Motivating Students' Independent Reading

Ways to Motivate Independent Reading

• Scheduling special school events that focus on reading, such as "reading campaigns," "reading awareness week," and "reading celebrations."
• Becoming involved in community and library programs sponsored by federal and state governments, such as Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).
• Distributing reading certificates at awards day ceremonies.
• Ensuring that students have ready access to books through school libraries and class libraries, and by sending books home.
• To ensure access to books, teachers may need to do the following: work with public and school librarians to rotate books into a classroom library; enlist the support of PTA and PTO groups as well as local businesses and corporations so that books can be purchased for school use.
• Scheduling time for sustained periods of silent reading.
• Providing in-school time during which students can choose to read by reducing the amount of time devoted to activities that do not promote reading growth, such as completing worksheets.
• Reading aloud to students. Reading an entire book to students allows them to experience how positive reading can be. Reading part of a book may motivate students to complete the reading of that book.
• Introducing and displaying interesting, engaging texts.
• Getting students "hooked" on favorite authors, topics, or genres (e.g., mysteries, fables, poetry, biography).