When attempting to engage students in reading, it is important to consider their interests. The first step in providing texts that fit students’ interests involves getting to know what students enjoy. Teachers should find ways to gauge students’ interests, such as providing an informal survey, collecting information at the start of the year, or simply engaging in everyday conversations with them.
Once teachers have an idea of the type of texts students like, they can begin using strategies to sell books to students, like reading aloud a portion as part of a “read and tease”, creating book jacket bulletin boards, and taking trips to the school library during class time. Teachers can also ask students which texts they’d recommend to others and create a good book box in the classroom with books recommended by peers.
While teachers want students to enthusiastically read books, they also need to remember that students consume texts of all kinds. Students are actually reading more than ever before, just not in the formats typically associated with reading. With this in mind, teachers should practice multi textured teaching. The texts used in the ELA classroom should be layered across units with the diverse needs of students in mind, and these texts should take a variety of forms. By using a wide range of texts, students will be able to better critically read texts and make connections to their own lives.
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