Engaging Reluctant Readers
Inquiry Question: To what extent can we, as educators, actively engage reluctant readers, and what strategies can we effectively use to help them?
Background
As a small grade two student, who was homeschooled, I can remember my mom asking (forcing) me to read. I hated it! I didn't like the books, and I didn't understand why I needed to read; I would much rather play outside. As my education continued, and as I was reintroduced into mainstream schooling, I began to realize that reading provided the "quiet time" I needed to decompress from a day's work, and as a result I have carried this habit throughout my life and learned to love reading. As I have transitioned from the role of a student to the role of the teacher, I have realized that there is still a phenomenon of reluctant-readers - and not just in the primary levels. |
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Here in Stirling, where my PSIII internship has taken place, there is a daily Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) program. Each day, the students file into a classroom and read for twenty minutes. I was amazed at how many students (of all ages and demographics) could be identified as reluctant readers.
Together with my Teacher Mentor, it was decided that I would embark on a journey in finding strategies for reluctant readers, and effectively using these strategies to help engage these reluctant readers. Throughout this website, you will find resources, readings and book suggestions that I have used or encountered within my research and application.
Together with my Teacher Mentor, it was decided that I would embark on a journey in finding strategies for reluctant readers, and effectively using these strategies to help engage these reluctant readers. Throughout this website, you will find resources, readings and book suggestions that I have used or encountered within my research and application.
The Research
To begin my initial research, I read Readicide written by Kelly Gallagher. In it, he talks about how schools are "killing" reading and how it is important to refrain from committing "readicide." Believing that schools and academia are a big causation in ruining reading for students, I was determined to find a way, personalized to Stirling, to reverse the effects of readicide. With this in mind, I began compiling resources to help reluctant readers in learning and reinforcing various skills related to reading. To go straight to these reading strategies, click here.
To begin my initial research, I read Readicide written by Kelly Gallagher. In it, he talks about how schools are "killing" reading and how it is important to refrain from committing "readicide." Believing that schools and academia are a big causation in ruining reading for students, I was determined to find a way, personalized to Stirling, to reverse the effects of readicide. With this in mind, I began compiling resources to help reluctant readers in learning and reinforcing various skills related to reading. To go straight to these reading strategies, click here.
In my initial research stages, I conducted a brief "reading inventory" to gather the demographics of students within my D.E.A.R. group. In this particular group, there were twenty students that participated in the survey ranging from grade seven to twelve.
Some of the results were surprising. When asked if students read more for academic purposes or for enjoyment, 60% answered that they read more for enjoyment. This perplexed me! If more students read for enjoyment, how could there be so many reluctant readers?
Upon analyzing the results of the reading inventory further, I found that there were students who were fluent in multiple languages, many found learning to read easy, and even more students identified themselves as "good" readers. |
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The Process
After receiving the results from the reading inventory, I was then set with the task of identifying a few reluctant readers to work with on an individual basis. At first, this seemed easy! I was able to identify a few reluctant readers based on two things: (1) the fact that these students were not reading, and (2) based on what other teachers had informed me about specific students that may have low level reading skills. I knew however, that there were more reluctant readers than seemed obvious and that many had developed coping strategies to avoid the careful eye of the teacher. In his article "Hiding out in Secondary Content Classrooms", William Brozo (1990) suggests that some of the most common coping strategies that reluctant readers use include the following: avoiding eye contact, disruptive behaviour, good listening skills, relying on classmates for assistance, and lack of preparedness for class (p. 53-54). After identifying several of these behaviours in a few individuals within my D.E.A.R. group, I was able to, with my mentor, select four students with whom I would work with. By reading with them, I was able to identify which areas they might struggle with in terms of reading abilities and model strategies that might help encourage successful reading habits.
The Frustrations
My goal was to get these students reading, but I was mistaken to think that by pulling these student to work one on one with me would lead to instant rapport with them. Instead, I often faced strong resistance to the idea of reading with a teacher in the hallway or common areas. I quickly realized that by pulling these students out of the larger D.E.A.R. group that they often assumed something was wrong - one student even thought he was in trouble! I needed to earn these reluctant readers trust before they would be willing to do anything for me. With each student, we would spend the first few pull-outs talking about interests, dislikes, and books. I framed these pull-outs as a way to help them find a book, rather than a way to address their reluctance to read. It has not been easy, but building a rapport with these students has been tremendously successful.
The Successes
In an attempt to make a connection with one of my identified reluctant readers, I quickly realized that this student's reluctance to read was because he had not found anything of interest, or to challenge to him; not because he was a struggling reader. I probed for more interests and found that he has a passion for computer science and coding. With this in mind, I began a mission to find a book on coding that would challenge his intellect unlike the "coding for beginners" book in the library. After briefly explaining my desire to find a book on coding to my cohort of intern teachers, one of my cohorts offered to bring in an old textbook he had acquired from his previous degree in computer science - in fact he wanted to get rid of it! A few days later, I presented this book to my identified reluctant reader. I've never seen a students eye's light up like this student's when I gave him the book. Everyday since, this student has been reading during D.E.A.R.. The biggest success however, has not been helping a reluctant reader find a book to read, but the results of building deeper relationship and rapport with this student. This particular student is in my grade nine English Language Arts class. Up until this point, it was like pulling teeth when asking him to participate in class or write more than two sentences during our daily writing prompts. After receiving the book on coding, I noticed a change - this student began to write more than I had seen him collectively write all semester. I was amazed! Not only was this student actively reading, but he was now an active member and contributor to the class.
What Would I Do Differently?
If I were do this inquiry project differently, I would like to increase the amount of time there is to administer pull-out sessions. I found that it would take a while for the student to settle in before any work could be done with them. With a few more minutes, I feel that we could have worked together to address more reading strategies and continue the rapport building experiences. I would also start these pull-outs earlier in the year as it can be hard to find consistency as the year progresses due to field trips, tournaments, and absences.
How has this Informed my Teaching Practice?
Overall, I feel I have greatly increased my knowledge and abilities in teaching the fundamental skills of reading. Many of the strategies I researched and implemented one-on-one in the D.E.A.R. pull-outs I found could be implemented on a large scale in my Language Arts classes. I found myself actively finding ways to model the various reading skills and strategies I had researched in order to provide meaningful learning opportunities for students. I was also reminded that these reading strategies can be beneficial for all students, not just reluctant readers.
After receiving the results from the reading inventory, I was then set with the task of identifying a few reluctant readers to work with on an individual basis. At first, this seemed easy! I was able to identify a few reluctant readers based on two things: (1) the fact that these students were not reading, and (2) based on what other teachers had informed me about specific students that may have low level reading skills. I knew however, that there were more reluctant readers than seemed obvious and that many had developed coping strategies to avoid the careful eye of the teacher. In his article "Hiding out in Secondary Content Classrooms", William Brozo (1990) suggests that some of the most common coping strategies that reluctant readers use include the following: avoiding eye contact, disruptive behaviour, good listening skills, relying on classmates for assistance, and lack of preparedness for class (p. 53-54). After identifying several of these behaviours in a few individuals within my D.E.A.R. group, I was able to, with my mentor, select four students with whom I would work with. By reading with them, I was able to identify which areas they might struggle with in terms of reading abilities and model strategies that might help encourage successful reading habits.
The Frustrations
My goal was to get these students reading, but I was mistaken to think that by pulling these student to work one on one with me would lead to instant rapport with them. Instead, I often faced strong resistance to the idea of reading with a teacher in the hallway or common areas. I quickly realized that by pulling these students out of the larger D.E.A.R. group that they often assumed something was wrong - one student even thought he was in trouble! I needed to earn these reluctant readers trust before they would be willing to do anything for me. With each student, we would spend the first few pull-outs talking about interests, dislikes, and books. I framed these pull-outs as a way to help them find a book, rather than a way to address their reluctance to read. It has not been easy, but building a rapport with these students has been tremendously successful.
The Successes
In an attempt to make a connection with one of my identified reluctant readers, I quickly realized that this student's reluctance to read was because he had not found anything of interest, or to challenge to him; not because he was a struggling reader. I probed for more interests and found that he has a passion for computer science and coding. With this in mind, I began a mission to find a book on coding that would challenge his intellect unlike the "coding for beginners" book in the library. After briefly explaining my desire to find a book on coding to my cohort of intern teachers, one of my cohorts offered to bring in an old textbook he had acquired from his previous degree in computer science - in fact he wanted to get rid of it! A few days later, I presented this book to my identified reluctant reader. I've never seen a students eye's light up like this student's when I gave him the book. Everyday since, this student has been reading during D.E.A.R.. The biggest success however, has not been helping a reluctant reader find a book to read, but the results of building deeper relationship and rapport with this student. This particular student is in my grade nine English Language Arts class. Up until this point, it was like pulling teeth when asking him to participate in class or write more than two sentences during our daily writing prompts. After receiving the book on coding, I noticed a change - this student began to write more than I had seen him collectively write all semester. I was amazed! Not only was this student actively reading, but he was now an active member and contributor to the class.
What Would I Do Differently?
If I were do this inquiry project differently, I would like to increase the amount of time there is to administer pull-out sessions. I found that it would take a while for the student to settle in before any work could be done with them. With a few more minutes, I feel that we could have worked together to address more reading strategies and continue the rapport building experiences. I would also start these pull-outs earlier in the year as it can be hard to find consistency as the year progresses due to field trips, tournaments, and absences.
How has this Informed my Teaching Practice?
Overall, I feel I have greatly increased my knowledge and abilities in teaching the fundamental skills of reading. Many of the strategies I researched and implemented one-on-one in the D.E.A.R. pull-outs I found could be implemented on a large scale in my Language Arts classes. I found myself actively finding ways to model the various reading skills and strategies I had researched in order to provide meaningful learning opportunities for students. I was also reminded that these reading strategies can be beneficial for all students, not just reluctant readers.