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Motivating Students to Read

Seated young woman reading an oversized book. — Some Students Love to Read But Some Resist It.

Here are 5 ways to motivate high school students to become more interested in reading:

1. Find Books That Match the Teen’s Interests

Let your teen read what appeals to them.

Get students talking about what interests them and help them find books that match those interests. It might be romance novels, the Twilight vampire series, Star Wars, graphic novels or nonfiction books about sports or space.

Whatever it is, the main things is to help teens discover that reading can help them explore content that interests them and motivates them to read more.

2. Match Appropriate Level Books with Reading Skills

Some high school students don’t read because they are not strong readers.

They may say they don’t like to read instead of saying that reading is hard for them. Again, explore their interest with them and then find books that match those interests. Ask a librarian to help you find “high interest – low vocabulary books” that are specifically designed for struggling readers on topics of interest to them.

Another option is to locate audio books for the teens to listen to on topics of interest. Audio books are great ways to build content knowledge and expand vocabulary skills. They can even help English language learners expand their vocabulary and develop a sense of how the English language works.

3. Find Articles on Current Topics of a Controversial Nature then Read Aloud to Model What Proficient Reading Sounds Like

Look for short articles that talk about controversial topics such as “Are Driverless Cars Safe on our Highways?” This type of article can capitalize on topics that teens care about. A great source for finding such articles that students will find interesting is on the website Newsela.com.

Read the articles aloud and model appropriate phrasing and pacing for your students while they follow along in their own copy of the text. Listing to proficient reading will help struggling readers understand what good reading sounds like. It will also help them realize that there is valuable information to be learned from the text. Be sure to engage students in meaningful conversations about the topics after listening to the article. Require them to search their copy of the text for “proof” to support their ideas and claims.

4. Leverage Student Interests to Create Oral Presentations

Ask students to identify their passions, special interests and areas of expertise.

Topics might be sports, famous people or celebrities, music, cars politics or anything else students are passionate about. Have each student come up with a key question that they would like to know about that topic.

Once they have their key question, have them use the library or online research to learn more about that topic. Once they have gathered more information, have them organize their findings into a 5 minute oral talk or presentation for the class.

Consider creating a class blog where your students can write and post their own book reviews and read the book reviews of their peers.

Since kids like to spend time on social networking sites, capitalize on this love of peer gab by introducing your students to online book social networking sites.

Here are 4 excellent social networking websites to get high school students interested in reading and sharing their favorite books with friends and peers:

The first great site for sharing new “reads” with peers is Good Reads. At Good Reads, readers learn what their friends are reading and share their own book interests with their online peers. They also read reviews of popular books that other adolescent readers have shared, enjoyed, and recommended.

This information can help teens find other books that might also interest them. It also motivates students to find other books they can share on Good Reads.

The Shelfari Website

2. At www.shelfari.com, a sharing site created by Amazon, students create their own shelf of treasured books. They place books that they are currently reading as well as books they have finished reading on their personal shelf.

Users also write reviews and recommend books that they have enjoyed to other readers with similar interests. Since students are recommending books to their peers. Students can develop new friendships and share books they like with other teens.

The BookCrossing Community

3. Another useful networking site is: www.bookcrossing.com. At this fun site, readers can “release their books into the wild” by leaving them where other readers can find them. Books to be shared can be left in cafes, coffee shops, classrooms, parks, and any other place where people go.

Users track where the books go as others pick them up and take them with them. As people find a book, the reader who left it gets comments from the readers who have “found” their book. Books have even been known to make their way to foreign countries!

Readers complete their book and pass it on to someone else when they have finished reading it. Book passing can take place either inside or outside of the BookCrossing community.

Readers are amazed at the track their book takes as it is shared and re-shared again and again. This fun site builds student interest in reading and networking with others. It will keep readers actively searching for more books to read and share with others!

The Book Mooch Website

4. Another book sharing site that students will love is www.bookmooch.com. This site is a type of lending library. Students lend their own books by mail to a new reader who wants the book. Once they have loaned their book to someone else, they receive new books in in the mail from other members of the sharing group.

The only cost for participation is the postage to send the book on to the next person who requests the book that you have offered for forwarding.

Sharing books through social networking activates interest in reading and motivates teens to share the books they have already read.

Teens can learn a lot from the books they read and they just might make a new friend with similar interests and tastes in books.

Who would have thought that reading could be so fun!

Girl reading a book at the beach under a beach umbrella. — Get Students Sharing What they Are Reading on Student Friendly Sites

Helping Students Become Strong and Capable Readers

Reading is a participation sport! If we want children to become strong and capable readers, they have to actually READ to become a better reader. It is that plain and simple. Think about it. If you wanted to get better at your favorite sport, how would you do it?

First, you would ensure that you had any equipment needed (books and reading materials). Then, you would make sure that you had many opportunities to practice (actually applying your reading skills). Just as with becoming more proficient in a sport, it is logical that the more someone practices reading, the better they become at using their skills (reading.)

If you wanted to get really good at your sport, you would probably also find someone who was good at this sport to keep you company (friends to talk about books with). Finally, you might also hire a coach (a knowledgeable reading teacher) to help you improve your abilities.

young boy reading a book — Focused Reading Instruction Improves Performance

Classroom Practices May Not Align with Student Needs

Unfortunately, what seems logical is not always what happens in classrooms across the country. This means that we are not always using what we know to create strong and capable readers in the classroom.

The research (Allington, 2013) indicates that students perceived as “low” or struggling readers in many classrooms actually spent LESS time reading than did their better performing peers. They may be given skill worksheets rather than having the time to apply the skills they are learning.

What’s that all about? The greater the need, the more it stands to reason that those with the greatest need should be doing MORE reading taking place in the classroom – not less.

Focused Practice to Create Strong and Capable Readers

According to reading professor, Dr. Timothy Shanahan, “Effective practice…is purposeful, intentional, or deliberate. It doesn’t include just aimless engagement in an activity. Effective practice focuses on what it is the student is trying to improve.”

In other words, an insightful reading teacher needs to identify the skills that students still need to learn to become more comprehensive and successful readers.

Like the great sports coach, the effective reading teacher assesses what students already know and then designs purposeful reading experiences that help them learn the skills they need to improve their performance.

Take the time to assess how much actual reading goes on in your class and find ways to refine instruction and increase the time students spend deliberately practicing their skills on authentic text.

Capable Readers Find Enjoyment in Reading

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Tag: getting kids to read more

Getting High School Students Interested in Reading

Motivating Students to Read

1. Find Books That Match the Teen’s Interests

2. Match Appropriate Level Books with Reading Skills

3. Find Articles on Current Topics of a Controversial Nature then Read Aloud to Model What Proficient Reading Sounds Like