5.14 Use a variety of instructional practices to motivate and engage students in reading
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Motivation: the key to every successful student. Without motivation there is no learning. Something that will always stick with me is the speech that my mentor teacher gave the students on the first day of school is that she told them that she knew that many of them did not like reading, but that her number one goal this year was for every student to leave her class enjoying reading as much as she does. During our Read-to-Self time students are allowed to read anything they choose to from chapter books to comics, whatever interests them. I have seen some teachers make students only read AR in their classroom and although some AR books are fun for them I do not believe that limiting students on the reading material is motivating them at all. During Read-to-Self the students are allowed to sit or lay down anywhere in the room and they are provided with comfy chairs and beach mats to use. It is a time to relax, take a break, get comfortable and read. J
In the beginning of the year the students would sit next to their friends, get distracted and then start talking but we would stop them and tell them to make a better choice on where they chose to sit. As time has passed they have gotten used to making good choices and spend their Read-to-Self time how its meant to be: Reading. After spending about 3 months with these children I am beginning to see their engagement when it comes to the reading process. They look forward to their Read-to-Self time and if one day we do not have time for it, I find them telling me “Ms. Rodriguez we did not have Read-to-Self today” in a disappointing tone of voice. That is the best indicator that this motivation tool is working.
In the beginning of the year the students would sit next to their friends, get distracted and then start talking but we would stop them and tell them to make a better choice on where they chose to sit. As time has passed they have gotten used to making good choices and spend their Read-to-Self time how its meant to be: Reading. After spending about 3 months with these children I am beginning to see their engagement when it comes to the reading process. They look forward to their Read-to-Self time and if one day we do not have time for it, I find them telling me “Ms. Rodriguez we did not have Read-to-Self today” in a disappointing tone of voice. That is the best indicator that this motivation tool is working.