This document summarizes a research project on motivating students to read. It discusses common homework assignments requiring reading and the problem that students will not do the independent reading. It then presents the results of a survey given to students on their reading habits and motivations. The survey found that most students read for pleasure but are not motivated when reading is required for school. Based on the findings, the document recommends allowing student choice in reading materials and developing intrinsic motivation to encourage reading.

1. Mini Inquiry
Research Project:
Motivating Students
to Read
By Lynn Stephenson

2. School Reading
Homework
Read for 30 minutes each night.
Earn a certain number of Accelerated Reader
points.
Read 25 books during the school year, but you
have to read a few books from each genre.

3. “A student will not master a skill
without a significant amount of
practice” (Hill and Flynn, 2006).

4. Problem: Children will
not do their independent
reading assignments.

5. Frustrated parents and
children.

6. Question: What motivates
people to read, and what
can I do to help motivate
these children to read for
school without parent
pressure?

7. Survey
How many books have you read this past year?
Why do you read?
What kinds of books do you like to read?
What do you read other than books?
What motivates you to want to read?
What motivates you to not want to read?
How do you/did you feel when a teacher or other person tells
you that you have to read?
Tell me about a person who inspired you to read. What did they
do?
What advise would you give a teacher who is trying to motivate
her students to read?

8. Results
66% read 15 or more books this past year.
25% read for school assignments and 58% read for
pleasure.
66% read magazines and newspapers.
The love of reading and entertainment were the most
common reasons for a person to read.
Being busy was the most common reason for a person
not to read.

9. Do people like to be
required to read by
teachers?
83% said that being required
to read makes them to not
want to read.

10. Who inspired you to read?
Teachers
Mothers

11. What am I going to
do to help
motivate my son
my and students to
read?

12. Student Choice

13. Read

14. What Other Teachers
Should Consider:
Provide students with independent reading time.
Help students develop intrinsic motivation.
Match students with appropriate reading material.
Provide students with real-world experiences and
personal connections.
Encourage collaboration and discussion among
students.
Reed (2000)

16. Works Cited
Hill, Jane and Kathleen Flynn. (2006). Classroom Instruction that
Works with English language Learners. Alexandria, VA: Association
for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Reed, Deborah. Motivating Students to Read Issues and Practices.
SEDL Letter Volume XVll, Number 1, June 2005, Reaching Our
Reading Goals.