Using a Reading Motivation Program in Class
Encourage Students to Read Books Independently
Nov 14, 2009
Students who read below grade level tend to do worse in school. They struggle with the words and decide that reading is hard work. Students who read well have larger vocabularies. They tend to read for enjoyment. In order to be a better reader, students need to read more.
Using a reading motivation program in the classroom can encourage students to read more. Book Adventure is a free resource for parents and teachers. It uses incentives to encourage all students to read independently. Students receive the intrinsic satisfaction from completing a book and demonstrating comprehension through a short quiz, but they also get the added bonus of earning points for rewards and prizes.
How Book Adventure Works
Teachers set up a program for their students. Students sign up and create a book list of books to read. After reading each book, students sign in to take a multiple choice quiz about the book. Students earn points that can be traded in for prizes.
Teachers can set up parameters to limit the quizzes students can take. A fifth grade teacher might limit students from taking quizzes that are lower than the third grade reading level. Students only earn points if they answer 90% of the questions correctly. Reading levels below the third grade only require 80% correct. Students can only take a quiz twice, with the questions changing each time.
Students can earn up to 100 points for quizzes up to the second grade level. Quizzes at the 3-5th grade levels earn up to 150 points. Quizzes higher than that earn up to 200 points. Teachers can also create custom prizes for students in their class.
The Benefits to Teachers
Teachers can log in and get a class report. The report includes scores, the number of attempts, books quizzed, and reading levels. Teachers can identify student interests and easily recommend other books for students. The chances are high that teachers will suggest a home run book that transforms the student into an avid reader.
Since most independent reading is done outside of school, most teachers have no idea how much reading is actually done. By requiring students to take quizzes, teachers have a better gauge of reading ability and practice. Struggling readers can begin with easier books, developing a stronger motivation as they gain success at answering quiz questions.
This program is especially beneficial for teachers with second language learners. ESL students learn English at a different rate. Some students can dive right in, while others need an incubation period and time to adjust. The reading motivation program lets students read at their own pace and reading level. Teachers only need to require that students complete a quiz a week. Many quizzes are available for stories included in many school readers. After reading a story in class, the teacher can have students complete the quiz for that story.
Why Kids Love It
- Kids love computers. Taking a quiz on the computer is like playing a game.
- Computers are interactive and students feel in control.
- Students get to choose their own books. That rarely happens in school.
- Students get points that can be traded in for prizes.
- All the cool prizes. Teachers can create special prizes for their own classroom like a no homework pass.
- Students enjoy competitions. They want to have the most points in the class.
- They can read and answer questions. Nothing feels better than success.
The reading motivation program is easy for teachers to set up. Students work at their own pace reading books of interest to them. They then sign in and take quizzes about the books they have read. Teachers benefit from the class reports that give them insights into each student's reading level, comprehension, and reading interests. Students gain technological skills while getting prizes and points. Parents no longer have a reason to complain about too little homework. Reading is where learning begins.
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