KHarper Strategies for Motivation

    I teach primarily freshmen. When developing a literature based lesson plan, in addition to the time needed to do other classwork, I take a number of factors into consideration. I know that I have students who are well below level in reading as well as students who are well above level. In order to keep those groups, as well as those in the mid-level reading group, engaged, I make sure the lesson and activities will include and challenge all students. I have found that books that contain the materials and topics that are currently being read serve as great motivational tools because it makes them feel they are not “working”; since it is a book they would read on their own time, they do not consider it to be work. I also think that helps students maximize their enjoyment reading time since the books I have chosen are dual purposed--for enjoyment as well as learning.

Tiffanie Margetts Strategies for Motivating Readers

     The Reading Interest Survey revealed some interesting results. I found most students like to read non-fiction books, but when asked their favorite books, they all listed fiction books.  The most popular books were Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Hunger Games. From those findings I realized I need to promote high quality non-fiction books that cater to the interests of my students. I also found students do not read newspapers or magazines. Those types of texts can be very beneficial to students so I need to provide opportunities in the classroom for my students to read them.

     I currently teach Second Grade. When developing a literature-based lesson plan or unit I take a few factors into consideration. First, I take a look at the Common Core Standards I need to teach and address. I then choose books that I know my students will find interesting and engaging. From listening to their interests, watching for what is popular in my classroom library, and what they are checking out in the school library, I can decide the topics students want to learn more about. When developing a lesson plan or unit plan it is important to find texts that are on or slightly above the reading level of my students so they will be challenged enough. 

     There have been several books that have motivated my students. My class has recently studied Fairy tales. We have been reading the traditional tale and then reading a "fractured fairytale" version. My students really enjoyed reading the modified versions. They were then able to write their own fractured fairy tales based on the traditional fairy tales. I provided several fractured fairy tales for the students to read and they really loved those books. 

    I have found reader's theaters really help students to love to read. My students love to read and perform their different stories. This has helped them with their fluency and expression. 

White Group Survey Questions

White Group Survey Questions

These are the answers that most of our students give as a response to the following questions.

1.     What types of books do you like to read? Fantasy, Fiction, and Animal books

2.     When is your favorite time of the day to read? Before going to bed

3.     How many minutes do you read when you come home from school. About 15-20 min each day.

4.     Do you read with your parents at home? Many answered Yes

5.     How many books do you read per week on average? Many answered 5-7

6.     What is the name of your favorite book? Answers varied.

7.     Do you read on weekends? Answers varied but many said yes

8.     Why do you think it is important to read? Most answered to learn new things, and improve their reading skills, as well as we need to read to get good jobs. .

9.     Does your class library have interesting books? Yes

10.  Do you think your teacher has enough books on the shelves? Yes

Motivational Stratagies

I currently teach high school and motivating students in reading is a huge challenge. I started the year off by doing a reading interest survey just to see what my students were interested in and how they viewed literacy all together. It amazed me that 70% of my students showed a small interest in reading anything. The best question that I could ever ask is what types of thing are they interested in. From this, I started buying nagazines and books that would capture my students instead of deter them from wanting to read.

It really made a difference because I was able to bring fun to literacy in my classroom. I started doing at least 4 to 5 workstations at least twice a week that included the; Science Fiction Station, Entertainment Station, Sports Station, Fashion Station, and the Gourmet Station. It may sound far out but, All of my students found interest in each station. Within the stations I had newspaper clips, magazines, short stories and novels that reflected the subject. Students would have to complete assignments in these stations in order to recieve a grade. These strategies improved reading interest in my class within a semester. Looking at my groups' surveys really let me see how students view reading as a whole.

C Patterson Strategies for Motivating Student

I currently teach High School History, Government, and Economics, have taught High School English, and have only ever taught at the high school level. Our survey results were very striking to me and a little saddening. I was in Green Group, by the way. In our survey, we first asked what was the favorite genre for students today and, with the popularity of the Hobbit, Twilight, and Harry Potter, the fact that Sci-Fi and Fantasy was at the bottom of the most favorite genres was very surprising to me. What was not so surprising was that adventure was at the top. Very few students seemed to like non-fiction, which diesn't surprise me as a high school teacher. High School students are required to read so much non-fiction, and with the new Common Core standards in Arizona requiring 50% + of their reading to be non-fiction, I would think that they are so overloaded by nin-fiction they probably don't find it very enjoyable.

What surprised me the most was the total lack of enjoyment of reading. The majority of students read less than two hours a week. I say that surprised me but I guess it really doesn't. Kids are so visually stimulated in our contemporary society that the portion of the brain that helpes with the human imagination while reading actually don't develop like they use to. So when I read, I see green hills, vast mountain ranges, the exact facial features of a character, I smell flowers, hear birds, but many of our students today see grey. They don't have the opportunity to envision all these things because of all the visual stimuli they recieve on a daily basis. What also surprised me, and this really surprised me, was the lack of time devoted to school related reading. I don't know if it is because information is so much readily available or just a general sense of apathy. I do know that my students, at least the majority of them, come from a middle income area with both parents involved, even if the parents are not married. And yet, still, a lack of attention to reading.

What I did find refreshing with our resuts was the number of students that read with someone else. What I gathered was that for the high school students, that was probably a younger sibling, but nonetheless, that is a good sign. And in addition to reading with others, they saw their parents read and for the most part, it seemed like their parents were reading edifying texts, such as religous texts (most notably the Bible) and the newspaper as well as fiction. We certainly have our work cut out for us as teachers with such a lack of attention paid to reading.

So how do I help instill that love of reading into my students? Being a history teacher, I alsways try to pull in history related texts that are congruent with the time period or people we are studying. In addition to that, I am never opposed to showing a movie with a book, either in parts or at the end. Whatever I do  with a book, I always take steps to make sure they are visualizing, like drawing what they are reading. Even with the emphasis on non-fiction reading in Arizona, Whenever we read a history related text, I always have my students read fiction. They need to see how others imagine the historical events they are reading about. Watching a movie, having a discussion, and having students draw what they are reading are some great strategies I use to help engage students in reading. These strategies have worked well. What hasn't worked is having students read big chunks on their own. How can I expect students to go home and read a 300 page book in a couple weeks when they can't even read ten pages from their text book. That just doesn't work.

Some great books to use for both English and History are Uncle Tom's Cabin, Scarlet Letter, Night, Stephen Lawhead's Hood, Stephen Lawhead's Byzantine among a number of others. I also like teaching Animal Farm in government when we are talking about political systems.

December 19, 2012

Motivational Strategies for Students

I teach 6th and 7th grade students that are receiving special edcuation services to strengthen their processing deficits. The stage of development are between 2nd grade and 4th grade comprehension. My students are in Read 180 which is a program to help them with reading and written expressions. My students struggle with phonological sounds and wrting a paragraph to include important details. They have computer time to develop languate skills and small group and whole group activities to complete workbook and independent reading and quick writes to help with comprehension and then they take a test on the bok they have read. It is a struggle for them to perfrom in a general education classroom. I have to read alud to my students during testing because of their reading skills and processing deficits.

The survey was given to students that I serve becasue they are at different levels in reading comprehension. They like to read books for fun. Fantasy and comic books is what I mostly see the boys read. The girls like fantasy and books that relate to personal experiences. They read a book when their peers suggest the book was good and somtimes they just happen to see or hear about a good book from previous history. They are required to read in the Read 180 class and somtimes it take them 1-2 days to complete 30 minutes of reading. They may read one book in a week it varies  on the studnet comprehenson and reading skills. The students like to read in a comfortable chair in the room. The students like when I read aloud horror stroies or short novels that are easy for them to discuss and comprehend. Most to the students set a goal to themselves to read more books and improve their reading.

Strategies for Motivating Students- Cooper

I teach High/Middle School Band. I try to motivate students to read by giving them music-related selections and articles to read and by allowing them time for silent sustained reading. I use the music-related reading selections to help the students to better understand the elements of music that are being taught to and interpreted by them in their instrumental band class.

Motivating Students

Motivating students is an enjoyment when you are a  Kindergarten teacher.  My students were very eager to learn to read and love reading on a daily basis. There are various activities I use to motivate my students.  These activities include coupons, center time, climbing the sea ladder, stickers, verbal praise, snacks and student of the week. The motivational activity that students mostly enjoy is the coupon system. In my class I have a system were the students earn coupons for reading fluency , comprehension, reading skills, behavior E or G on weekly theme reading test.  I give students a coupon with their name on it and catchy sea phrase since my classroom theme is centralized around sea animals. With one coupon students are able to get a snack (ex. pretzels) or have 15 minutes of educational computer time during class.  If they decide to save three coupons, they are allowed to go into the treasure box. Once they turn the coupon in it is no longer of use. The students are thrill to receive coupons and even more excited to share their success with classmates. My students love to cash in their coupons and it allows them to encounter decision making skills.  Deciding whether to cash a coupon in or save it until you accumulate three can be a very big thing for a Kindergartner. 

CLC Yellow Group Survey and Results

Reading Interest Survey

Based on the survey by D. Miller & J. Renzulli

The Yellow CLC Group gave the following survey to their students which include a composite of 30 or more students.  The results highlighted are the answers that the majority of the students gave.

1. Are you currently reading a book for fun? > 1/2 the students said NO

2. Do you ever read a book for fun?       > 1/2  the stuents said Yes

3. When I read for fun, I pick the following (check all that apply): o Chapter Books             o History Books       o Mystery Books o Newspapers                 o Sports Books        o Fiction Books o Poetry Books                 o Fantasy Books                   o Biographies          o Comic Books                o Science Books                   o Nonfiction Books    o  Humorous Books              o  Scary Books                       o  Magazines                        o  Picture Books

4. I am more likely to read a book for fun that: o a teacher suggests         o my friend suggests            o a librarian suggests o has won an award          o is by an author                  o I just happen to see whose books I have hear about or read

5. Three favorite books I would take a on a trip are: 1) Most students said Chapter Books 2)  Many also wrote Humorous or Comic Books 3) Many students also wrote down Scary Books (Goosebumps)

6. In the past week, I have read for at least half an hour (30 minutes): o no days                 o 1-2 days                 o 3-4 days                  o 5-6 days

7. In the past month, I have read              books for fun: o no books        o 1 book          o 2 books         o 3 books             o > 3 books

8. My favorite time to read for fun (check all that apply): o Never                                                          o In the morning, before school o During school                                            o After school o Lunchtime                                                 o Before falling asleep o In the evening                                          o Whenever I can

9. I like to read (check all that apply): o at a desk                                                    o in the car o in a comfortable chair                           o in a waiting room o  in my bed                                                  o

10. When I read I like to: o read one book                 o read more than one book at a time

11. I like to receive books as presents.                                      o YES            o NO

12. I have a public library card.                            o YES            o NO

13. I borrow books from the public library. o once a week      o twice a week   o a couple of times a month o every few months        o a few times a year  o never

14. I go to the school library: o only during                        o one extra time a              o two or more extra resource time                        week                times a week

15. The number of books I have at home: o 0                                          o 0-9                                       o 10-19 o 20-29                                  o 30-50                                  o > 50