Strategies for engaging the reluctant reader Jodie Giardino

Aliterate: a person who can read but chooses not to read  Dormant readers: like to read, but don’t often make time to do it  Uncommitted readers: don’t like to read, but say they may read in the future  Unmotivated readers: don’t like to read, and don’t ever expect that to change

Why are these students reluctant to read?  Many students are lost after grade 4  Textbooks are too difficult for students  Students become accustomed to failure  Students have no “voice” in reading choices

Teachers create a risk-free environment Make a guess model guessing information model guessing information Allow doodling allow students to “doodle” as they are reading allow students to “doodle” as they are reading Allow talking allow students to discuss their thoughts in order to understand their thoughts Get “lost” in a book allow students to see you get lost in a good book

Make our goal to get kids reading  Use writing that interests students to get them to read  Newspapers  Magazines  Graphic Novels  Read alouds  Music

Sports Literature  North Carolina alternative school experimented with using sports literature (newspaper, magazine articles)  Found that sports literature provided effective means for changing negative attitudes toward reading  Sports-themed units could grab the reluctant readers who would be interested

Graphic Novels  Exciting, book-length comics that tell a story  Teens are comfortable with the format of these books due to daily technology  Topics available include Holocaust, Judaism, Women’s History, War and others  Critics argue that graphic novels aren’t literary.  Advocates argue that these novels will reach readers who otherwise wouldn’t be reached

Read Alouds Stories should: 1.Be interesting for teacher and student 2.Stimulate discussion 3.Require minutes to read 4.Lead to additional readings Students enjoy having a teacher read to them.

Nonfiction Read Alouds  Nonfiction read alouds may appeal to reluctant male readers  Readers Digest Great Lives  Newspaper articles about teens  Sports related materials such as Sports Illustrated

Music Music is appealing to students Music Music is appealing to students Musicians have written picture books –Find books that match interests of students –Mood music: play different types of music to create a certain mood or to set the tone of a story –Supplement readings with music “Let me call you sweetheart”

In order to better prepare our students, we must re-think the way that the teaching of reading occurs.