As teachers, we’re always searching for ways to encourage students to love reading. We cannot emphasize enough the benefits one can get from reading. It opens the door to knowledge, allows us to learn new things, and gives us different perspectives of the world around us. The problem is, many students are not that enthusiastic about reading. How can we address this issue? Read this article to discover ten ways to increase students’ love of reading.
Ways to Motivate Students to Read
1. Be a role model for your students – Let students see you reading. If you want to motivate your students to read, you better make sure you are leading by example. Tell your students about the book you’re reading, and how much you enjoy reading it before going to bed. Share what you’ve learned, and recommend other books that you think they will find interesting.
2. Set up a classroom library – Apart from the school library, you can also set up your own classroom library. Surround children with books, and they’ll read. Make sure you there’s a wide variety of genres in your classroom library from which students can choose from. You can find great books and magazines at discount bookstores, yard sales or ask colleagues and friends to donate books that they’ve already finished reading. Check out these great book boxes to organize your library.
3. Let students choose their own books – Allowing students to choose their own books is another way to increase their love of reading. This will give students a sense of independence. Children are more likely to read when the book suits their interests, and they have control of how to read.
4. Teach them reading strategies – Many students don’t like to read because they think it’s boring or they can’t absorb what they’re reading. Teaching students reading strategies can help change their negative perception and lead to a renewed interest in reading books.
5. Make reading social – Set up book clubs and reading groups. It is a great way for students to share their thoughts and socialize at the same time. It will help enhance their comprehension and make reading so much more enjoyable.
6. Help students see the importance of reading – Laying out the benefits of reading is a good way to encourage students to pick up a book on their own. Sometimes just knowing the facts can convince someone to take action. For example, reading a book that discusses the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables can encourage children to eat natural foods instead of junk food.
7. Introduce students to a book series – Whether students prefer fantasy or adventure, there’s a book series for everyone. Find out what your students like and get them to read the first selection. Once they get a taste of it, they would want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
8. Use technology – Children love technology, and you can use this tool to get students to love reading. Download apps like Ebook Magic or Book Creator and have students create their own works. They will love sharing the books they’ve created, and they can even submit them to iBooks.
9. Invite an author to class – One great way to promote a love of reading is to invite an author to discuss his or her book. It can inspire students to read, or better yet, spur them to become authors themselves in the future.
10. Celebrate reading – Come up with ways to celebrate books. For example, tell your students to write down a list of books that they’ve read. Another suggestion would be to write the titles of books they’ve finished reading on the bulletin board. Comparing books is one way to boost students’ interest and love for reading.
Conclusion
Reading is essential to a student’s success. When teachers create a culture of reading, it will be easier for students to get into the habit and ultimately love reading. Apply the things you’ve learned in this article to ensure that reading (and learning) is valued in your classroom.
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