- First I thought this grouping of authors was unusual--but evidently they got together at a conference and decided to see if they could figure out how to motivate kids to read.
- The first sentence elicited a groan from me--anyone teaching adolescents (I hope) could tell you that if they can read their "preferred reading materials" and if teachers will use their "preferred...modes of instruction"--then the kids will be more motivated and "perhaps...[demonstrate] improvements in reading outcomes."
- "Recent studies have suggested that few adolescents choose to read on their own." Duh.
- "Our work suggests that teachers need to ask different questions of adolescents than of younger children." Again, duh. Yet there isn't an instrument for us to assess 7-12 readers? Not one available to we who would like to do this?
- "How do teachers define reading? What kinds of reading will motivate adolescents today? How can these types of reading be incorporated into secondary classrooms?" These are all good questions--does NCLB/CCSS/etc. even care?
- Nonreaders find reading unrewarding or too difficult or not worth it.
- Aliterate adolescents can read but choose not to do so.
- The study focused on two strands:
* students as victims of schools [and teachers!] who have devalued literacy activities. {As an aside, I wonder if these researchers would assign a level in Dante's Inferno to these individuals or simply time in Purgatorio.}
- When they say "school practices" I think they are referring to--in part--federal regulations--although I think they are unaware of this.
- What about students who ARE motivated? Or what about those who WEREN'T at one time--but have suddenly become hungry to read?
- Who would use an elementary measure w/high school? Before this class, I would have just so I would have a clue--We are not given students' reading levels or lexiles, etc. {CLAP, CLAP, CLAP} It is so good that they revised the elementary MRP for adolescents: AMRP. This was the next six pages in the article and ones that I will use. There follows directions and scoring sheet.
- Females score higher. (Shock!)
- Males did better in their early teens but dropped later on.
- Females valued reading more than males.
- Females actually increased value of reading as they grew older.
- African American and Afro/Indo-Trini adolescents valued reading significantly more than Caucasians.
- "Generally, students' self concepts as readers and their value of reading coincided with their reading choices and overall enjoyment of reading."
Teachers' enthusiasm can have a tremendous impact on students' reading habits and attitudes?
Adolescents clearly identified the importance of choice?
Students enjoyed teachers allowing them to choose a book to read and valued choice in topics and
formats for assigned projects.
Well, I did too.
When I first skimmed this article, it seemed they were right on track--but when I evaluated it piecemeal, I decided they could have had coffee with me--maybe a light meal--and I could have given them all this information. Although this study was held at eight different sites, they only had 384 adolescents involved. Honestly, I could do that at my high school alone (if I had the time--and since I'm not a graduate student nor do I have a graduate assistant to assist me---ah, well.) Perhaps I should see if I could replicate some one's study and get published in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy....hmmmmmmmmm.