Motivating Lifelong Reading Through Fiction

by Jennifer Wolf, Sells Middle School, Dublin, Ohio

"Oh, I remember that book! That was the best book I never read!"

Early last year, the students in my seventh-period language arts class were having a discussion about the books they liked best out of those they had read during the year so far. Doug, a bright student and a skilled reader, participated in the conversation by commenting on all the books he didn't read and why he didn't read them: The main character was wimpy; the plot didn't have enough action; there are so many other things to do than to sit around and read.

Doug is a prime example of one of the greatest challenges we face as middle school reading teachers. Most middle school students can read, meaning that they are skilled in basic literacy practices. Unfortunately, they often choose not to read. This is what Allington (2001) refers to as "aliteracy." An aliterate student has the skill, but not the will, to read. Mounting evidence within the body of literacy research indicates that we are doing a good job of teaching students basic reading skills, but we often still fail to help students become motivated, lifelong readers (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2003).

One way to encourage lifelong enjoyment of reading is to coax all students into the world of high-quality literature. By matching up readers with talented authors, fascinating stories, and unforgettable characters, we will do a better job of developing students who not only can read, but choose to read.

But how, exactly, can we support middle school students so that they are more likely to make this choice? There are several steps teachers can take that are critical to motivating students to become lifelong readers of fiction:

1. Know the books. It is imperative that teachers of reading and language arts become familiar with literature for adolescents and young adults. Immerse yourself in the world of adolescent and young adult literature so that you know the authors who write for middle school students, as well as the genres and themes that appeal to this age group.
2. Know your students. It is not enough for teachers to have knowledge of adolescent and young adult literature. Teachers must also have intimate knowledge of their students as individuals and as readers (Broaddus & Ivey, 2002). Build a profile of each student as a reader, taking note of interests, reading strengths and weaknesses, and favorite authors, genres, and series. Knowing students as readers helps teachers to guide and support students in their growth as readers. Tools such as interest inventories, dialogue journals and calendars (Tovani, 2000), and reading questionnaires contribute to a student's reading profile.
3. Get the right books in students' hands. Students are more motivated to read books that they find "interesting," meaning the books are personally significant and easy to comprehend (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000). Once teachers have a thorough knowledge of adolescent and young adult literature and have gotten to know their students, they will be better prepared to provide guidance to students as they make book selections. By knowing the books and the students, teachers are more likely to make recommendations for books that have personal relevance, that are at the appropriate comprehension level, and that students will actually read and enjoy. Finding a book they like will encourage students to read other books by the same author, of the same genre, or with similar plots or themes.
   
   A middle school population is complex, with a wide range of reading interests and habits (Ivey & Broaddus, 2000). For this reason, students need access to books with various topics, themes, genres, and reading levels (Broaddus & Ivey, 2002), including diverse materials such as graphic novels, classic literature, easy reading, and challenging fiction. Students are more motivated to read when they are provided with a range of materials that vary in difficulty and interests (Ivey, 1999).
4. Support choice. As students get older, they want more opportunities to make decisions in regard to their learning (Mullins & Irvin, 2000). Build opportunities for choice and independent reading into your reading program. Providing choice in reading materials offers middle school students more chances at self-management. This kind of autonomy allows students to take ownership in their development as readers (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000). Student motivation increases when students select their own reading materials and set their own real purposes for reading (Ivey, 1999). In addition, offering choices allows teachers to support individual readers' diverse needs.
5. Provide time to read and share. Adolescents need and want time to read (Broaddus & Ivey, 2002; Ivey & Broaddus, 2000). Teachers need to make a commitment to allow for independent reading during class time. Students also relish read-alouds, either by the teacher or by another student. A student read-aloud is a great way to share excerpts from a favorite book. Other types of book sharing include discussions between and among students about current and favorite novels, as well as teacher and student recommendations for books to read. Many students often need to be sold on books. Talk them up, and encourage your students to do the same.

Conclusion

Although many of our middle school students have the skills to be successful readers, an alarming number of them are aliterate―they simply choose not to read.

We can combat aliteracy by knowing about high-quality literature for adolescents and young adults, by getting to know our students as readers, and by putting the right books in their hands. In addition, our classrooms must support talk about books, self-selection of reading materials, and independent reading time. Students are more motivated to read when they have knowledge of good books, when they have choices in the materials they read, and when they have time to read.

Remember Doug? By getting to know Doug as a reader and by knowing about adolescent literature, I was able to make some recommendations to him. He chose to read the first book in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Doug became hooked, sharing and reading the books with his friends and classmates. By the end of the year, he was reading The Grim Grotto, the eleventh book in the series, and was looking forward to the next installment. By selecting and reading fiction books that were just right for him, Doug was establishing habits that foster lifelong enjoyment of reading. Sounds like a motivated reader, doesn't he?
 

References

Allington, R. (2001). What really matters for struggling readers: Designing research-based programs. New York: Longman.

Broaddus, K., & Ivey, G. (2002). Taking away the struggle to read in the middle grades. Middle School Journal, 34(2), 5—11.

Cunningham, A., & Stanovich, K. (2003). Reading matters: How reading engagement influences cognition. In J. Flood, D. Lapp, J. R. Squire, & J. M. Jensen (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching the English language arts (2nd ed., pp. 666—675). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Guthrie, J., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. III, pp. 403—422). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Ivey, G. (1999). Reflections on teaching struggling middle school readers. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literature, 42(5), 372—381.

Ivey, G., & Broaddus, K. (2000). Tailoring the fit: Reading instruction and middle school readers. The Reading Teacher, 54(1), 68—78.

Mullins, E., & Irvin, J. (2000). Transition into middle school. Middle School Journal, 31(3), 57—60.

Tovani, C. (2000). I read it, but I don't get it: Comprehension strategies for adolescent readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Jennifer Wolf is currently a reading differentiation teacher at Sells Middle School in Dublin, Ohio. She has been a teacher for fourteen years, and a learner for many more. In her never-ending quest for knowledge and professional growth, Jennifer has received National Board Certification and is a part-time doctoral candidate at OSU.

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