Middle school reading teachers undoubtedly face the challenge of motivating students to read independently. Effective teachers find ways to intrigue students and interact with text in a variety of ways to better understand what they read. Here are some suggestions that are easy to implement in any reading classroom.
Inspire Students
Inspiring students to read should begin with the classroom decor from the beginning of the school year. The reading classroom should be a feast for reader’s eyes. Everywhere a student looks should be novels, nonfiction, picture books as well as graphic novels and magazines staring back at them. Teachers can get creative with book displays.
When shelves are full, books can be displayed between student computers or on upside down rain gutters installed on the wall. Further, famous quotations about books, reading, and the imagination can be displayed throughout the room, encouraging students to read no matter which way they turn. Students can also create posters promoting their own favorite quotes, complete with symbolic student illustrations.
Provide Ample Modeling
This is a simple technique that teachers often overlook. However, the power of modeling should never be underestimated. When going over specific assignment directions, teachers will notice students’ eyes glazed over or even that they are glancing at the wrong sheet of paper. The truth is that many students dismiss verbal directions until they are called upon to take action. Instead of reading directions to students, teachers can begin a lesson with a modeling activity where they select a passage to read aloud.
For instance, the teacher can model their own curiosity about a topic before reading a passage. Afterwards, she can explain her personal reactions to the text, including any questions or confusions that emerged as well as challenging vocabulary. Then, she can ask the students to identify specific behaviors that exemplify good reading skills. This type of modeling will capture students’ attention. The old writing adage of “show, not tell” most certainly applies to direct instruction. Teachers should keep these modeling activities brief and succinct, knowing that students will be anxious to try it themselves and receive feedback.
Allow Sufficient Time
If the goal is to help students better understand what they are reading, then teachers need to allow enough time for students to experience and digest new test. This is another simple concept that teachers sometimes neglect in their desire to boost students to the next level. Teachers should, instead, keep in mind that less truly can be more. Rather than pushing students though an array of texts that they only superficially understand, teachers should consider delving deep into limited texts and teach students how to view them from a variety of perspectives.
One way to achieve depth in comprehension is to allow students to experience a text in several ways. They might, for instance, first listen to a chapter in a novel on CD. Then, they can independently go back through the chapter in search of evidence for one element, such as thematic or historical references. Next, they can confer with a partner about their observations and jot down a few key ideas. Finally, students can report their impressions back to the whole group and read excerpts aloud to demonstrate the connections they have made to the text. Although students may have only read one chapter in class that day, they will have more deeply connected to the text.
Teachers have control over how deeply students interact with the material they read. The more students engage with the text, the more likely they will comprehend it. Therefore, teachers need to create an inviting, inspiring environment in which to read as well as show students what successful readers do when they engage with the text. Finally, when students have been given the task of reading they should have the opportunity to spend ample time with the text. This way, they will have the opportunity to consider a story from a variety of perspectives and more deeply understand it.
Thadra Petkus - Thadra Petkus is currently a freelance writer, English teacher and mentor. Although she has taught students from age two through ...
