Reading Reasons

This unit was developed using Reading Reasons: Motivational Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School by Kelly Gallagher.

Brainstorm reasons why we read and why we don’t read. Hang up two pieces of butcher paper, one labeled Why Not to Read and the other Why We Read, and have students write at least one reason on each. Read over some of the reasons on the Why Not to Read, and then throw the paper away. Explain that if we concentrate on the excuses of why we don't read, we will miss seeing the many good reasons to read. Tell the students to try to be open-minded as we look at reasons why we read. Go over what the students listed, highlighting the really good reasons.

Reading poem

The more you read,

the more you know;

the more you know,

the smarter you grow;

the smarter you grow,

the stronger your voice

in speaking your mind

or making a choice!

I usually recite this over and over together as a class and offer sweet rewards for anyone who can recite it from memory.

Perform the The Reading Rap for the class with the help of a couple of attention-seeking students. Sometimes I will get groups of students who come up with a dance and everything!

Reasons to Read

1.Reading is rewarding:

Impact books assignment:

What are some of your favorite books?

What is a book that has had an impact (positive or negative) on your life? Why did you choose this book as your impact book? (Be prepared to share this with the class).

I share some of my impact books and then have each student share his/her impact book with the class.

Some of my Impact Books:

--The Berenstein B Book-because I memorized this book when I was little and thought I could read because I knew exactly when to turn the pages. It gave me a love for reading and a confidence in myself as a reader.

--Are You My Mother-this was one of the first books to really hold me in suspense and actively engage me as a reader. I was so worried about that little baby bird!

--The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom-this was one of those life-changing books. I am a better person for reading this book and I share this book with anyone close to me.

Book Pass with book stack worksheet (look under attachments on my site).

To do the book pass activity, I get one book for each student from my classroom library or from the school library from various genres, fiction and non-fiction, the most exciting and likable books I know of. I then place a book on each desk, tell the students to write down the title and author on their worksheet and then they have 2 minutes to look at the book (read the back cover, look at pictures, start reading the beginning, etc.). I time this with a timer that beeps and when the timer beeps, I say, "Pass!" The students then pass the book to their neighbor and put 1 * if the don't think they would like the book, 2 *'s if it's a maybe, and 3 *'s if they might like to read the book. Then they write down the new book's title, and we start the process again. In the end, the students hopefully have a couple of books that they might be interested in trying.

2. Reading builds vocabulary:

Intro. to the million word club (from Nine Reasons book) and begin word wall. I also like to watch Bulbous Bouffant with the class and discuss how much fun learning new vocabulary can be. I then challenge them to find fun words like in the video in their reading. They can then post these words on the word wall.

3. Reading makes you a better writer:

What great writers do...

Look at what great writers do. If I have to write a science fiction story, I like to read lots of science fiction first to get an idea of the rules of that kind of writing and see what other people are doing. Students who read a lot generally do better in writing assessments.

4. Reading is hard and hard is necessary:

Show clip from A League of Their Own. (Warning: there is one swear word in the clip).

We need to embrace confusion in order to learn-examples from my own life of when something was hard but worth it.

Look at various ‘difficult’ texts: drivers ed booklet, nutrition information, ballots for voting, etc. (You can find some of these samples on my site under attachments).

Challenge: Bring in a piece of reading that you think will be hard for the teacher.

5. Reading makes you smarter:

Intro. to brain and metacognition (thinking about thinking).

Look at Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story about Brain Science by John Fleischman

Information Processing Model

This is basically like the chart I show the students, though I use pictures. For example, I draw a desk for working memory and file cabinets for long term memory. We discuss how easy it is to forget things and how to help the brain move things into long-term memory. The students also enjoy discussing the brain and looking at things like brain injuries, dreams, dementia, etc.

Discuss Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory and take the Multiple Intelligences Inventory.

Here's a good website to check out: http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php.

For fun, do the Brain PowerPoint (under attachments) and discuss ways of making the brain think in different ways.

Brain Maintenance--the more we exercise the brain, the stronger we will be at thinking. Reading exercises the brain!

6. Reading prepares you for the World of Work:

Make a career chart of possible future jobs, education or training required, and reading demands.

Possibly bring in a panel of people with different jobs to talk about reading in the workplace.

7. Reading well is financially rewarding:

Look at the statistics of earnings of those who don’t finish school v. those who do. (p. 110-111 from Reading Reasons).

8. Reading opens the door to college and beyond:

Go around the room and have each student say one thing they want to do in the future and one thing they will need to do to accomplish that future goal.

The college self-assessment (from Reading Reasons).

Look at the road to higher learning

9. Reading arms you against oppression:

Look at the fighting poverty chart on p. 135 of Reading Reasons and discuss.

Have students take the MARSI (Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory).

Reading as a process and skill-how to become a good__________ activity (p. 62-63 Reading Reasons).