Lunetta M. Williams

ADDRESSING SUMMER READING SETBACK AMONG ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Much research has established the contribution of summer reading setback to the reading achievement gap that is present between children from more and less economically advantaged families. Likewise, summer reading activity, or the lack of it, has been linked to summer setback. Finally, family socioeconomic status has been linked to the access children have to books in their homes and neighborhoods. Thus, in this longitudinal experimental study we tested the hypothesis that providing elementary school students from low-income families with a supply of self-selected trade books would ameliorate summer reading setback. Thus, 852 students from 17 high-poverty schools were randomly selected to receive a supply of self-selected trade books on the final day of school over a 3-year period, and 478 randomly selected students from these same schools received no books and served as the control group. No further effort was provided in this intervention study. Outcomes on the state reading assessment indicated a statistically significant effect (p = .015) for providing access to books for summer reading along with a significant (d = .14) effect size. Slightly larger effects (d = .21) were found when comparing the achievement of the most economically disadvantaged students in the treatment and control groups.

Motivation: Going beyond Testing to a Lifetime of Reading

otivating children to read on their own has been less of a priority than improving reading achievement in recent years, but many teachers are still asking, “How do I get my students to want to read?” The omission of motivation as a major component of reading instruction by the National Reading Panel (2000) was interpreted by many schools as a lack of endorsement of its importance. In the past, principals creatively coaxed children into collectively reading large quantities of books on their own by using motivational antics, such as shaving heads or kissing pigs. These antics have gone by the wayside in recent years. While we are not advocating returning to these types of extreme measures to get children to read, we do believe the desire behind these behaviors still has merit. Unfortunately, promoting independent reading has become secondary to activities more directly aligned with high-stakes testing performance, such as matching children’s reading levels with appropriate reading material, practicing fluency, and guided reading. We are concerned that many children are not choosing to read on their own and that independent reading opportunities during the school day appear to be diminishing. If intrinsically motivated to read on their own, children will sustain interest in reading and improve their reading abilities. Some research suggests if children do not read on their own, they may even lose some reading abilities (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988) gained through reading instruction. This article provides readers with principles of motivation and equips administrators and teachers with tools to motivate children to read independently.

Peer-Recommended Books: Conduits to Increase Reading Volume.

Abstract Using strategies that provide opportunities for students to interact and recommend books in authentic ways, teachers can help motivate them to want to read more.

Where Are the Guys? Increasing the Number of Male Elementary Educators.

Abstract Learn why few men choose to become elementary educators and how educators can assist with recruiting more males into this career.