Blog 3

Our reading this week, from Reading Reasons Mothivational Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School, was extremely insightful.  I learned that it is much more important to stress the reasons for reading rather than to reward my students for completeing their readings.  Rewarding students for reading can actually have an adverse effect and de-motivate our students.  By offering rewards we are teaching our students that reading is "chore" and without rewards it is not worth doing.  Instead of rewarding our students we must stress the reasons for reading.  Our reading explains 9 reading reasons that...

1. Reading is rewarding
Reading itself is rewarding; there is no need for a tangible prize/thing everytime a student completes their reading.  The rewards for reading are pleasure and knowledge.  Pleasure and knowledge are rewards that can carry through life, while recieving a piece of candy or a gold star last for short periods of time.

2. Reading builds a mature vocabulary
The book gives us a great example of a first time sailor.  The sailor decides that she wants to go and build a boat then take her friends out for a ride.  After telling her friends that she's been studying sailing for 2 months and as their skipper she will try her hardest, she is surprised that no one wants to join her on her first sailing experience.  Becoming a sailor takes years of expertise.  The same applies with reading.  We cannot expect to just wake up our senior year of high school with a mature vocabulary; it takes years of practice through reading.

3. Reading makes you a better writer
Reading and writing have many characteristics in common.  Both engage us in constructing meaning from texts, use skills automatically, interact with one another, etc.  In order to improve our reading we must write and in order to improve our writing we must read.  These two things cannot be seen as seperate entities, rather they must be seen as influences of one another.

4. Reading is "hard" and "hard" is necessary
"It's supposed to be hard!  If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it.  The 'hard' is what makes it great."  Reading certain things in life can be difficult (i.e. directions or a government bill) but they are important in life.  When we take the time to understand hard materials the end result becomes rewarding.  With directions it gets you in the right place, or with a bill you understand what it is you are voting on.  It is necessary to take time to read these hard materials in order to accomplish what you want.

5. Reading makes you smarter
"Reading not only makes you smart, it keeps  you smart as you age."  Recent studies have shown that reading correlates with Alzheimers, cognitive functioning, etc.  People with low education are more likely to get Alzheimers when they are older.  Also the reading habits of people as youths has a strong prediction of their cognitive function as they age. 

6. Reading prepares you for the world of work
Jobs are looking for their employees to have both "hard" and "soft" skills.  The "hard" skills include mathematics, problem solving, and reading abilities that are at level much higher than what most high schoolers obtain.  The "soft" skills include ability to work in groups and to effectively make oral/written presentations.  Both "hard" and "soft" skills require the ability to read!!!   

7. Reading is financially rewarding
In 2000 the average lifetime earnings of a student without a high school degree was $936,000 and a student with a degree was 1,216,000.  This made a high school diploma worth $280,000.  When you calculate that $280,000 to see how much a student earned each day spent in high school, a student "made" $400 a day.  Although a student may not see this as an advantage at the time, as they age that invisible money makes a difference in their lives.

8. Reading opens the door to college and beyond
When college looks at accepting a student, AP placements courses, SAT scores, and application essays are among the most important factors.  All 3 of these are looking at students ability to read.  AP courses require high school students to read at a much higher level, SAT scores assess students reading abiulities, and essays require reading to write.  Also as students go into college they are required to read harder materials and read at a much faster pace.   The ability to read well plays a huge factor for getting into college and completeing college.

9.  Reading arms you against oppression
By being able to read, you are able to educate yourself much easier.  A lack of reading skills can allow higher figures to take advantage of you because you are unaware of what is going on.  It is important to be able to read in order to stand up for your rights.

After reading this article I learned that they 9 reasons are far more rewarding than a tangible prize.  Reading is a necessity in life, it is NOT a chore.  As teachers we need to stress the importance of reading so students can understand its necessity.   After learning this I have come up with 2 questions...
1. How do we make this transition to teaching the importance of reading? Especially since most schools have a rewards system.
2. Will this approach work for all students or do some students gain from other incentives?