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I'm a reading specialist in an elementary school (grades 3-5). In today's world, educators are competing with video games, sports, busy households, not-so-great home lives, etc. It can be really tough to get students motivated to read, especially outside of school hours. What are some things that your school does to help get your students to love reading?
Audio books are a great! They activate their imagination and may also motivate them to pick up another book in a series, or another book by the same author. Thanks.
Not a teacher but as a parent what motivated m, and my kids in school, was being allowed to read what was interesting to them, not what was predetermined by someone else, and being allowed to read books at their level. Too often "age appropriate" is not the right reading level for individuals. Some kids may be grades behind. And some may be tenth grade reading while in third grade physically.
What kind of sports programs are distracting kids in 3rd through 5th grade from reading?
"Busy households"? What does that mean?
IDK, OP; the Harry Potter books were extremely popular, in spite of the presence of video games. There must be something for the age group you're dealing with...? Though I think there's a big difference between 3rd-grade reading and 5th-grade. There might be more material available of interest to the more advanced readers.
One thing that might help, though this isn't school-based, is getting kids involved in library activities at an early age. Starting kids off in a reading group, by the time they're in 3rd grade, possibly; a reading corner at the library where they're read to? If that becomes a regular part of their life, by 5th grade, the librarians will have "graduated" them to finding their own interesting books to read. Just a thought.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 10-17-2018 at 10:20 AM..
What kind of sports programs are distracting kids in 3rd through 5th grade from reading?
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Just wanted to answer this part in case it gets overlooked. It is absolutely amazing how many sports programs are out there at that age, many of which are almost full time participation required. Depending on the sport and club parents can spend thousands each year for participation costs and the many clubs have minimum participation requirements under the "we have limited slots and if you don't devote the time to it, someone else will" philosophy. There was actually a book a few years back called Revolution in the Bleachers about this phenomena.
I taught first grade and my favorite part of it was teaching reading. I'll try to think of some things that would still apply today, keeping in mind how things have changed.
Reading to them. Pick something that's really interesting to them and is recommended for reading out loud, and read to them. It's sort of like the audio book where they hear a great story and want to be able to read for themselves. It promotes the love of reading.
Written instructions on how to do something. If a kid wants to know how to build something, fix something, create a craft, step by step instructions that he has to read. Probably with illustrations to make it more interesting. Motivates them to read carefully and to learn new words. Comprehension too.
Writing a story. They can write about themselves, or something else that is interesting to them. You help them. Then they like to read it back. A few kids could even make up a little story about something that happened, you write it on the board for them as they tell it, and they all read it back.
Maybe that's the same old stuff. Mostly about motivating them. But you are competing with so many other things that are happening today. Got to pick some idea that is really exciting to that kid and go with it!
It's the environment the parents set up that's the issue.
At the younger grades, I think almost all kids would be motivated to read if they see their "role models" reading. As they progress to the higher grade levels, it will probably be harder.
A year or two ago, I was at a book signing where the author talked about being motivated to read in late elementary school, and then the grandparents followed up by buying him around 40 books for Christmas. My then six-year asked to go because the author went to her elementary school.
However, the distractions (video games, sports, busy schedules, home lives) are due mainly to the setup by the parents.
It's the parent's choice to provide their preschooler with an iPad/iPhone (NO, I'm not kidding) or to focus so much on sports, music, whatever, and not spend any money on books (or not go to the library, or try to force certain books on their kids, etc.).
I think in this area, probably 95% of the kids have iPhones by the time they are 7 (or 8).
Make them dig/fill holes or read a book every night
You end up with a bookworm or a buff kid
Study/ homework or house chores with parents for 2-3 hours a night then dinner and 30-60 minutes for fun before bed
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