Need to Reignite Student Reading Motivation?

Humans always do more of something–and do it better–when we’re motivated.  Healthy eating and exercise are prime examples.  When motivation isn’t there, we approach tasks begrudgingly. It becomes more just going through the motions than really giving it much effort.  It’s why in January, gyms always see an influx of new members…only to drop off significantly by February. The motivation just doesn’t stick.  In our classrooms, reading can be the same way.  Teachers spend a lot of time and effort at the beginning of the year working to motivate students to read.  But by midyear, those same teachers lament that their students just don’t seem to want to read anymore.  Let’s talk about some simple low (or no) prep ways to bring student reading motivation back!

1. Show your own appreciation of books 

When we’re excited to share books with students, they’re much more likely to jump on board.  Your interest will spark their interest.  While sometimes it’ll work to “fake it till you make it,” that’s often not actually true when it comes to reading instruction.  This is why it’s one of many reasons it’s crucial to carefully choose the texts we’re using in the classroom.  One of the 10 questions I always ask myself before I say yes to a book is do I love this book so much, I won’t mind using it again and again?  If the answer to that question is no, I’m not using it.  There are thousands upon thousands of books out there–the options are truly endless.  (Grab my list of 20 incredible read alouds for comprehension for a start!)

If you’re a reader (and hopefully you are!), talk about what you’re reading, too!  When our students see that we truly enjoy books outside of the school day, they begin to understand that reading isn’t just a “school” thing.

2. Give your classroom library some TLC, especially mid-year

At the beginning of the year, we carefully set up the classroom library.  We want our students to feel compelled to visit it, and we work to include books they will love.  But after some time, it becomes a little…stale.  Midyear is the perfect time of year for a refresh.  Just rearranging the bins of books or displaying texts in a different genre (especially an upcoming one that you’ll be using for teaching) or focusing on a particular author can infuse the space with that “new” feeling.  This is also a time to remove things that no one is gravitating toward to make room for something different, especially now that you’ve come to learn what your students this year are interested in.  I offer 10 tips for refreshing your classroom library in this post, so be sure to check that out for more ideas!

3. Part and parcel of a carefully curated classroom library is supporting kids with text selection. 

We cannot just ask students to go choose some books, especially the younger they are.  The same is true for our striving readers. The sheer amount of choices available in the classroom library can be incredibly daunting for kids.  Every book isn’t right for every child.  It’s one big reason we see them choose the same things over and over–the same Harry Potter books, the same Wimpy Kid, the same familiar picture books.  Humans are creatures of comfort. We hang on to what we know well. 

So to help kids expand their horizons, we must coach them.  Not just at the beginning of the year, either.  As students make continual progress, we must stand beside them along the way so we can help them make text selections that evolve right alongside their interests and abilities.  Hiebert and Martin echo this sentiment in their 2010 book, Opportunity to Read: A Critical but Neglected Construct in Reading Instruction.  In it, they say that “[t]o become truly engaged readers, students need to be exposed to a range of genres and topics over their school careers.”  And it’s up to us to provide that exposure.

4. Listen to your students

One of the best ways to build a classroom library and to keep it fresh?  Ask your students what interests them.  Yes, we know that they often gravitate toward lower-quality graphic novels like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but often that’s simply because they don’t know what else is available.  That’s why doing an interest inventory is so helpful.  It gives so much insight into the kinds of topics that interest your students.  Grab the one I use right here!

With this understanding, you’re much better able to find books around the topics your students most want.  Notice I did not say genre here–I said topics.  There are books on many topics written in a variety of genres.  Which means if a child is interested in, say, the Titanic, you might find historical fiction, expository nonfiction, a drama, and a mystery.  This is a great way to expose kids to different genres–a very subtle push to expand their horizons past the same old graphic novels.  

5. Set some reading goals

This can be done on an individual, group, or whole-class level.  The tendency is to gravitate toward some sort of book challenge here, but that also tends to lead to frustration for students.  The creator of the 40 Book Challenge, Donalyn Miller, has even shared frustration about how her original idea–and her original implementation of it–has become, like a game of telephone, something far removed from its origin.  There are ways to do this well, though, that truly do serve to motivate students.  That’s something I wrote about in a previous post, so if the book challenge route is something you’re considering, I encourage you to check out the post first.  I also encourage you to read Miller’s own thoughts on this, as almost every interpretation you’ll find on Pinterest and TPT has greatly misconstrued it. 

6. Take stock of your reading block

In order for kids to want to read, we must give them time to do so.  We cannot count on them to be able to read at home.  Many students don’t have the time, structure, or support at home to make time for reading. We have to make time for it in our classrooms.  Dedicated, regular time, for the sole purpose of just reading.  Not the few minutes they might get after they finish their morning work, or during times when their other work is finished.  This is too choppy and interrupted, often with a beehive of potential distractions happening all around them.  It’s also unfair, as there will always be kids who never get this time.  

Setting aside regular, intentional time every day for reading is crucial.  It sends the message that in this class, we are readers.  And it allows you the opportunity to confer with them to support their growing skills, especially around comprehension and reading behaviors such as self-monitoring.  It’s always a bit of a different view of what students are doing as readers than you’ll see in small group instruction.  

What doesn’t work to inspire reading motivation? 

Book logs.

Not how they’re traditionally used, anyway.  They’re often used to “hold students accountable” for their reading. They’re problematic for home reading for several reasons.  One, as stated above, we cannot assume that all students have the opportunity, support, or environment conducive to home reading.  And they’re usually not necessary in school, because if the teacher is coaching students with book choice and conferring with them on a regular basis (not to mention observing them), we already know about students’ reading habits.  Asking kids to fill out a sheet noting their progress quickly becomes little more than a box to check for compliance, especially if we never even use it to guide instruction in any way.  That said, there are ways to use reading logs in ways that truly do help propel students forward.  This is something I discuss in this previous post.

So if you’re noticing waning reading motivation in your students, know that all hope is not lost. There’s so much you can do!

Reading motivation isn’t a one-time thing to pay attention to; it’s something we must continually cultivate. The good news is that it doesn’t require a total overhaul when it starts to decrease—just intentional, thoughtful tweaks in how we guide, support, and surround students with books. Try one or two of the ideas above and notice what changes. You may be surprised just how quickly a little attention can reignite a student’s spark. Because sometimes the smallest changes are exactly what students need to reconnect with reading.

If you could use a thinking partner to help you think of ways to increase reading motivation in your students,  I’m here to help!  Through virtual coaching, I can help you come up with actionable ideas from the comfort of your living room!  Just email me at michelle@coachfromthecouch.com to set up a coaching call!

Did you find this post helpful?  By all means, share it with a teacher friend so they can benefit, too!

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Who is Coach from the Couch??  I’m Michelle Ruhe, a 25+ year veteran educator, currently a K-5 literacy coach.  I continue to learn alongside teachers in classrooms each and every day, and it’s my mission to support as many teachers as I can.  Because no one should have to do this work alone. I’m available to you, too, through virtual coaching calls!