Post #4: Motivation + Engagement = Comprehension

Reading comprehension is sometimes perceived as a difficult skill to teach, and a difficult skill to learn. Perhaps one reason for this is that comprehension skills are typically taught and assessed through isolated reading passages that waver between "boring" and "educational," and provide little context or meaning for students. Since children will grow up to interact and work with authentic text, why not teach them to appreciate and comprehend authentic text?

As a future teacher studying how students work and learn best, I often find myself reflecting on my own learning preferences and styles when making instructional decisions. One observation I have made about my own learning is that when assigned to read a text that I am interested in or can somehow relate to, rather than one that I do not identify with, it is easier to retain information, draw conclusions, and apply or refer to what I have learned from the text later on. Texts that resonate with me increase my motivation to read and enhance my level of engagement in what I am reading. I feel that I can apply this notion, along with other related instructional choices that contribute to the development of a positive relationship with reading, to promote a classroom community conducive to comprehension skill development.

In Maureen McLaughlin's article, "Reading Comprehension: What Every Teacher Needs to Know," 10 teaching principles are discussed that promote effective instruction of reading comprehension skills in the classroom. Principle 4, "Motivate and Engage Students," touches upon what I consider to be one of the most crucial elements of a classroom environment. McLaughlin notes that, "motivation is a key factor in comprehension" (434), and develops this concept further by referencing a claim made by L.B. Gambrell - "Classroom cultures that foster reading motivation are characterized by a teacher who is a reading model, a book-rich classroom environment, opportunities for choice, familiarity with books, and literacy-related incentives that reflect the value of reading" (434). All of these characteristics that Gambrell highlights are ideas that I respect and hope to incorporate into my classroom one day.

Although I don't do it as often as I used to, as often as I should, or as often as I'd like to, I love to read. I really do. It's just a matter of finding the right book, and finding enough time (both of which I struggle with - I am a picky reader with a free-time deficiency). I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that nothing beats the feeling of getting totally lost in a really awesome book. One of the perks of being an elementary school teacher that I am eagerly looking forward to is acting as a "reading model" for my students. Whether you learned it as DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), or some other obscure reading-related acronym, giving students 10-30 minutes to do nothing but sit and read a book of their choosing is a precious aspect of the elementary schooling experience that I hope will never reach extinction. Having students read continuously for an extended period of time allows them to read more deeply, and really become engaged in a text. While some may think that teachers use these periods of silent reading to write lesson plans, make copies, or catch up on emails, these reading sessions are where some of the most important teaching takes place. During DEAR/SSR/RUYATTS (Read Until You Are Told To Stop..?), I feel that the most productive thing to do as a teacher is to read silently along with the students. Do not circulate around the classroom, do not ask students to identify the main idea, just simply read silently and continuously while your students do the same. Setting a good example as a "reading model" demonstrates to students that you, as the teacher, are serious about reading and enjoy to read - and therefore, they should too! A teacher's attitude is what sets the tone in the classroom. Having a positive attitude about dedicating time to reading will hopefully cause students to follow suit and learn to appreciate reading, while becoming more motivated to read in general.

Creating a book-rich classroom environment, as well as fostering a sense of familiarity with books, are two classroom strategies that are likely to promote a level of motivation and engagement within students that will enrich their comprehension skills. I plan to create an abundant classroom library, full of books that will appeal to, intrigue, and challenge my students. Consistent with my organized nature, my classroom library will be arranged by subject, alphabetically of course. That way, students can easily identify books that they are interested in. Additionally, tracking student preferences via subject choices can help to facilitate an "expand your horizons" reading initiative. The girl who typically gravitates towards mysteries may be encouraged to choose a humorous chapter book, and the boy who reads baseball book after baseball book may be challenged to crack open the first installment of the Harry Potter series. Furthermore, it is vital to expose students to unique texts, such as international folktales, classics, books that were once censored (dependent upon grade level and appropriateness, of course), and stories that relate to current events. Reading aloud to students on a daily basis serves as a vehicle for exposure to texts that they otherwise would not encounter. Reading aloud also provides the opportunity to hear how a "good reader" reads (which helps with fluency development), and allows students to relax and enjoy the story together as a classroom community - a very special experience that is often taken for granted, especially in the upper elementary grades. I love the idea of starting each school day by reading a chapter of a book aloud to the class that is free from accompanying worksheets or constructed responses. Again, I feel that promoting "reading for the sake of enjoyment" is an important responsibility associated with teaching that should not be overlooked.

Providing the opportunity for student choice in both text selections and response formats is an instructional strategy that appeals to various types of learners, and establishes a sense of ownership among students. I am a big fan of choices, and I hope that my future classroom structure and practices reflect that. So far, there has been discussion of how to promote "reading for the sake of enjoyment" while exposing students to a variety of texts. Obviously, standards-based academic goals must be addressed in the classroom as well, and offering choices is one way to comfortably guide students through fulfilling those goals. For example, I could use my content knowledge as well as my knowledge of student preferences (garnered from a reading questionnaire given at the start of the school year, as well as through student observations) to establish text choices when teaching a certain unit. Literature Circles, a group-work structure that assigns a specific text-related role to each student, such as "Summarizer," "Word Wizard," or "Connector," may be the perfect vehicle for honoring students' choices in an instructional setting. By presenting a class with, for example, three different books that all share a common thread, whether it's based on content, writing style, or theme, that is aligned with a chosen standard, students can rank their book preferences. The teacher can then use their choices to inform grouping decisions. Allowing students to play an active role in student group formations and instructing them to read a book that they have essentially chosen is likely to increase motivation and engagement during Literature Circle work, propelling the development of comprehension skills. Providing choices in terms of assignment formats when it comes time to respond to a text is another way to boost motivation through establishing ownership of learning and appealing to students' strengths and needs. Offering options such as a written report, oral presentation, creation of a game, poster, song, or film, are all different forms of assessment that appeal to students' multiple intelligences and interests. With the end-goal in mind of creating work that is meaningful and representative of each individual child, it is likely that students will be motivated to become engaged in their "assigned" text, and be able to read with purpose.

Lastly, I feel that it is important to respect and value the role of literature in our society. One way to express that reading should be held in high regard, rather than be viewed as a chore or homework assignment, is to use literacy-related incentives in the classroom. For example, instead of the frustratingly "old school" classroom management practice of threatening to take away recess time due to bad behavior, encourage positive and constructive behavior in the classroom by offering students the incentives of extra silent reading time, an opportunity to sit somewhere "special" (such as in a rocking chair, bean bag chair, or cushioned reading nook) during silent reading time, or coordinating a plan with a corporation such as Scholastic, and matching good student behavior with new books for the classroom library.

Incorporation of the aforementioned classroom practices allow for the creation of a learning community full of motivated and engaged students who value and respect reading. Once students gain an appreciation for literature and the practice of reading authentic texts, comprehension becomes as natural and intrinsic as turning the next page of a really good book.