IDENTIFYING INCENTIVES TO MOTIVATE MIDDLE SCHOOL READERS

Lisa Christine Kronberg

A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of

MASTERS IN EDUCATION May 2006 Committee: Dr. Cindy Hendricks, Advisor Dr. Mark Earley Dr. Trinka Messenheimer

ii ABSTRACT Dr. Cindy Hendricks, Advisor Students need to do more independent reading other than what is required in the classroom to continue to further develop their reading skills. Often researchers seek for answers as to how they should motivate the unmotivated student. The purpose of this investigation was to answer the following research question: What incentives can middle school teachers use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure? A total of 63 students were surveyed to gain a better understanding as to what incentives could be used to encourage them to read more on their own. The majority of students viewed themselves as good readers, said they read two or more books outside of school per month, and said they read more than 15 minutes per day. When asked about materials for pleasure reading, the majority of students preferred books as a choice of reading material, and prefer fiction. The type of media does not appear to provide an incentive for reading. Regarding what students prefer doing in their free time, most indicated hanging out with their friends was their first choice. The incentives preferred by students include those of a social nature: pizza party, watching a movie during school, getting a free pass to a school dance, getting a gift certificate to the mall or movies. However, one incentive was not based on social issues: getting a free homework pass.

iii DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to my parents. Thank you so much for your constant support, your listening ears, and your wise words of encouragement. The both of you have always pushed me and encouraged to me to achieve my goals. I love you both very much. I would also like to thank my sister Amy for being so good to me. Whenever I needed to vent, I could always count on you to listen and give me advice. You have always been extremely supportive. Thank you for being a wonderful sister. I was beginning to think that I would never reach the end. I cannot believe that I made it. It has been a very long journey.

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr. Hendricks and Dr. Earley, thank you for your help that you gave me while I was working on my thesis. Your guidance and patience made a difficult project a little easier. I’m not sure if I would have graduated on time without your constant help through my revisions as well as staying late to help me. Thank you for making the time to read through my paper numerous times and offering helpful suggestions on how to improve. I know that it took a lot of your time. Thank you.

v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………..…………… 1 Statement of the Problem……………..……………………………..……………... 2 Research Question…………………..………………………………...…………… 3 Rationale………………………………..……………………………………….…. 4 Definition of Terms………………………………...…………………………….....4 Limitations……………………………………………..…………………………... 5 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Theories Associated with Motivation……………….……………………………... 6 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation…………………………………………………..8 Incentives……………………………………………………………………………12 Motivating Students………………………………………………………………....15 Enhancing Motivation in the Classroom…………………………………………….23 Creating a Motivating Environment at School……….………..……………………26 Helping Parents to Provide a Motivating Environment……………………………...28 Involving Parents in Motivating Children…………………………………………...31 Summary………………………………………….………………………...……… .34 CHAPTER III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Methods………………….…………………………………………………..………37 Research Design…….……………………………………………..………...37 Participants………….…………………………………………….…………37 Instrumentation…………………………………………………...………….38

vi Procedures………………………………………………………………...…….….. 39 Data Collection……………….……………………………………………………. 39 Data Analysis……………….………………………………………………...……. 39 Summary……………………………….……………………………...…………… 40 CHAPTER IV. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS Data Analysis………….……………………………………………..….…………. 41 Reading Behaviors……………………………………………..…………... 41 Preference of Reading Materials……………………………….……...……43 Motivation to Read…………………………………………….…………...43 Additional Analysis…………………………………………….………..... 47 Discussion of Results…….………………………………………………………… 49 Summary………………….………………………………………………………... 50 CHAPTER V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary…………………….……………………………………..……….……… 51 Conclusions…………………….………………………………………..…………. 52 Recommendations………….……………………………………….…..………….. 54 Teachers…………………….………….…………………..……….……… 54 Teacher Educators……………...……….………………………..………… 56 Research…………….…………………………………………..………….. 57 REFERENCES………………….…………………………………………….…………… 59 APPENDIX A. SURVEY………………….……………………………….………………62 APPENDIX B. LETTER TO THE PARENTS……………………………………………. 65 APPENDIX C. LETTER TO THE STUDENTS………………………………………….. 67

vii LIST OF TABLES TABLE

Page

1

Sixth Grade Students’ Reading Behaviors by Percentages ……………...…………42

2

Sixth Grade Students’ Reading Material Preferences by Percentages ……………..44

3

Sixth Grade Students’ Motivation to Read by Percentage …………...…………… 45

4

Sixth Grade Students’ Top Two Free Time Activities And Top Three Incentive Choices ………………………………..……………………………………….…. 48

1 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION All children, from an early age, enjoy listening to stories. Most children enjoy crawling up on their parents’ laps or snuggling up to them on the couch, as their parents pull out a good book to read before the children are off to bed. Parents have the power to shape their children’s views on literature. The more they put into reading, the more their children will get out of it. Parents often provide the first model in reading. As parents read to their children, they expose them to a wide range of literature and genres. Children enjoy spending quality time with their parents getting lost in the fantasy of literature. Literature can open up their minds and their creativity as well as help them discover new loves. Fortunately or unfortunately, how parents view literature might be directly related to what they experienced as they were growing up. If they were brought up with a strong literary background, they, in turn, will hopefully do the same for their child or children and support their literary adventures. However, if they grow up in a home that did not value literature or see the importance of it, they, unfortunately, might pass down those views to their own child and it could possibly become a pattern for generations to come. Parents are not the only ones who can influence readers across generations. Children can be motivated by authors to read more as well. If a child finds a certain author who has captured his/her attention he/she will enjoy reading more books written by that author. Series books such as Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Boxcar Children, and Encyclopedia Brown have influenced and motivated readers for years. Even though these books may be limited in scope, it does not matter what types of books children like reading as long as they are reading. In addition, teachers also have the opportunity to expose children to a wide variety of books. From fiction to folktales, teachers are the ones who will introduce children to the different

2 types of genres. Through reading aloud to children, developing classroom libraries, talking about books, and recommending books, teachers have a significant impact on motivating young readers. Recommendations from teachers may provide incentives to read above and beyond whatever motivation the child experiences. Without teachers and parents to guide and support students’ reading, some children might not realize all of the different forms of literature available to them. They might look at a book about poems and put it back on the shelf without even opening up the cover. They might have a pre-conceived notion about poetry without really being exposed to it. Both teachers and parents must work together to motivate students to read by exposing their student/child to all types of genres. The more books teachers and parents can show to children, the more they will learn and develop a love for reading. Making reading fun and enjoyable for them will get them “hooked” for life. Statement of the Problem As educators, our overall goal is to nurture the love of learning and help children be successful in their daily lives. To be successful in both school and in life, children need strong reading skills and need to develop a love of reading. The development of strong reading skills will help children be successful in all their academic classes. With the state continuing to raise the bar on reading achievement, more and more tests will be given to measure children’s progress. It becomes exceedingly more important to assist each child in reaching his/her potential with reading. The impact of state testing influences reading instruction. Children become better readers by reading so it is important that they enjoy reading so they will get better at it. This becomes cyclical. The more children read, the better they get and the better they get, the more they will want to read.

3 Most children enjoy being read to from an early age. In their elementary classes, their teachers read aloud to them, captivating their attention and leaving them wanting more. But why does reading aloud to students seem to slow down once they reach middle school? Do teachers not see the value in reading aloud to students? Do other activities monopolize their instructional time? Or, is there simply not enough time to read aloud or for sustained silent reading? In addition to a reduction in reading aloud, middle school readers also demonstrate a lack of motivation to read. Perhaps, the lack of motivation is due to the reduction of time devoted to reading aloud to students. Perhaps, the lack of motivation is due to the motivation to read. Or, perhaps the lack of motivation is due to not having either internal or external incentives to continue reading. In the classroom, teachers are faced with a huge dilemma: motivating reluctant readers. Many different types of incentives have been used to try and motivate middle school students to read for enjoyment and pleasure. Some of these incentives have been more effective than others. Nationwide programs such as Book-It, by Pizza Hut, have provided external incentives for students. Other incentives have been attempted. These incentives, however, have been instigated and administered by teachers, principals and other external agencies. None of the incentives were developed by students. Thus, it seems that if we want to provide incentives to get middle school students to read, we should know what motivates them and what they would like as incentives. Research Question One group has been omitted from discussions regarding which incentives are appropriate and motivational for middle school students: the middle school students themselves. This investigation sought to determine what middle school students think. The driving question used for this investigation was: What incentives can middle school teachers use to motivate their

4 middle school students to read more for pleasure? The purpose of this study was to examine what middle school students had to say about what motivates them to read. Rationale If teachers are expected to raise the bar in academics and make all children proficient readers, then the teachers need to know what motivates middle school students to read. Teachers need to examine their current practices and determine whether their motivational strategies and incentives are reaching out to all students. Often the most reluctant readers get overlooked, while the avid readers flourish in the classroom. If programs can be developed that provide incentives that encourage middle school students to engage in reading, we can reach out to all middle school students and eventually we can turn the most reluctant middle school reader into a more motivated middle school reader. The goal of this research was to determine what middle school teachers might do to help their middle school students become successful readers, and, more importantly, to become lifelong readers. In determining what it takes to get some students motivated, much can be learned simply by asking them: what will it take for you to read more often for pleasure? Often when looking for answers to these and other questions, we, as teachers, tend to consult studies that already have been done rather than consult the students directly. This study sought to ask students what incentives might be used to motivate them to read. Definition of Terms Several terms are critical to understanding this study. These terms will be defined as they are used in this investigation. Motivation: the forces within an organism that arouse and direct behavior, as internal sensory stimulation, ego needs, etc.; internal motivation. (Harris & Hodges, 1995) Incentive: something that incites or is likely to incite one to action.

5 Limitations The limitations of this study include the honesty of the students completing the survey. While some students appeared to take their participation seriously, others may not have taken it so seriously while answering the questions, causing inaccurate results. It is possible that some students did not fully understand what the question was asking; therefore, rather than asking for assistance, they might have answered the question incorrectly. A few students who were low readers might have not read the question correctly as they completed the survey. Therefore, they might have just marked any answer. This survey was administered to a limited number of students with limited diversity; therefore, the results may not be generalizable to other populations.

6 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Motivating middle school students to become strong avid readers, as opposed to reluctant readers, is a job that many middle school teachers face on a daily basis within their classrooms. Research journals provide advice and useful strategies to implement into the classroom to turn the unmotivated into the motivated reader. Chapter II will explore theories related to motivation. Also included is what research has to say about what teachers can do to motivate their students, programs that teachers can use in the classroom, how to create a classroom atmosphere that motivates all children to read and what parents can do at home to support their child. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the use of incentives to motivate students to action. Theories Associated with Motivation Motivation is key to reading beyond what is required. If students are motivated, then incentives are not necessary; therefore, it becomes important to provide some background related to the theories about motivation. According to Baker (2003), reading motivation consists of eleven dimensions of reading that can be categorized into three broad groups. The first category is self-efficacy. Baker defines the group as: “Self-efficacy, the belief that one can be successful at reading; challenge, the willingness to take on difficult reading materials; and work avoidance, or the desire to avoid reading activities” (p. 88). Baker seems to suggest that self-efficacy is related to self-concept. Next, according to Baker (2003) are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation: The intrinsic (learning goals) are curiosity, the desire to read about a particular topic of interest; involvement, the enjoyment experienced from reading certain kinds of literacy or informational texts; and importance, the belief that reading is valuable. The extrinsic (performance) goals are recognition, the pleasure in receiving a tangible form of

7 recognition for success in reading; reading for grades, the desire to be favorable evaluated by the teacher, and competition, the desire to outperform other in reading. (p. 88) It is clear from Baker’s comments that intrinsic motivation is that which lies within the individual to make him/her want to do something. Conversely, extrinsic motivation is tangible rewards such as earning a free pizza for reading a certain number of books. Finally, Baker (2003) believes that the third category deals with social aspects of reading. Social aspects include sharing a particular book with other students, and also reading to meet the expectations of others, which is usually the expectations set by the classroom teacher. Baker states, “Most children start off with optimism and interest in learning to read. Those who experience difficulties quickly develop a concept of the self as a poor reader, and their motivation for reading declines” (p. 89). Students who experience reading difficulties may read less both in and out of school than children who are more successful at reading. Thus, motivational strategies for students who find reading problematic are critical to engaging them in reading on a regular basis. Seifert (2004) has identified four theories relate to motivation (one of which was also addressed by Baker, 2003): self-efficacy, attribution, self-worth, and achievement goal. Selfefficacy Theory is the person’s belief that he/she is able to perform the task at hand. Seifert states, “Students who are not confident or perceive themselves incapable may avoid tasks that are seen as challenging or difficult, while those who are highly efficacious will be more willing to face difficult or challenging problems” (p. 138). Motivation, then is impacted by a student’s perception regarding his/her ability to complete the reading task. Attribution Theory refers to the perceived cause of a given outcome; why did something turn out like it did? Seifert explains, “In

8 an academic setting, typical attributions might include effort, skills and knowledge, strategies, ability, luck, the teacher’s mood or mistakes by the teacher” (p. 138). Motivation could be affected based on the amount of effort students place on reading. Self-worth Theory explains the motivation of some students as attempts to maintain or enhance self-worth. Seifert states: The theory begins by postulating that people possess a sense of self-worth, and that selfworth is a critical dimension of human functioning. Self-worth refers to the judgment one makes about one’s sense of worth and dignity as a person. A person who has a sense of self-worth knows that he or she is loved and respected by others and is valued as a person. On the other hand, a person who feels unworthy is a person who does not feel respected or valued by others and may feel unloved. (p. 141) Students who are not good readers may have a low sense of self-worth because of their inability to be successful with reading. Finally, Achievement Goal theory refers to students’ academic motivation as they attempt to achieve academic goals. Research has focused heavily on the goals of learning. Seifert shows that, “Students pursuing mastery goals have been described as selfregulating and self-determining. They believe that effort is the cause of success or failure” (p. 142). To be successful in the classroom, teachers must use a combination of theories to motivate middle school students to become motivated to read. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation One factor that is central to any discussion of motivation is an examination of the types of motivation. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is central to any discussion about incentives. According to Baker (2003), intrinsic motivation consists of curiosity, involvement, and importance. The desire to do something comes from within the individual. A natural curiosity to learn or to read about a topic of interest is intrinsic motivation. Enjoyment from reading and

9 finding value in the reading experience are all related to the notion of intrinsic motivation. Another form of extrinsic motivation discussed by Baker includes competition; this involves the desire to outperform others in reading. Using similar concepts and terminology, Witzel and Mercer (2003) also explain the basic differences between internal and external motivation: Intrinsic motivation can best be described as motivation that takes place when the person performing the task develops internally satisfying consequences during or after the behavior. Some examples of intrinsic rewards are task completion, feedback or result, acquisition of knowledge or skills, and a sense of mastery. Extrinsic motivation takes place when someone engages in a certain behavior to reach satisfying consequences outside of the person during or after the behavior. Some examples of extrinsic rewards are primary objects, tangible objects, token systems, social approval, and project activities. (p. 89) Witzel and Mercer found that most beginning teachers use extrinsic motivation in their classrooms. Some people refer to this extrinsic motivation as bribes or incentives. Many teachers have systems developed whereby students can earn points for completing work, getting a good grade, or behaving in an appropriate manner. Parents also provide rewards/incentives/bribes to get their students do perform in a manner acceptable to parents. Common incentives/rewards include money for good grades, extra privileges for jobs completed or the promise of something from the store on the next visit for behaving. Rewards that are extrinsic can be more appealing to the students. Both researchers and theorists have debated for and against the use of rewards. Witzel and Mercer (2003) state, “Some researchers have concluded that extrinsic rewards may ruin the

10 chance for a student to become intrinsically motivated. On the other hand, other researchers have concluded that some extrinsic rewards either do not affect intrinsic motivation or may provide students the opportunity to develop intrinsic motivation” (p. 89). According to Witzel and Mercer, if students only work to earn rewards, they may not be willing to do anything that does not contain or provide for a reward of some sort. Kohn (1999) suggests that there is another problem with extrinsic motivation, “The trouble with rewards is not that we hand them out too easily; it is that they are controlling, ultimately ineffective, and likely to undermine intrinsic interest” (pp. 115-116). Even though handing out rewards can have many positive benefits, teachers need to monitor how much or how often they are handing out rewards. Metsala (1996) believes that teachers should also consider the task and the goals of the task when using incentives. She believes that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence readers in different ways. Metsala states: Intrinsic motivations appear to be imperative to lifelong, voluntary reading. Students who read frequently and widely are pursuing personal, internalized goals. Strategies such as finding books, maintaining a place for reading, preserving large amounts of time for reading activities, and coping with distractions are learned and sustained by intrinsic motivations. Strong internal purposes for reading are needed to persevere in learning complex strategies such as summarizing, self-monitoring, and drawing inferences during reading. Because intrinsic motivations last longer and support sustained thinking, they are vital to higher order strategy development. (p. 661) However, Metsala believes that extrinsic motivation can have a negative effect on a child’s learning. Extrinsic motivation can lead to poor processing skills because students use low level strategies rather than more complex strategies. Conversely, extrinsic motivation

11 requires a type of reward or recognition for a task completed. Students may earn grades, cash, prizes or other tangible rewards for reading; an example of this is the Book-It Program where students who read a required amount earned a pizza from Pizza Hut (Sauerwein, n.d.). Metsala (1996) states, “If they are reading to complete an assignment, the reading stops when the compliance motivation is fulfilled. Extrinsic motivations do not regenerate themselves. The teacher must provide a new goal to induce new reading activities” (p. 661). Knowing how students perceive rewards is important in determining which extrinsic rewards should be used to achieve the desired effect. As Witzel and Mercer (2003) state, “If the student who is learning to read is truly intrinsically motivated, then the extrinsic reward of social time with the teacher is not important. The student will work hard to read even when a different teacher instructs him or her. Social time with a particular teacher may still be a bonus, but it does not sustain the activity” (p. 91). Inappropriate use of extrinsic rewards may cause students to become dependent upon the rewards in exchange for any work completed. Ultimately, it is up to teachers and parents to determine which rewards to use and to study their effectiveness. Teachers really need to know their students and learn which type of motivation works for them. Chances are that in a classroom, teachers will have students who are motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically. Metsala (1996) states, “There are places for both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in every classroom. At times when skill building and behavior control are necessary, extrinsic incentives are useful. When higher order literacy and self-directed learning are desired, the importance of students’ intrinsic motivation should increase” (p. 662). Gaining this knowledge can give the teacher get a better picture on how to help their students. While some students will be intrinsically motivated and not need the tangible incentives to get them to perform desired tasks or behaviors, other students will rely completely on the use of external

12 rewards. Witzel and Mercer (2003) suggest, “Although it is difficult to determine if a student is intrinsically motivated, teachers should not stop using extrinsic rewards as they risk immediate and long-term performance deficits” (p. 92). Incentives Extrinsic motivation requires a type of reward or recognition for a task completed. Students may earn grades, cash, prizes or other tangible rewards for reading. These rewards may also be referred to as incentives. Incentives can provide many useful benefits in motivating middle school students to read. The key is to find which incentives produce the best results. Hauge (2001) states, “Students like passes to local movie theaters, but they have voiced their preference for pairs of passes instead of single tickets” (p. 12). In addition, prizes can be a great incentive and do not have to be expensive. Hauge (2001) states: Prizes can range from inexpensive items to a substantial cash reward. Prizes can include magnetic address books for e-mail address, picture frame magnets, paperback books, locker mirrors, school supplies, sports bottles, sportscards, gel pens, mousepads, bookmarks, lanyards, buttons, or stickers. Sports logo baseball caps and T-shirts also are popular. Gift certificates come in a wide variety of offerings. Students welcome certificates for bookstores, video stores, music stores, computer stores, shopping malls, and fast-food restaurants. (p. 12) Parents could turn to local business in the area to help with prizes. Hauge (2001) suggests, “For financial support, we appealed to supportive parents in businesses willing to donate services or money or products. One of our parents has an ice cream shop and always responds to appeals for assistance” (p. 12). Looking at other resources outside of school can have beneficial results and parent involvement.

13 While some teachers believe that incentives can have positive outcomes, some researchers say that incentives should not be given for reading. According to Lamme (2002), “Incentives have done more to undermine children’s reading than any other trend in schools today. Children who read for points, prizes or pizzas rarely turn into lifelong readers. Once they get their points, their job is done. Reading is over-that is, until the next promotional scheme has begun” (p. 16). Lamme (2002) also states: When children get points, their goals change from enjoying reading to earning as many points as possible. Instead of settling down and immersing themselves in a book, rereading favorite parts, or pausing to dream up alternative endings, kids enter the point race and read as quickly and as superficially as possible. (p. 16) Lamme suggest that incentives are not necessary if the program in the classroom is rewarding in itself. Lamme (2002), “Reading aloud to children from a variety of exciting, visually appealing books is incentive enough. Plus, incentives are addictive. Once kids get some, they want more and it will be very difficult to wean them from the motivators. Students should learn that books can provide their own motivation” (p. 16). Even though Lamme finds fault in using incentives as motivators for students. She believes that there are other alternatives to incentives. First, teachers need to provide access to the best books available. Lamme (2002) states, “Quality literature is enough incentive for most children. Provide lots of good books that are easy for children to read to lure hesitant readers into the world of literacy” (p. 16). Secondly, teachers can also “market” good books within their own classrooms and throughout the school. Lamme (2002) states, “Encourage children to present two-minute talks about books they have enjoyed reading. Provide a Reading Rainbow type commercial along with other school news at the beginning of each day” (p. 16). Next, teachers

14 should provide opportunities for students to share and discuss what they are reading. Lamme (2002) suggests, “The best compliment is when your friends decide to read a book that you liked and told them about” (p. 16). Finally, teachers should encourage children to set their own goals for reading progress. Not all students can achieve the same reading goals. Students should set realistic goals that are appropriate for their ability level. As Lamme (2002) writes: Rather than complete with each other for points, children can track their own progress as readers with goals such as the following: reading more fluently, responding more deeply, broadening their reading repertoire, or studying an author, illustrator, or topic in depth. (p. 16) Students with the help of their teacher can begin to set clear expectations in hopes to achieve reading success. Seeing signs of success can be highly rewarding to a teacher. Lamme (2002), “The real effects of successful reading programs will be seen when students start recommending books to teachers, reading more than their assignment requires, writing in imitation of their favorite authors, or reading to classmates who need assistance” (p. 16). Edmunds and Tancock (2003) agree: Researchers have investigated the effects of incentives on reading motivation because of the growing number of incentive programs used in classrooms and lack of data to support the use of incentives and pizza coupons can increase children’s motivation to read. Results of other studies have shown that incentives are not effective in increasing reading motivation, that motivation was not sustained over time, or that other variables in the study could have accounted for differences in motivation. (p. 19)

15 Motivating Students Once the theories that explain motivation are understood and the concepts of internal and external motivation are identified, then application of these ideas to classroom settings becomes important. Koskinen, Palmer, Codling, and Gambrell (1994) explain the importance of implementing motivational strategies in the classroom, “Motivating children to read is a high priority because many students are at risk of reading failure for motivational reasons” (p. 176). Teachers and parents play a vital role in motivating middle school students to read. As children arrive home after a long day at school, reading for pleasure may not be something they wish to do. The middle school children may rather go outside and play with their friends, choose a video game, get on the computer, send a message to a friend online, participate in after school activities, or watch television. These external distractions interfere with students wanting to read for pleasure; therefore motivational strategies and the development of incentives may be necessary. Another problem that parents may encounter is that some children may view reading as a punishment, as opposed to something they could do for enjoyment. According to Watson and Stencel (2005), “Often reluctant teen readers think reading equals school, and that also equals fiction (assigned fiction)” (p. 8). Children may complete the assigned reading that is required for school, and may not have opportunities to read for pleasure. As children advance to the upper grades they become less and less interested in reading; this negatively impacts students’ reading performance because if they are not practicing their reading, then their reading is not improving. The question is “Why is this true?” Research holds some of the answers and provides some useful strategies both parents and teachers can use with their own children. Most elementary students enjoy reading; however, by the time they reach middle school, their interest

16 in reading dramatically decreases. Many factors contribute to this decrease in motivation. Hebb (2002) states, “Reluctant readers have probably been told or have received the message that they are poor readers, and as a result, they have felt frustrated, inadequate, confused, and ashamed” (p. 22). Students who do not believe they are good readers are less likely to participate in reading or reading-related activities. As a part of their jobs, teachers need to take those students who feel frustrated and inadequate in reading and turn their frustrations into successes. First, teachers must find out exactly why their students have fears associated with reading. Hebb writes, “Most likely they have a good reason to be reluctant about reading if they have experienced failure throughout their schooling” (p. 22). Students who experience only failure are not likely to want to choose to read during free time. In trying to help students overcome their fears, teachers need to build their students’ confidence and achievement. All students need to experience a sense of achievement. Children need to be in an environment that challenges and encourages them. Even though their fears about reading play a large factor in motivating them to read, their attitudes about reading are also a factor. Another thing that impacts motivation is attitude toward reading. Whether students read or not is determined by their attitudes toward reading. Wang (2000) states, “Children’s personal experiences in reading are directly related to children’s attitudes toward reading” (p. 2). If children have a pre-conceived notion that reading is too difficult for them, or that reading is boring, their notions will hinder them from making reading improvements. All students need positive feedback as they learn to read from a variety of people such as teachers, parents, and peers. The positive feedback will provide the student with confidence in reading and make them feel successful. Generally speaking, it appears as though authors are saying negative attitudes seem to breed negative attitudes while positive attitudes breed more positive attitudes.

17 One way that teachers and parents can begin to change students’ attitudes toward reading is through praise. Guthrie and Wigfield (2000) believe, “When praise is sincerely given and interpreted as recognition of achievement, it can increase students’ self-perceived competence and motivation” (p. 414). Positive feedback appears, then, to one way that reading attitudes can be improved. While self-confidence can be built and maintained rather easily, students can also lose self-confidence rather rapidly. Frequent failures in reading, and failure to get the correct understanding of the text may lower their self-confidence as well. When children are asked to read aloud in front of their peers they may become self-conscious about their fluency in oral reading, they may experience failures such as mispronouncing of words, and a slower reading speed. According to Armbruster and Wilkinson (1991), “Oral reading provided opportunities for errors, pauses, and interruption, which disrupted reading, drew attention away from the text, and increased off-task behavior” (p. 154). Oral reading appears to provide both positive and negative attitudes toward reading; those students who read poorly are likely to develop a dislike for reading; while those who are good at oral reading develop an even more positive attitude. Overcoming negative attitudes involve decreasing the amount of frustration that students feel during reading. While teachers are identifying and helping their students overcome their frustrations, they can do a number of things to help boost the motivation of their students. One way teachers can help motivate their students is through making time each day during class to read aloud to them. According to Barrentine (1996), “Most students love to hear stories read aloud and look forward to storytime. They readily engage with good books and the read-aloud experience” (p. 41). Those students who do not read well themselves have an opportunity to hear what reading is supposed to sound like. Reading daily to students is very critical in making them become strong readers. There are many positive effects of reading aloud to children. Seefeldt

18 (2003), states, “Reading aloud to children simulates their interest, their emotional development, their imagination, and their language” (p. 8). Reading aloud to children appears then to be a motivational factor in developing a positive attitude toward reading. When teachers read to their students, it can spark an interest, thus increasing their motivation to read. If a teacher is reading a good book to his or her students, those students might decide to read another book by that same author. Something as simple as reading to students can get them motivated to pick up a book and read for pleasure. Also, by having their teachers read to them, Hebb and Axiotis (2002) asserts, “This kind of reading compels students to sharpen listening skills and allows teachers to model good reading” (p. 24). When teachers read to their students, they can vary the delivery of their story while they are reading. For example, teachers can read with expression in their voices to make books more appealing to their students. As the book becomes more suspenseful, the teacher can stop reading and ask students to make predictions regarding what they think will happen next. Part of getting students interested in reading is to model good reading practices as teachers. Students need to see their teachers model good reading skills (Hebb & Axiotis). In addition, predicting what will happen next may also help increase students’ motivation to read. Another factor that may motivate students to read more is talking about books. Teachers should have regular conversations with their students about what they are reading. The students will see that their teacher is invested in them and wants to see their reading skills develop. Teachers must also model good reading and good reading behavior. They must be readers themselves. According to Clarke (2006): We have found that the teachers who motivate students to read independently are those who read themselves and who proactively talk with students about the need to read. If a

19 teacher who has a solid relationship with a student models a love of reading, then that student is likely to read. A trusting relationship is also key to the conversations teachers are now having with students about their reading issues. We have found that honest discussion with student about where they are as readers lead to more independent reading. Students often know they are struggling with reading, but have few chances to talk about it. (p. 67) Teachers can also allow students to take an active part in deciding what the teacher should read aloud. Students should be encouraged to bring in reading material they find interesting for the teacher to read aloud for the entire class. By allowing students to bring in their own literature, they are taking an active part in the reading process. If what they brought in to share with the class interests them, there is a good chance that the literature will also interest other students in the classroom. According to Van Horn (2000): Students who do not read aloud may participate in other ways. Those who do not read share in the process as they listen to the readings, comment on the text, and as they use what they have heard to help them make choices about what they will read on their own. The teacher’s reading of excerpts from A Child Called It prompted several students to purchase their own copies of the book. (p. 762) Some students may be unaware of all of the interesting and exciting reading material available for them to discover. Finding the right materials could significantly impact both attitude and motivation toward reading. Finding the right reading materials to use in the classroom that excites everyone is difficult due to the wide range of interests among students. Grambrell (1999) states, “When your classroom is full of great books and intriguing reading activities, your students will get excited

20 about reading. Give them lots of choices and plenty of chances to share ideas” (p. 11). Students like to feel included in decisions and feel that someone values what they think. Bryner (2005) states: All people including kids ought to have some control over their own lives. It’s important to experience a sense of autonomy, a feeling that we are the initiators of much of what we do. If expectations are imposed on kids without their consent or participation, then it’s less likely they will develop any desire to fulfill those expectations. And when kids stop wanting to fulfill your expectations, that’s when teachers feel compelled to bring out the bribes and threats. The problem isn’t with kids. It’s with the idea of doing things to them, rather than working with them to figure out together how we want our classroom to be. (p. 19) Overall, children want teachers and parents to listen to what they have to say about their choices of reading material. They want to know that what they think matters and that they have a voice. They want to be heard when it comes to selecting reading material for their own reading as well as for what the teacher is reading aloud to the class. Motivation may need to be increased when it comes to reading required text, since it does not always appeal to all students. Often the required text does not interest students because they cannot relate to the book; therefore, for students to have a more positive attitude toward this text, teacher must consider the text being read and adjust motivational strategies according to interest in the text. Some books may seem outdated to students. Bean (2002) states, “Schools often cling to badly outdated reading lists that convince adolescents that reading is boring and disconnected from their lives” (p. 34). One way that teachers can get around this is to choose books that they believe will interest the students. Teachers can find more recent books that are very similar to the

21 ones on the school’s preferred reading list. Teachers may want to look at various book lists to select current and appropriate books for students. Sometimes children may not choose a particular book based on its presentation. Perhaps the cover is old, torn or the picture on the front is unappealing. Choosing books that are more recent might be more appealing than ones that are more historical. In addition, for students to get excited about reading, the materials they will be reading must be something to which they can relate. Children should be allowed to choose books that they find enjoyable. Zadora (2002) conducted a research investigation to determine what students like to read. According to her, some of the male students in her study who were quite reluctant to read preferred to read a story that had a strong male character. Zadora says that books written by Gary Paulsen tend to be popular with the boys because the main character is a boy and most books written by Paulsen are about a form of survival. According to Zadora, books of this nature might not transform them into eager readers, but they can lead to a higher level of motivation. Selecting books for oral reading takes time and effort to ensure good books that are of interest to students are selected. Even though reading aloud to students on a daily basis has many benefits, teachers also need to make time each day for individual silent reading. A combination of both teacher oral reading and student silent reading are needed to increase motivation and desire to read. Leavell and Ramos-Machail (2000) offer a suggestion for teachers: Are you teaching reading skills but still don’t feel like your students are readers? Maybe it is time to let them practice what you have taught them. We rush about to ensure our students have all the decoding and comprehension skills they need but do we make sure they have the time they need to actually read for pleasure?” (p. 258)

22 According to the National Reading Panel (2002), “Independent silent reading increases reading achievement. Literally hundreds of correlation studies find that the best readers read the most and that poor readers read the least. These correlation studies suggest that the more that children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension” (p. 12). Silent reading can provide many positive benefits to students. According to Leavell and Ramos-Machail (2000), benefits of silent reading include, “Your students get better at reading, their test scores may improve as they practice reading more often, and, best of all, they learn to love to read” (p. 258). Every day, teachers should set aside time for their students to do silent reading. However, finding time to have silent reading can be very difficult with all the demands on classroom teachers. A good time to start silent reading is first thing in the morning or after lunch. Silent reading can help to prepare students for the day and help calm students down after lunch. Allowing silent reading time on a daily basis could provide students with the motivation to read, while simultaneously improving students’ attitudes toward reading. Worthy (2002) studied middle school students’ attitudes toward reading materials. When surveyed, students reported having a strong preference for reading what most people would call “light reading material.” One form of light reading material might be comic books. Comic books are often appealing to students. One mother, who was interviewed by Worthy, reported that her child only read comic books as a child. She began to believe he should be expanding his interest and should try to read other conventional literature; however, she did not say anything to her child and did not force him to read other things. Later, she noticed that her child was becoming a fluent reader because he enjoyed reading comic books as a child. According to Worthy (1996), “The presence of illustrations and less-dense text make these materials non-threatening for struggling readers, and their plots, vocabulary, and characterization can be quite sophisticated”

23 (p. 210). Children should be free to read any type of literature so long as they are reading. Limitations should not be placed on them. Parents and teachers should respect the literary choices of their students rather than tell them what is acceptable. Enhancing Motivation in the Classroom Finding ways to motivate students through rewards and incentives is something that takes time and the use of trial and error. If teachers have an idea that might work they should try and implement that particular activity to determine whether it does, indeed, work with the students. If it does, teachers can use it repeatedly. However, if it does not work, teachers are faced with two options: they can readjust the activity to make it more successful and try it again or they can choose to eliminate the activity from their list of potential motivational activities. The reward system that was used for the activity may need to be examined to determine whether or not it was effective for the task at hand. Hosting a “Career Day” and bringing in guests with a wide range of jobs can be fun for all students (Frank, 2002). This could also prove to be highly motivating and may provide some intrinsic rewards for students. Guests can share with the students why it is important to have strong reading skills. They can discuss the various types of reading that they encounter in their jobs. During career day, presenters could speak to students regarding the importance of having good reading skills. For example some students might enjoy working on cars, but to work on cars, they need to learn how to read directions and follow the steps in sequence. Frank states: The hope is that seeing and hearing adults from their communities, especially people with cool jobs such as newspaper writers, express their love of reading will carry over to similar feelings by the students. It seemed to work in the classes I visited Friday. The

24 students enthusiastically discussed the books they read in and out of class. And they seemed quite interested in the books read to them. (p. 1) Another activity that is considered to be an incentive activity designed to help enhance motivation is called Running Start. Gambrell and Baker (1998) states: Running start is where students are challenged to read or have someone read to them 21 books in a 10-week period. The prize for meeting the challenge is a book for the student to own. Running start students spent more time in independent reading, discussed books more with family members, took more books home from school, participated in more family reading activities, and had higher levels of motivation for reading. These advantages were still apparent six months later. (p. 112) Readers Theatre is another activity that teachers can implement in the classroom to motivate students. Worthy and Prater (2002) state, “Readers Theatre, as well as other kinds of reading performance, gives students an authentic reason to engage in repeated reading of texts” (p. 294). For Readers Theatre to be effective, it is important for teachers to guide the students carefully on what is expected. Worthy and Prater state: It is important that students practice until they can read their parts fluently. Ample rehearsal time makes the difference for struggling readers in any kind of performance. Some struggling readers or reserved students may not want to perform in front of a group initially, but most lose their fear with opportunities to practice a script with a teacher, tutor, or friends in a safe atmosphere. It may take several weeks of explaining, role modeling, and guided practice before such activities run smoothly. (p. 296) Worthy and Prater suggest that students enjoy this activity because they are not required to memorize their piece, but rather they can read the piece directly from their paper or their book.

25 Readers Theatre can occur on a regular basis and not just on special occasions. One of the benefits to conducting Readers Theatre is that students who are hardly given speaking parts in plays at school now have the opportunity to read in front of everyone. All students will have the opportunity to practice as much as they need for them to feel comfortable. By allowing the students to have plenty of time to rehearse, this activity it will boost their self-confidence in reading. Another benefit from Readers Theatre is that students will not have to read a new piece of literature for the first time in front of their classmates. Readers Theater allows students to pick a piece of literature in their comfort zone. Worthy and Prater (2002) state, “Reading performance encourages students to read at an appropriate rate rather than to simply read fast without attending to meaning. When students read and interpret texts regularly and evaluate others’ performance, they make progress in all aspects of reading” (p. 295). Providing useful feedback will help students to gain self-confidence in reading aloud. Worthy and Prater (2002) report, “In one teacher’s third-grade class, a child who had never chosen to read in class before without being required to do so, spontaneously went to the bookshelf, chose Eugene Trivizas’s (1997) The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, and took it to his desk to read” (p. 296). Another activity that can create a positive motivational boost for middle school students is buddy reading. According to Worthy (1996), “Setting up multiage partnerships, in which an older struggling reader reads to a younger child, makes repeated reading an authentic task and improves self-concepts and attitudes toward reading” (p. 208). By reading to younger students, the older students can select books with which they feel comfortable and can practice their reading fluency (Worthy). They can read books at a lower level without feeling ashamed or embarrassed because books at their level are not appropriate for a younger reading buddy.

26 Having a reading buddy can also boost the self-esteem in the older student. They will gain confidence in reading aloud and at the same time get to enjoy the company of their “little buddy” (Worthy). Creating a Motivating Environment at School In addition to providing students with reading materials that appeal to all students, teachers could create a warm environment that promotes literacy. A warm and inviting atmosphere could be all the motivation that a student needs to want to read. Reading classrooms should be rich in pictures, interesting books of all ability ranges, and even books that the students themselves have created. Teachers can also bring in old pillows or old couch cushions for students to rest on as they are reading. Being able to go to a reading area in the classroom after the completion of work may also provide an external incentive for students to want to complete their work so that they can go to the reading area. One way that teachers can create a motivating environment is to have a wide range of books available to their students (Koskinen, Palmer, Codling, & Gambrell, 1994). It is important that teachers have a large collection of books because some students may not have books available to them at home. Koskinen et al. state, “Throughout the interviews, children made comments about the importance of book access and book ownership in motivation to read. Classrooms libraries and personal libraries at home appear to be important influences on motivation to read” (p. 177). Children have access to books, which, for some students, is very motivational. To maximize the motivation of students, teachers must consider the interests of their students when looking at what type of books should be in the classroom. However, according to Gambrell (1999), there is not much difference between what motivates struggling readers and

27 what motivates good readers, “The findings consistently showed that struggling readers are motivated by the same things that motivate high-level, proficient readers: choice in reading material, sharing aloud, and positive recognition” (p. 10). For example, some students might enjoy reading about their favorite hobbies: dirt bikes, hunting, rappers, cars, athletes, places to travel, or animals. Since all students are different, they will each have their own opinions on what will motivate them to read (Gambrell). Koskinen et al. (1994) explain, “The children who participated in our study consistently revealed that they were more motivated when given opportunities to read books of their own choosing” (p. 177). Access to popular magazines can spark an interest in a child, which motivates the child to read more for pleasure. Worthy (1996) agrees that magazines are interesting and that there are magazines for all students, “Magazines are so specialized that they can provide something to interest everyone” (p. 210). Motivating students may be as simple as providing books that interest students because if the books they read interest them, they will continue to choose more books on that similar topic. Worthy (2002) reports, “Students in several classrooms complained about the limited number of books and the lack of new, relevant books in their classroom libraries. One student said, ‘She could get some new books in the room. Hers are from the 1960s!’” (p. 569). Some teachers may cite limited budgets for a lack of a classroom library. However, Gambrell (1999) explains that there are many ways to obtain books for a classroom library: You can find books at garage sales, book fairs, and ask for them from parents of children who have outgrown them. For example, one first-grade teacher built a rich library full of wonderful books by posting a notice in her church bulletin. Three Sunday’s later, she had almost 500 donated books. (p. 10)

28 Having a classroom library can be motivating to students; having a classroom library that contains books of interest to the students can really enhance the motivation of young readers. Another way that teachers can motivate students to read is to create book displays to draw in the interest of their students (Gambrell, 1999). Teachers can feature a specific genre, author, area of study or a particular theme. The books on the shelf should also be labeled in terms of difficulty level. Students like to think of themselves as “good readers.” Gambrell suggests, “Label your books with the terms ‘hard,’ ‘harder,’ and ‘hardest’ instead of “easy,” “average,” and ‘hard’” (p. 11). Not only can teachers create a book display to motivate their students to read, but they can also endorse a certain book. Gambrell explains, “Research has shown that whenever teachers do anything to make a book special as placing a book upright on a tablechildren are more likely to choose that book than any others” (p. 11). Teachers can also provide a quick introduction to a particular book as a way to motivate students to want to read that particular book. If the teacher presents the book as interesting and exciting, then it is likely that students will be motivated to read the book described by the teacher. Teachers have multiple ways to motivate students to read without the use of internal and external rewards. Creating the appropriate environment in the classroom can prove to be all the motivation some students need to become lifelong readers. Helping Parents to Provide a Motivating Environment Just as teachers need to provide a motivating environment at school if students are to be lifelong readers, parents must also attempt to provide a motivating environment at home. They must set the stage, in conjunction with the teacher, for students to want to read for pleasure and for them to want to develop into lifelong readers. Similar to teachers, parents must set a good example; parents need to read at home on a daily basis to provide accurate and appropriate role

29 models for their children. There are many ways that parents can provide a motivational environment at home. According to Baker (2003): Parental support includes such factors as the availability of reading materials in the home, parental reading behavior, and the frequency of reading to the child. Students from supportive environments also have more positive attitudes toward reading, and they more strongly endorse the view that enjoyment is an important reason for reading. (pp. 89-90) If parents want to motivate their children into becoming readers, they need to engage in reading daily as well. Parents must also be aware of the effects of reading ability on attitude and motivation. If a child is a struggling reader and needs a lot of work in recognizing words, the child will find reading to be very unpleasant, which then leads to poor motivation. Both parents and teachers must communicate if they are to work together to motivate students to read for pleasure. Research suggests that parents and teachers must work together to be successful with students. According to Darling (2005) it is extremely benefit to students when teachers and parents reinforce the same concepts and ideas. However, according to Darling, for this to happen, teachers and parents must have some knowledge of what happens in the classroom and what happens at home that support reading acquisition. Teachers who are working on motivational activities and extrinsic rewards for pleasure reading should discuss these issues with the parents so that the parent may reinforce these ideas in the home. Without collaboration, it is unlikely that great strides will be made in increasing students’ motivation for reading. When it comes to reinforcing skills or concepts such as motivation, Baker (2003) explains, “Teachers should not assume parents know how to help their children who are struggling. It is important to provide guidance to parents to help them gain confidence in their

30 ability to help” (p. 93). Teachers should recognize that not all parents know how to help their children, and that the teachers should provide help and suggestions. Unfortunately, some parents may not know how to read; therefore, any suggestions that are sent home in a written communication format may be problematic for the parents. Ideas and suggestions for increasing and improving motivation may not happen because parents were unable to read the materials sent to the home. Since communication with parents via written communication could present problems, teachers should either rely on multiple methods of communication with the home or rely on other methods of communication other than the written form. Baker (2003) states, “The parents may not even be able to read the communications that the teacher sends home from school, let alone be motivated to read on their own or with their children” (p. 94). Due to financial constraints, some households may not have the resources available to children that would provide them with access to books and magazines. Teachers can help this situation by allowing students to check out books from the school library, or even sending books home from the classroom library for the child to read. Sending books home will allow the child to be responsible for borrowed materials, as well as providing an opportunity for the child to read while at home. This sense of choice when selecting books as well as a sense of responsibility when taking books home to read may help motivate students to read for pleasure. Access to books and ownership are powerful motivators. Another way to increase motivation within students is for teachers to establish a stronger connection between home and school by learning a little more about their students’ backgrounds. To make this connection better, Baker (2003) states, “One way to establish stronger connections between home and school is for teachers to learn about the literacy resources and opportunities

31 available to their students at home” (p. 95). Learning more about their students’ literary backgrounds, including knowing what resources are available to them at home, may foster a better sense of knowing how to help particular children. Knowing what is and is not available can help teachers better decide the student’s level of motivation as well as the types of rewards (internal, external) that may be more effective with that particular student. Baker (2003) mentions, “Drawing on students’ home culture and interests in classroom activities puts teachers in a better position to reach struggling readers and children who are unmotivated by what they are experiencing in school” (p. 95). Thus, research suggests that students may be motivated by increasing the connection between the students’ home culture and their personal interests. Involving Parents in Motivating Children Some parents may want to help motivate their child become stronger readers or help their child become more interested in reading but may not necessarily know how to help them. It has been suggested that one way that parents can help motivate their children at home is through the use of paired reading. According to Donovan and Ellis (2005) there are several steps that are involved with paired reading. First, the child chooses a book that he/she wishes to read. The benefits of the child choosing the book have already been discussed; however, this is believed to be highly motivational for the student selecting the book. Both the child and the parent begin a brief book discussion on what they think the book will be about. This step fits in with previous discussions about the child being motivated to read when someone takes an interest in what the child is doing. Next, both the child and the parent begin reading simultaneously. When the child reaches a comfort level, he/she is to give the parent a signal to stop reading. If the child makes a mistake or is silent for more than five seconds, the parent should say the word correctly and the child should repeat the word back. Afterwards, both the parent and the child continue reading

32 simultaneously and the entire process repeats. This approach helps the child read with parent support and lets the child venture off on his/her own when he/she feels comfortable (Donovan & Ellis). This paired reading strategy also allows the child to be motivated to read along with the adult. Making mistakes is a concern of all children and can significantly affect their motivation. If the parent and child are reading together, it is likely that issues related to a lack of motivation due to poor reading ability are less likely to become problematic. Paired reading, however, is not without some disadvantages. According to Baker (2003): A major limitation of the Paired Reading approach from a motivational standpoint is that it does not give systematic attention to getting meaning from the story. The affective atmosphere of shared reading is more positive when parents and children discuss story content rather than focus on accurate word reading. (p. 97) While some researchers see the value in paired reading in attempting to increase motivation, other researchers see a problem with using it in the classroom. Petit (1980) states, “There are three levels of increasing parental involvement: monitoring, informing, and participation” (p. 180). Monitoring refers to being aware of the school situation. Parents can have informal chats with their child’s teacher through phone calls or through e-mails. Keeping tabs on their progress lets the parents stay active in their child’s education. Informing is when the classroom teacher can talk with the parents about the policies, procedures, aims, and expectations that exist within the classroom and also in school. Teachers can also design a parent-teacher newsletter allowing parents to stay current with what their child is covering in reading. At home, parents can reinforce what was learned at school. Participating in parent-teacher conferences is another way that both the parents and the teachers can discuss the child’s progress. This is a good time for both parties to get together to share important information and progress that the student

33 is currently making. With many parents maintaining full time jobs, it may be difficult for those parents to attend conferences during the day. Parents should be encouraged to hold a phone conference with the teacher if attending in person does not work with their schedule. Making time to see their child’s teacher(s) will show the student that his/her parents care about their academic progress. Also, parents and teachers can keep in constant communication through emails, which may provide for a quicker response from the teacher to the parent. In all three phases (monitoring, informing, participating), it is clear that motivation to ready can significantly increase if the parents are involved in the child’s reading. Another motivational activity that makes use of today’s modern technology is that teachers could create classroom websites that allow parents to stay current about the interesting things that are going on in the classroom (Baker, 2003). This would allow the parents to stay informed of what their child does in school, which has been suggested previously is highly motivational for children. The teacher can update as necessary and provide helpful links to other websites that parents might find helpful. With technology being popular, it is becoming increasingly common for more and more household to purchase computers as well as Internet access. Baker states, “A majority of American families now have computers, giving them access to educational software, the Internet, and electronic books” (p. 100). If more families have computers and Internet access, they would be able to take advantage of keeping updated with what is happening in their child’s classroom. Based on Baker’s comments, technology, specifically the internet, can be used to enhance and/or increase the motivation to read. Technology may also be used to enhance motivation by providing an outlet for parents and teachers to communicate back and forth based on how their child is responding to working on reading assignments at home. This communication would be immediate and would provide

34 the connection between home and school that would facilitate and support the specific goals of increasing the motivation for reading for pleasure. In cases where work is brought home, if the child is frustrated or doesn’t know how to do the work, then motivational theory tells us that it is not likely that the child will complete the work. Some other issues that may lead to decreased motivation include: (a) sometimes the problems may not become apparent until the child gets home from school and sits down to do the assignment, or (b) some students may not seek help from the teacher for fear of being embarrassed or feeling shy (Baker, 2003). Under both of these conditions, it is unlikely that motivation will increase. A student who will not seek help right away and wait until the very end to get help is not likely to be motivated to complete the reading assignments as directed. Baker also recommends that parents observe their children so they can identify problems that their children may be having. According to Baker: It is important to provide guidance to parents to help them gain confidence in their ability to help. Teacher should provide specific advice on what to read, how much to read, how long to read, how to respond to mistakes, what kind of discussions to hold with children, and how to keep the experience enjoyable. (p. 93) Teachers, however, should only guide parents. If teachers become too pushy or too demanding of parents, then they are likely to become poorly motivated to work collaboratively. This lack of motivation, then, may be passed to the child. Summary Both parents and teachers play a vital role in motivating children to become lifelong readers. As mentioned earlier, the more a child reads the better the reader he/she will become. The better the reader the child becomes, the more the child will want to read. This cycle of

35 success also is a cycle for motivation. Students like to do things in which they succeed; therefore motivation to read becomes extremely important in developing lifelong readers. Since reading plays an important role in all academic subjects, children need the ability to read text and construct meaning from what they have read to find success in reading. Finding this success is what serves as a primary intrinsic motivator for students to want to read for pleasure during their free time. Teachers can implement many activities with their students to get them motivated about reading. The most important thing that a teacher can do is to be flexible and try many strategies and learn from their students. It is only from trial and error that teachers will realize which incentives work best with which students in terms of motivating them to read. Teachers should spend time asking students about their current reading habits as these habits will be key in increasing their motivation to read. If parents want to see their child succeed, they must do their part in promoting literacy at home and motivating their child to want to read. Spending a small part of the day with their child reading will help to create stronger readers and will create more motivated readers. Not only are parents helping the child by reading with and to them, they are also taking an interest in their child’s life, which, according to the research in this chapter, is a great motivator for reading during free time. When children realize that somebody does care about them, they are likely to engage in more internal motivating activities and are less likely to need external rewards, such as incentives. When children see the parent and the teacher taking an active part in their lives, they will become more motivated to read. Motivating children to read in today’s society is an on-

36 going joint effort that takes three people for success, the parent, the teacher and most of all, the student. All teachers should know what it takes to keep their students motivated and which incentives work best for each student. Unfortunately, every child is different as to what incentives are preferred which makes it more difficult on the teacher. What may work with one student may not work with another. The key is to find an activity that will help all readers become stronger readers. Often teachers may overlook what their students prefer. Students need to be directly asked what they would like. What a teacher might think is a great incentive is not necessarily one that students would like. Giving them a choice and listening to them will make them believe they are a part of the decision process.

37 CHAPTER III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Determining what motivates students to read more for pleasure may rely heavily on the incentives offered. In this study, the main objective was to gain insight into the minds of students. The research question for this study was: What incentives can teachers use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure? This chapter will discuss the methods and procedures that were used in the collection of data for this study. Methods Research Design The research developed in this study was to investigate what teachers can do to help motivate their students to read more for pleasure. A survey that included open-ended questions was distributed to all students asking them what it would take for them to read more. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected on the surveys. Participants This study included 107 sixth-grade students in a middle school located in Northwest Ohio. Of the 107 students, 63 participated in this investigation (58.8% of the intended population). Some students who took the survey were identified as students who had special needs (specific learning disability, emotional disability). The suburban middle school student body consisted mainly Caucasian students with a small percentage of African Americans. The school district represented a wide range of income levels represented at the middle school. Some students lived in two-parent households where both parents worked and some students lived in low-income housing with a relative instead of their own parents. Before completing the survey, students were given a letter addressed to their parents requesting their permission to allow their child to participate in the survey. A total of 107 letters

38 were sent to parents; 63 letters came back granting permission for the child to complete the survey. Instrumentation A questionnaire was developed for this study (see Appendix A). The purpose of surveying the students was to gain insight on what kinds of incentives it would take for them to get motivated to pick up a book and read for enjoyment, as opposed to watching television, playing on the computer, or playing with a video game. A variety of questions were used. The first section of the survey asked students to complete information regarding: (1) gender; (2) how they rate themselves as readers; (3) how many books they read a month outside of school; (4) how many minutes a day they read for pleasure; (5) what materials they choose to read; (6) their favorite genre; and (7) types of media used in reading (see Appendix A). The second section of the survey asked students to identify incentives designed to motivate them to read more. Students responded to questions such as: (8) given a list of free time activities, which is preferred; (9) given a list of incentives, what are the top five choices (see Appendix A). The survey was administered to students during their reading class. All teachers administered the survey at the same time so that some students would not complete it at different times during the day. Completing the survey at the same time eliminated opportunities for students to discuss and compare answers. Students were told to answer each question honestly and it was hoped they would do so because names were not permitted on the paper. The questions were developed so that students would not need to ask someone to clarify the questions. If at any time during the survey, students wanted to stop and not finish the survey they were permitted to do so.

39 Procedures This study began by examining research related to motivating middle school students to read more for pleasure. After the review of research, the survey was developed so it would provide some background information about the students and then provide information to answer the research question. Once the surveys were distributed, students were not permitted to discuss their answers with their fellow classmates. If they finished early, they could turn their papers over and wait until everyone was finished. By not allowing students to talk, they would be more likely to answer the questions honestly and to state their true feelings and opinions. Once the entire class had finished, the teachers walked around and collected the surveys individually to prevent anyone from seeing someone else’s answers. If students chose not to complete the survey or did not finish the survey by the end of class, their results were not included in the overall results. Data Collection The data collected in this study came from the surveys distributed in the classes. Students were asked to respond to questions regarding their current reading practices and what incentives they prefer. It took approximately 15 minutes for the students to complete the survey from the time the survey was administered, to the time that it was collected, Data Analysis Once the data were collected, each survey was read thoroughly to check for any additional information that the students may have written on the back of their survey. The responses were entered into a spreadsheet and analyzed question by question. Survey question responses were reported in tables using percentages.

40 Summary The purpose of studying this topic was to determine what incentives teachers might use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure. The goal of this study was to better understand, from a student’s perspective, what motivates middle school students. The study was conducted by administering a survey to 63 sixth-grade students. Once the survey was completed, the results were tabulated and analyzed.

41 CHAPTER IV. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS The purpose of this investigation was to determine what incentives teachers might use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure. All participants in this investigation were administered a survey through their reading class. This chapter presents the analysis of data collected and provides a discussion of the results. Data Analysis All 63 students completed the survey administered to them. Once the data were collected, each survey was read thoroughly to check for any additional information that the students may have written on the back of their survey. The responses were entered into a spreadsheet and analyzed question by question. Survey question responses were reported in tables using percentages. What follows is an analysis of the data by category. Reading Behaviors Question one asked the students’ gender; of the 63 students surveyed, 40% were males and 60% were females. Questions two, three, and four were designed to ask about students’ perceptions of themselves as readers and the amount of reading that they do outside of school (see Table 1). According to the students, 68% of the students rated themselves good or very good readers (see Table 1). It is interesting to note that none of the students rated themselves as below average reading ability. A total of 54% of the students read between 2-3 books per month outside of school (see Table 1). A total of 22% reported reading one or fewer books, while nearly the same percent (24%) reported reading three or more books per month. Reading then number of minutes read per day, nearly 38% of the students reported reading more than 20 minutes outside of school per day (see Table 1), while 67% of the students

42 Table 1 Sixth Grade Students’ Reading Behaviors by Percentages

Question 1 What is your gender? A. Male

40%

B. Female

60%

Question 2 How would you rate yourself as a reader? A. Very Good

36%

B. Good

32%

C. Average/Below Average

32%

Question 3 About how many books do you read per month outside of school? A. 0-1

22%

B. 2-3

54%

C. 3 or more

24%

Question 4 About how many minutes a day do you read for pleasure? A. 0-10

14%

B. 10-15

19%

C. 15-20

29%

D. More than 20

38%

43 reported reading over 15 minutes per day. A total of 33% of the students reported reading less than 15 minutes per day. Preference of Reading Materials Questions five and six asked about students’ preferences for reading materials during pleasure reading. For Question 5, of the students surveyed, 59% responded that they prefer books as a choice of reading material while 41% said the preferred to reading magazines for pleasure (see Table 2). None of the students surveyed selected newspapers as their preference for pleasure reading. Question 6 asked students to identify their favorite type of genre. Among the choices were folktales, fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, and poetry. The most frequent response was fiction (67%) (see Table 2). The next most frequent response was non-fiction (51%). The three remaining choices were not very popular among the sixth grade students: poetry (24%), folktales (21%), and historical fiction (14%). Motivation to Read Questions seven, eight, and nine explored what motivates students to read more. For question 7 which asked students to identify their preferences for books on CD/tape and computer reading programs, the students were close to being evenly split. A total of 51% of the students would rather complete computer-generated reading programs, while 49% said they preferred listening to books on CD/tape (see Table 3). Question 8 asked students to rank activities in the order in which they preferred them; they were given six choices and were asked to rank order them from 1 (first choice) to 6 (last choice). Students overwhelmingly selected hanging out with their friends as the first choice

44 Table 2 Sixth Grade Students’ Reading Material Preferences by Percentages

Question 5 If given a choice, which would you rather read for pleasure? A. Books

59%

B. Newspapers

0%

C. Magazines

41%

Question 6 What is your favorite type of genre? A. Folktales

21%

B. Fiction

67%

C. Non-Fiction

51%

D. Historical Fiction

14%

E. Poetry

24%

Note. Students were able to select more than one response for some items; or skip a response; therefore, percentages may be greater or less than 100.

45 Table 3 Sixth Grade Students’ Motivation to Read by Percentage

Question 7 Which of the following types of media would motivate you to read more? A. Books on CD/Tape

49%

B. Computer Reading Programs

51%

Question 8 When you have free time, please rank in order from 1-6 (1 being your first choice and 6 being your last choice) which activity you prefer? 1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

Watch Television

13%

30%

24%

17%

11%

5%

Play Video Games

13%

19%

10%

7%

19%

32%

Read

18%

11%

14%

25%

16%

16%

Play on the Computer

3%

16%

25%

17%

24%

15%

Talk on the Phone

4%

13%

13%

21%

19%

30%

Hang out with your Friends

49%

11%

14%

11%

11%

4%

Choices:

(table continues)

46 Table 3 Sixth Grade Students’ Motivation to Read by Percentage (continued)

Question 9 Out of these 10 incentives, choose five that would motivate you to read more outside of school. Pizza Party

76%

School Logo Clothing

24%

Free Book from the Teacher

32%

Money to use in the Cafeteria

25%

Watch a Movie during School

68%

A Free Pass into a School Dance

44%

Gift Certificate to the Mall/Movies

84%

Extra Recess

27%

A Free Homework Pass

83%

Lunch with the Teacher

35%

47 (49%, see Table 3). Reading was identified as a first choice by 18% of the students, followed by watching television (13%) and playing video games (13%). Looking across responses made by students, 60% of the students listed hanging out with their friends as either their first or second favorite free time activity (see Table 3). A total of 43% identified watching television as their first or second favorite free time activity. Playing video games was ranked first or second by 32% of the students while reading was ranked first or second by 29% of the students. An examination of the top three choices yields the following choices in rank order: hanging out with friends (74%), watching television (67%), playing on the computer (44%), reading (43%), playing video games (42%), and talking on the phone (30%). Question 9 referred to selecting incentives that would motivate students to read more. Receiving a gift certificate to the mall or movies was the most popular choice offered (84%) (see Table 3). A free homework pass was also was identified as an incentive that would motivate students to read more (83%). Students also selected a pizza party (76%) and an in-school movie (68%) as incentives that would motivate them to read more (see Table 3). An inspection of the data shows that of the five top-ranked motivators (gift certificate to mall/movies, homework pass, pizza party, moving during school, pass to school dance) all are social activities with the exception of the free homework pass. Additional Analysis Based on the analysis, socializing appeared to be a frequent theme among the responses on the survey, so a cross-tabular analysis of the data was conducted. Using the two obvious social activities from question 7 that focused on free time activities (talking on the phone, hanging out with your friends), and the obvious social incentives (pizza party, movie during

48 Table 4 Percent Of Students Selecting Social Incentives Based On Top Two Free-Time Activities

Talking On The Phone: Pizza Party

33%

Movie during School

28%

Earning a Free Pass to the School Dance

36%

Gift Certificate to the Mall or Movies

30%

Extra Recess

29%

Hanging Out With Friends: Pizza Party

73%

Movie during School

74%

Earning a Free Pass to the School Dance

82%

Gift Certificate to the Mall or Movies

75%

Extra Recess

88%

49 school, free pass to the school dance, gift certificate to the mall or movies, extra recess), a crosstab analysis was conducted (see Table 4). Of those students who list hanging out with their friends as their favorite free time activity, all reported a preference for the incentives that were social in nature. Discussion of Results Among the sixth grade students who responded to the questionnaire, the majority of students viewed themselves as good readers, said they read two or more books outside of school per month, and said they read more than 15 minutes per day. When asked about materials for pleasure reading, the majority of students preferred books as a choice of reading material, and prefer fiction. The remaining three questions were designed to answer the research question: What incentives can middle school teachers use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure? Question 7 focused on the types of material to motivate students to read more. Students were about evenly split between computer-generated reading programs and listening to books on CD/tape. Question 8 asked students to rank the activities they prefer: 74% ranked spending time with their friends as one of their top three choices; 67% of the students ranked watching television as one of their top three choices. Using the computer (44%), reading (43%) and playing video games (42%) were about equal as the top three choices for students. Thirty percent of students rated talking with friends as one of their top three choices. The final question asked students about incentives that would help motivate them to read. Receiving a gift certificate to the mall or movies was the most popular choice offered with 84% of the students selecting it as their top incentive. Additional high-ranking incentives included a homework passes 83%, pizza party 76% and watching a movie during school 68%. There seemed to be a

50 pattern that developed regarding the favorite free time activity (hanging out with friends) and the social nature of the incentives chosen. Answers to the research question (What incentives can middle school teachers use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure?) appear to be in several parts, based on this study. The type of media does not appear to provide an incentive for reading. Regarding what students prefer doing in their free time, most indicated hanging out with their friends. The incentives preferred by students include those of a social nature: pizza party, watching a movie during school, getting a free pass to a school dance, and getting a gift certificate to the mall or movies. Summary This chapter presented the data collected throughout the investigation to evaluate the motivation of reading for pleasure. The majority of students viewed themselves as good readers, said they read two or more books outside of school per month, and said they read more than 15 minutes per day. When asked about materials for pleasure reading, the majority of students preferred books as a choice of reading material, and prefer fiction. The type of media does not appear to provide an incentive for reading. Regarding what students prefer doing in their free time, most indicated hanging out with their friends was their first choice. The incentives preferred by students include those of a social nature: pizza party, watching a movie during school, getting a free pass to a school dance, getting a gift certificate to the mall or movies. However, one incentive was not based on social issues: getting a free homework pass. It was interesting to discover what middle school students truly see as motivators. The following chapter will discuss the implications of this data and recommendations.

51 CHAPTER V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Motivating students to read can be the biggest challenge that a teacher may face on a daily basis. Working with students who are reluctant readers is not an easy task to handle for an experienced teacher, or one who is just starting in the teaching field. The purpose of the study was to determine what incentives teachers might use to motivate their middle school students to read for pleasure. This chapter summarizes the research conducted. Also presented in this chapter are the conclusions drawn from the data. Recommendations are also provided. Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the following question: What does it take to motivate middle school readers to read more for pleasure? A survey was distributed to sixth grade students to ascertain their perceptions of themselves as readers. More importantly, however, this investigation sought to determine what might be ways to motivate students to read. This study specifically asked students what incentives could be used to motivate them to read. All of the students who participated in this study appeared to understand the survey and did not experience any difficulties while trying to complete the survey. The results show that the type of media does not appear to provide an incentive for reading. Regarding what students prefer doing in their free time, most indicated hanging out with their friends was their first choice. The incentives preferred by students include those of a social nature: pizza party, watching a movie during school, getting a free pass to a school dance, getting a gift certificate to the mall or movies. However, one incentive was not based on social issues: getting a free homework pass.

52 Conclusions Determining which incentives teachers can use to motivate their middle school students to read more for pleasure is an extremely complex problem. It is clear that students are not all motivated by the same things. Within the classroom, teachers may need to offer different incentives to different students. This may require more work on the classroom teacher but the outcomes could be more effective and long lasting than using only one incentive for all students to work towards. The key is to ask the students what they want. What do they prefer? This idea is in keeping in line with Bryner (2005) who believes that children ought to have some control over their own lives. From year to year the answer will change depending on the students. Teachers need to be flexible and willing to try new ideas. Using incentives that students find appealing is very important. Also, allowing students to have a voice in what they would like is important because they will feel like they are a part of the decision making process and that what students want matters to their teachers. Teachers may view an invitation to a pizza party as a great incentive, while students may not. Students may prefer to receive a free pass to a schoolsponsored dance. It is important that teachers keep in mind what the students like if they want to use incentives to encourage middle school students to change their current reading practices. Another conclusion from this study is that sixth grade students are very interested in spending time with their friends. The most frequently cited free time activity was hanging out with friends. If this information is coupled with the incentives that were identified as those that would motivate students to read, most of the top choices were related to social activities. It is clear from this information that teachers must be aware of the importance of socialization at this age. Attempts to motivate students should take into consideration the impact of the incentive on the social circles of the students. One activity mentioned in Chapter II that could be used to

53 increase motivation while addressing the need to socialize with friends is Reader’s Theatre. This activity would allow students to work with their friends, while, simultaneously, practice their oral reading. Another activity that may be successful is the notion of book clubs. This allows the students the freedom of choice in selecting the books to read, while combining the notion of the importance of peer groups by allowing students to form book clubs to discuss what they are reading. A third, and obvious conclusion is that what middle school students want for incentives to read may not be affordable or appropriate. For example, several of the incentives would be cost prohibitive for the classroom teacher such as the pizza party and gift certificate to the mall/movies. Hauge (2001) believes money does not have to be an issue; “For financial support, we appealed to supportive parents in businesses willing to donate services or money or products” (p. 12). Others may be inappropriate for teachers such as watching a movie during school or giving free homework passes. Teachers may be opposed to interrupting the school day with a movie. They may also be opposed to the notion of giving free homework passes. So, for the incentives to work, they must be agreeable with the teacher, as well as motivating to the student. In conclusion, one thing that is very important to remember for both teachers and parents is to respect children’s reading choices. The mere fact that they are reading will be beneficial and rewarding. As Worthy (1996) states, “Like adults who read for pleasure, students should know that personal interest is the most important factor in choosing a book to read for pleasure-not readability, and certainly not someone else’s view of what is worth reading” (p.211). Students should feel free to read what excites them. Every child is an individual and with that comes individual preferences. Fawson and Moore (1999) state, “Choice and control are critical elements in supporting literacy engagement” (p. 336). Koskinen, Palmer, Codling, and Gambrell,

54 (1994) add, “The children who participated in our study consistently revealed that they were more motivated when given opportunities to read books of their own choosing.” Recommendations Teacher Teachers need to remember one simple thing: what may work with one student may not work with another. Finding and using incentives that work well will not necessarily mean that they will work next year with a different group of students. Teachers need to be willing to hold conversations with their students and learn from their students. As a result, students will believe their teachers respect them because they took the time to ask them what they think. As students approach the middle school years, they like to feel that they have a say in what happens. Students want to be though of an adult and be a part of what is happening around them. Teachers could also consult with parents at the beginning of the school year on what their child likes. Does their child enjoy reading non-fiction, fiction, poetry, etc.? Building a strong classroom library is a simple step that teachers should take. In addition, if teachers consult with parents early in the school year, they can use this as a great opportunity to learn more about their students. Parents know their child best and can offer insight to their child’s teachers. If during a parent/teacher conversation a parent talks about how much their child loves to listen to books on tape that teacher can make sure that during downtime books on tape, are available for the students. A simple conversation can make a huge difference. Within their classrooms, teachers could offer students computer time if they finish their work before the others. If students are given time to use the computer, high interest reading programs need to be available to the students, as opposed to just letting them surf the Internet for

55 fun. Parents at home could purchase reading programs geared toward their child’s ability level. Making reading fun should be top priority for teachers and parents. Working with the school principal can also be rewarding. For instance, 44% of the students replied that earning a free pass to a school dance is something that they would enjoy. School dances are a vital social event for students of this age group. Knowing that there is a dance coming up gets them excited. Knowing that they could attend for free is something that students may work toward. The principal at the school may approve free dance passes if he/she knows they are being used as a reward incentive for reading. Teaches should investigate various types of incentives. Even though Lamme (2002) discourages incentives in her reading class other researchers see the value in using them. Teachers should also keep in mind that incentives do not necessarily require money. However, most students prefer incentives that are more expensive. Handing out gift certificates (the students’ top choice) would be of high cost to the teacher. However, perhaps teachers could look into getting a few movie certificates donated from local movie theater owners. Programs such as Book-It are popular with students. Teachers could create incentives such as: if you read so many minutes a day or month you will earn a free pass to the movies or a free bag of popcorn at the movies. Teachers could set the criteria very low in hopes of getting many students to earn the incentives and then up the criteria after a time once the students see that they can do it. The secret is to try new things and hope for the best. Unfortunately, what students want teachers cannot provide financially. Teachers do not have the resources to hand out gift certificates to the movies or mall. What is frustrating is that teachers know that gift certificates and free passes to the dance is what would motivate students to read more but cannot be provided to the student. To help students enjoy reading and read more

56 for pleasure, teachers will need to be resourceful in finding ways to motivate their students without it costing them so much money. What else could motivate students to read that does not cost money? Not only are finances a concern when dealing with incentives but the teachers willingness to provide incentives. For example, a free homework pass might motivate the unmotivated. From my perspective, the students that struggle need to do the homework. They cannot afford academically to skip out on an assignment that helps reinforce specific skills. In my study, there was no correlation between students who rated themselves as either average or below average in wanting a free homework pass. Next school year, that information could change. Overall, students prefer incentives that are socially based. For example, earning a gift certificate to the mall or movies, attending a school dance or earning an extra recess are all incentives that students enjoy. In their free time, the majority of students selected activities that are socially based as well. For example, students enjoy hanging out with their friends or talking on the phone when they have free time. Some students really enjoy playing video games, using the computer and watching television. It would be interesting to learn if these activities are ones they do alone or with friends. Teacher Educators Some pre-service teachers may not be familiar with different types of genres. Therefore, teacher preparation programs should ensure that courses are included in the program of study that emphasizes a study of various genres. Teachers should take this into consideration and use read aloud time to share different genres with their pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers should also be encouraged to read a variety of types of materials aloud to orient their students to various genres, including poetry. More students need to read a variety of books to become more

57 familiar with different types of genres. In addition, current statewide testing requires students to be able to comprehend and answer questions using a wide range of genres. Teacher educators should also emphasize the importance of reading to the pre-service teachers. If they do not value reading, they are not likely to put as much emphasis on reading in their own classrooms. The benefits of orally reading to children should also be a focal point of coursework in teacher preparation programs. Teachers have the power to change students’ views. Another key recommendation for teacher educators is to explore with pre-service teachers various ways to motivate students that involve working in groups. Given that the students at this age preferred to socialize and that peer groups are extremely important, teacher educators might offer group activities such as Readers’ Theatre and books clubs as a way to increase motivation for lifelong reading. Allowing students time to read and discuss books in class should provide authentic opportunities to help increase student motivation. In addition, pre-service teachers should spend some time looking at further research that has been done regarding motivation. What new research has been done and did it have any positive outcomes? Gaining more information on motivation and on using incentives will help better prepare pre-service teacher for when they graduate and begin their teaching career. Whether they are working with students with specific learning disabilities or not, finding ways to motivate students will always present a challenge. Pre-service teachers also should keep in mind that an enormous part of teaching is trial and error and never giving up on finding news ways to improve. Research More research should be conducted to determine how giving students the option of selecting incentives impacts students’ views and attitudes about reading. Will they continue to be

58 strong avid readers? Will they see the value in reading? Will they continue to grow up enjoying reading for pleasure? Additional research should be conducted to compares student-selected incentives to teacher-selected incentives. How will they compare with respect to attitudes toward reading and motivation to read? Exploring these topics could help teachers develop effective reading programs as well as helping all students enjoy reading. Summary This investigation has led to several major conclusions regarding incentives. First, it is clear that students are not all motivated by the same things. Within the classroom, teachers may need to offer different incentives to different students. Another conclusion from this study is that sixth grade students are very interested in spending time with their friends. Teachers must be aware of the importance of socialization at this age. Attempts to motivate students should take into consideration the impact of the incentive on the social circles of the students. A third, and obvious conclusion is that what middle school students want for incentives to read may not be affordable or appropriate. For incentives to work, they must be agreeable with the teacher, as well as motivating to the student. In conclusion, one thing that is very important to remember for both teachers and parents is to respect children’s reading choices. Students should feel free to read what excites them. Repeating the critical words of Fawson and Moore (1999), “Choice and control are critical elements in supporting literacy engagement” (p. 336).

59 REFERENCES Armbruster, B.,& Wilkinson, I. (1991). Silent reading, oral reading, and learning from text. The Reading Teacher, 45, 154-155. Baker, L. (2003). The role of parents in motivating struggling readers. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 19, 87-106. Barrentine, S. (1996). Engaging with reading through interactive read-alouds. The Reading Teacher, 50, 36-43. Bean, J. (2002). Making reading relevant for adolescents. Educational Leadership, 60, 34-37. Bryner, J. (2005). Rewards not working? Instructor, 115, 19-52. Clarke, B. (2006). Breaking though to reluctant readers. Educational Leadership, 63, 66-69. Darling, S. (2005). Strategies for engaging parents in home support of reading acquisition. The Reading Teacher, 58, 476-479. Donovan, H., & Ellis, M. (2005). Paired reading-more than an evening of entertainment. Reading Teacher, 59, 174-177. Edmunds, K., & Tancock, S. (2003). Incentives: The effects on the reading motivation of fourthgrade students. Reading Research and Instruction, 42, 17-38. Fawson, P., & Moore, S. (1999). Reading incentive programs: Beliefs and practices. Reading Psychology, 20, 325-340. Gambrell, L. (1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. The Reading Teacher, 50, 14-25. Gambrell, L., & Baker, L. (1998). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. The Reading Teacher, 50, 108-121. Gambrell, L. (1999). Motivating kids to read. Instructor, 113, 10-11.

60 Guthrie, J., & Wigfield, (2000). Dimensions of children’s motivation for reading. Retrieved June 10, 2003, from http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/clic/nrrc/mrq_r34.html. Harris, T. L., & Hodges, R. E. (1995). The literacy dictionary: The vocabulary of reading and writing. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Hauge, M. (2001). Reading Incentives: Passes, Privileges, and Prizes. The Book Report, 12. Hebb, J., & Axiotis, V. (2000). Reluctant readers reading: toward a learning community of teachers and students. English Journal, 84, 22-25. Kohn, A. (1999). Punishment by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentives plans, A’s, praise, and other bribes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Koskinen, P., Palmer, B., Codling, R., & Gambrell, L. (1994). In their own words: What Elementary students have to say about motivation to read. The Reading Teacher, 48, 176178. Leavell, J., & Ramos-Machail, N. (2000). Teaching ideas. The Reading Teacher, 54, 256-259. Lamme, L. (2002). Stop giving kids incentives for reading! Reading Today, 16. Metsala, J. (1996). How children’s motivations relate to literacy development and instruction. The Reading Teacher, 49, 660-662. Merriam-Webster (1999). Webster’s New Explorer Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Federal Street Press. National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health. Petit, P. (1980). Opening up schools. Harmondsworth, English: Penguin.

61 Sauerwein, K. (n.d.). Do rewards for reading really work? Retrieved March 21, 2006, from http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/rewards.html Seefeldt, C. (2003). Why read aloud. Early Childhood Today, 17, 8-11. Seifert, T. (2004). Understand student motivation. Educational Research, 46, 137-148. Wang, Y. (2000). Children’s attitudes toward reading and their literacy development. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 27, 120-125. Watson, J., & Stencel, J. (2005). Reaching reluctant readers with nonfiction. Young Adult Library Services. Witzel, B., & Mercer, C. (2003). Using rewards to teach students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 88-96. Worthy, J. (1996). A matter of interest: Literature that hooks reluctant readers and keeps them reading. The Reading Teacher, 50, 204-212. Worthy, J. (1999). Involving volunteers in school reading programs. Reading Teacher, 53, 246249. Worthy, J. (2002). The intermediate grades: What makes intermediate-grade students what to read? The Reading Teacher, 55, 568-570. Worthy, J., Patterson, E., Salas, R., Prater, S., & Turner, M. (2002). “More than just reading”: The human factor in reaching resistant readers. Reading Research and Instruction, 41, 177-202. Worthy, J., & Prater, K. (2002). ‘I thought about it all night’: Readers theatre for reading fluency and motivation. Reading Teacher, 56, 294-297. Zadora, A. (2002). Wrestling with reading. Retrieved February 22, 2006 from www.TeachingK8.com.

62

APPENDIX A. SURVEY

63 Reading Survey Please read each question carefully. Make sure you respond to each question honestly. When you are finished, please wait patiently for others to finish. PLEASE DO NOT WRITE YOUR NAME ON THIS SURVEY. Thank you for your participation. 1. What is your gender? _____ male

_____ female

2. How would you rate yourself as a reader? _____ very good _____ good _____ average

_____ below average

3. About how many books do you read per month outside of school? _____ 0-1 _____ 2-3 _____ 3-4 _____ more than 4

4. About how many minutes a day to you read for pleasure? _____ 0-10 _____ 10-15 _____ 15-20

_____ more than 20

5. If given a choice, which would you rather read for pleasure? (Please mark only 1 choice) _____ books _____ newspaper _____ magazine

6. What is your favorite type of genre? (Check all that apply) _____ folktales _____ fiction _____ non fiction _____ historical fiction

_____ poetry

7. Which of the following types of media would motivate you to read more? _____ books on CD/Tape _____ computer reading programs

8. When you have free time, please rank in order from 1-6 (1 being your first choice and 6 being your last choice) which activity do you prefer? _____ watch television _____ play on the computer _____ play video games

_____ talk on the phone

_____ read

_____ hang out with your friends

Please turn your paper over

64 9. Out of these 10 incentives, choose 5 that would motivate you to read more outside of school. _____ pizza party

_____ a free pass into a school dance

_____ school logo clothing

_____ gift certificate to the mall/movies

_____ free book from the teacher

_____ extra recess

_____ money to use in the cafeteria _____ a free homework pass _____ watch a movie during school _____ lunch with the teacher

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APPENDIX B. LETTER TO THE PARENTS

66 October 3, 2005

Dear Parents, Welcome to the 2005-2006 school year. This will be a great year filled with new adventures! My name is Lisa Kronberg and I am the Intervention Specialist. I have been teaching at xxxxxxx for the past three years and I am looking forward to beginning my fourth year at the middle school. Currently, I am working towards my Master’s degree in reading education at Bowling Green State University. During the school year, I will be working on my thesis. The topic that I chose to research deals with motivating middle school students to read more independently. Within the first quarter, I will be administering a survey to determine what it takes to motivate middle school students to read. The survey will take place during their reading class and will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Participation by students is completely voluntary and their grades will not be affected if they choose not to participate or you choose not to sign the consent form. If you or your student does not wish to participate, an alternative reading assignment will be provided during class time. Within the survey, students are required to remain anonymous. No identifying information will be collected. If you have any questions regarding this investigation, feel free to contact the Human Subjects Review Board at Bowling Green State University at 419-372-7716. In doing so, you will need my project identification number (H06T046GE7) and my advisor’s name, Dr. Cindy Hendricks ([email protected]). Thank you for your time. Please fill out the bottom portion of this letter and have your child return it to his/her reading teacher by October 4, 2005. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Lisa Kronberg

Child’s Name: ________________________________________________ _____ I give my consent to allow my son/daughter to participate in the survey. _____ I do not give my consent to allow my son/daughter to participate in the survey. Parent Signature:

______________________________________________

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APPENDIX C. LETTER TO THE STUDENTS

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October 5, 2005

Dear Students, Just like you, I’m going to school too. Right now I’m attending Bowling Green State University working on my master’s degree. I have finished all of my course work and all I need to do to meet my final degree requirements is to complete my thesis. I chose to research how teachers can motivate middle school students to become more avid readers. I believe that, as a teacher, I can better understand what incentives my students would like to read more for pleasure. In learning what it takes for someone your age to read more for pleasure, I am asking you to complete a survey during your reading class. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. You are not required to participate in the survey. If you choose not to participate in the survey, your grade will not be affected. Once you get started on the survey and feel uncomfortable, you may at any time withdraw from further participation. We will find an alternative reading activity for you to do during your reading time while the others complete the survey. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a participant, feel free to contact the Human Subjects Review Board at Bowling Green State University at 419-372-7716. You will need my project identification number (H06T046GE7) and my advisor’s name, Dr. Cindy Hendricks ([email protected]). Thank you for your time.

Miss Kronberg

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