What is a reluctant reader

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Reluctant Readers
By Amy Baringer, Cindy Novak, Susie
Smargissi and Jennifer Sturgis
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What is a reluctant reader?

• There are three different types of reluctant
  readers
• Dormant (like to read but often do not make the
  time to do it)
• Uncommitted (do not like to read but may read in
  the future)
• Unmotivated (do not read and do not ever expect
  to change their minds)

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Who are the reluctant readers?

• Socioeconomic factors can influence whether a
  reader is reluctant.
• Reluctant readers may think it is not cool to
  read.
• Students with low self esteem
• Students with learning disabilities and second
  language learners
• Research shows boys are more likely to
• be reluctant readers.

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Contributing Factorsof Boys Reluctanceto Read

• Pressure placed on boys to participate in
  sporting activities, as well as play with
  computer and video games.
• Lack of significant males modeling reading as a
  legitimate activity
• More difficult for boys to connect with the
  emotional aspects of literature such as found in
  fiction.
• Preferred reading materials may be nontraditional
  rather than teacher selected materials.

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Can reluctant readers be successful?

• Yes, they can be successful.
• Provide appropriately leveled text that is
  interesting and engaging.
• Provide books with large print, detailed
  pictures, limited words on a page, and spatially
  pleasing to the eye.

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Programs Implemented to Address Reluctant
Readers

• Open Court
• Phonics Sound Spelling Cards
• Theme-based literature
• Accelerated Reader
• Motivating program focusing on individual reading
  levels
• Reading Recovery
• One-on-One reading instruction
• Soar to Success
• Small group instruction focusing on comprehension
• Chessie Program
• Read XL
• Scholastic high-interest text
• AACPS reading incentive

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Strategies for the Reluctant Reader

• Include newspapers, comics, and magazines
  targeting sports, computers, and hobbies.
• Familiarize students with author studies
• and author visits.
• Provide multiple copies of popular texts.
• Provide opportunities for students to discuss
  what they have read, for example, literature
  circles.

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Strategies continued

• Use role models such as school staff, local
  sports icons, and respected members of the
  community to promote reading.
• Locate leaders of groups of boys to win over
  reluctant readers.
• Cooperate with teachers to ensure a wide range of
  interesting materials are accessible.

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Graphic Novels

• Young adults love graphic novels
• Motivate reluctant readers
• Typically written at a fourth to sixth grade
  reading level
• Often resemble comics and drawing book

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Visual Imaging

• "It has been demonstrated that visual imaging
  encourages students to access and apply their
  prior knowledge as they read, increases
  comprehension, and improves the ability to
  predict, infer, and remember what has been read"
  (Wilhelm, 117).
• Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. "You Gotta Be the Book"
  Teaching Engaged and Reflective Reading with
  Adolescents. New York Teachers College Press,
  1997.

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Criteria for Choosing Appropriate Reading Material

• Repetition of main points
• Wide margins
• Extra space between lines
• Short chapters
• Direct and simple narrative
• Illustrations that explain the text
• Simple vocabulary

From The Collection Program in Schools Concepts,
Practices, and Information Sources by P. Van
Orden and K. Bishop
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Make the School Library an Inviting Place to
Visit!

• Dr. Seuss Birthday (March)
• Childrens Book Week (November)
• Use seasonal holidays as themes
• Look in Upstart Catalog for ideas

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• Celebrate National Library Week (April)
• Library Luau
• Hang Out and Read

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Motivate Students to get Excited about Reading!

• Dress as your Favorite Book Character
• Offer incentives for visiting public libraries
• Promote the public librarys summer reading
  program
• Read Across America
• Black-Eyed Susan
• Elections
• Advertise!!

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• Original Reading Incentive Programs
• Catch a Dragon by the Tale

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Be creative! Encourage Students to Read at Home

• Students read to Booker T. Bear at home and write
  about their adventures together.

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Useful Websites for Teachers of Reluctant Readers.

• http//scholastic.com/
• http//www.wordpool.co.uk/
• http//www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/quick
  picks/2004quickpicksreluctant.htm
• http//www.bigguybooks.com/
• http//www.thinkport.org/default.tp

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Useful Websites for Reluctant Readers!

• http//www.starfall.com/
• http//www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooey.html
• http//www.timeforkids.com/TFK/
• http//www.brainquest.com/

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Our Personal Views

• Reluctant readers are in every classroom. We
  have the ability to motivate and influence them
  using the previously mentioned strategies. As
  library media specialists we must consider our
  reluctant readers when developing our collections.

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Bibliography American Library
Association www.ala.org. Retrieved June 21,
2005. Crawford, P. (2004) Library Media
Connection. 22(5), p26. Retrieved from EBSCO
Professional Development Collection on June 9,
2005. http//web15.epnet.com/citation. Kinsella,
B. (2003). Big guy courts reluctant readers.
Publishers Weekly, 250(50), p. 25. Retrieved
from EBSCO Professional Development Collection on
June 9, 2005. http//web15.epnet.com/citation.
 Monroe County Public Library, Indiana
http//www.monrow.lib.in.us/childrens/reluctantbib
.html. Retrieved June 28, 2005.  Penguin Books
www.penguin.com. Retrieved June 21,
2005. Scholastic Book Company
www.scholastic.org. Retrieved June 21,
2005. Van Orden, P., Bishop K. (2001). The
Collection Program in Schools, Third Edition.
Englewood, CO Libraries Unlimited.  Wordpool
www.wordpool.com. Retrieved June 21,
2005. Zadora, A. (2002). Wrestling with
reading. Teaching PreK-8. 32(7), p. 58. Retrieved
from EBSCO Professional Development Collection on
June 9, 2005. http//web15.epnet.com/citation.