each student's reading abilities and habits.
If you are convinced of the value of reading and do your best to foster the habit, you will be able to convince your students and help them to succeed. If the reading lessons are appropriate in level and are satisfying in terms of content, elementary school students will read outside the classroom. This in the long run, will help foster intrinsic motivation.
