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Reading motivation
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From: MShuttleworth at slv.vic.gov.au <MShuttleworth>
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 15:12:39 +1000
As someone professionally involved in reading motivation (I'm the Program Coordiantor for the Australian Centre for Youth Literature) this topic has thrown up some crucial issues.
A number of responses have identified the need to create a reading culture within a school, library or family. The short-term reward system does have its issues, which I had not really considered previously. As an initial motivator, rewards (or gentle bribes) may be a good thing, but the deeper engagement with books and reading takes a lot more committment. This seems particularly so in programs based around long reading lists.
Aiden's remark that "free time set aside at school for students to tread whatever they like" is absolutley desirable, but perhaps difficult to acheive in an era of the crowded curriculum. However, the importance of free choice is fundamental, and becomes more so as children grow through teenage years.
Allowing that freedom of choice respects the reader and gives her more control. Overcoming our adult preferences (fiction over non-fiction; books over magazines, graphic novels and comics) is our problem, not the readers'.
At ACYL, we try to find topics or issues that resonant with teenagers, present books and authors in lively and non-didactic ways, and support schools and public libraries in developing a reading culture. This week we're presenting four Australian writers on the theme "Doing Wrong, Doing Right" to highlight YA fiction about risk and difficult or dangerous choices. Actors will perform scenes from the work, the writers will speak briefly about the stories and issues involved and (hopefully) the teenage audiences will ask questions and leave motivated to read these and other stories for themselves.
Mike
Mike Shuttleworth Program Co-ordinator Australian Centre for Youth Literature 328 Swanston Street Melbourne VIC 3000 PH: 03 8664 7262 FAX: 03 9639 4143 http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/acyl/
Received on Mon 18 Oct 2004 12:12:39 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 15:12:39 +1000
As someone professionally involved in reading motivation (I'm the Program Coordiantor for the Australian Centre for Youth Literature) this topic has thrown up some crucial issues.
A number of responses have identified the need to create a reading culture within a school, library or family. The short-term reward system does have its issues, which I had not really considered previously. As an initial motivator, rewards (or gentle bribes) may be a good thing, but the deeper engagement with books and reading takes a lot more committment. This seems particularly so in programs based around long reading lists.
Aiden's remark that "free time set aside at school for students to tread whatever they like" is absolutley desirable, but perhaps difficult to acheive in an era of the crowded curriculum. However, the importance of free choice is fundamental, and becomes more so as children grow through teenage years.
Allowing that freedom of choice respects the reader and gives her more control. Overcoming our adult preferences (fiction over non-fiction; books over magazines, graphic novels and comics) is our problem, not the readers'.
At ACYL, we try to find topics or issues that resonant with teenagers, present books and authors in lively and non-didactic ways, and support schools and public libraries in developing a reading culture. This week we're presenting four Australian writers on the theme "Doing Wrong, Doing Right" to highlight YA fiction about risk and difficult or dangerous choices. Actors will perform scenes from the work, the writers will speak briefly about the stories and issues involved and (hopefully) the teenage audiences will ask questions and leave motivated to read these and other stories for themselves.
Mike
Mike Shuttleworth Program Co-ordinator Australian Centre for Youth Literature 328 Swanston Street Melbourne VIC 3000 PH: 03 8664 7262 FAX: 03 9639 4143 http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/acyl/
Received on Mon 18 Oct 2004 12:12:39 AM CDT
