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International Journal of Instruction January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
e-ISSN: 1308-1470 ● www.e-iji.net p-ISSN: 1694-609X
Motivation to Read: How Does It Change for Struggling Readers with and
without Disabilities?
Macid A. Melekoğlu
Asst. Prof., Department of Special Education,
Education Faculty, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey
mamelekoglu@ogu.edu.tr
Kimber L. Wilkerson
Prof., Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education,
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
klwilkerson@wisc.edu
Lack of reading motivation impedes upper elementary and secondary school
students’ willingness to improve critical reading skills and strategies to be
successful in school. Struggling readers often show a negative attitude towards
reading tasks and manifest low motivation to read. Although the importance of
motivation is clear, there is limited research on reading motivation of struggling
adolescents with disabilities. This study examined whether reading motivation of
struggling readers with and without disabilities significantly changed after an
eighteen week period of reading instruction in two elementary schools and one
high school in a Midwest state of the United States of America (USA). Findings
yielded significant improvement in motivation for adolescents without disabilities
while motivation scores declined for students with disabilities. An overview of
students’ answers to survey questions is provided and some evidence-based
methods that teachers can utilize to improve reading motivation of upper
elementary and high school students are summarized.
Key Words: Motivation to Read, Reading, Motivation, Disabilities, Struggling Readers
INTRODUCTION
Many elementary and high school teachers in the USA encounter students with very
low motivation to read in their classrooms (Guthrie, 2008). Since students with low
reading skills struggle while reading any text at their grade levels (Fuchs et al., 2001;
Therrien et al., 2006), reading for pleasure, which is one of the ultimate goals of
learning to read, has become less observed among upper elementary and high school
students (Ivey, 1998; Moje et al., 2000). Students without necessary reading skills
cannot derive meaning from what they read, and thus, their motivation to read decreases
significantly (Morgan and Fuchs, 2007; Pitcher et al., 2007; Strommen and Mates,
78 Motivation to Read: How Does It Change for Struggling …
International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
2004). Additionally, adolescents who are unmotivated can then exhibit a contrary
attitude towards all activities involving reading and writing (Guthrie, 2008).
Nevertheless, students’ motivation to read is a critical factor in getting them involved in
reading and improving their reading skills.
Even though the importance of motivation to read for adolescent readers is widely
recognized, there is very limited research on unmotivated students, and tools and
strategies that teachers can utilize with those students to encourage long lasting
motivation to read (Guthrie, 2008). Secondary teachers who work with students with
low motivation for reading in their classes can end up spending a substantial amount of
time controlling behavioral problems. Due to high content area demands from teachers,
secondary students rarely receive instructional support to increase their motivation and
engagement in reading activities (Guthrie, 2008).
The majority of struggling adolescent readers and many adolescents with disabilities in
upper elementary and high school read below the basic level and are still challenged by
the literacy demands of their grade levels (Grigg et al., 2007; Lee et al., 2007; Wagner
et al., 2003). To improve students’ reading skills, adolescents’ motivation to read is a
critical intervention point; a lack of motivation adversely affects adolescents’ abilities
to enhance vocabulary and reading comprehension skills and to develop powerful
reading strategies (Roberts et al., 2008). Due to serious problems with reading skills
and consequently frustration, struggling readers often exhibit a negative attitude and
low motivation to read (NJCLD, 2008; Swanson and Deshler, 2003). A limited
numbers of studies have investigated the correlation between students’ motivation to
read and students’ success in reading (Morgan and Fuchs, 2007). Since students’
motivation to read may predict reading achievement, reading interventions for
adolescents should also include strategies to improve motivation.
Continuous enhancement of adolescents’ reading skills is important to be able to help
them tackle challenging and complex academic tasks. However, continuous
enhancement becomes more difficult with this age group compared to elementary grade
students because adolescents typically do not exhibit great motivation to perform better
in reading (Biancarosa and Snow, 2006). In addition, the majority of adolescents,
irrespective of their reading ability, devote less time to reading compared to younger
pupils (Moje et al., 2000), and do not set time apart for recreational reading due to low
motivation to read (Strommen and Mates, 2004). However, research shows that
promoting students’ motivation to read can enhance the reading competency of
struggling adolescent readers (Strommen and Mates, 2004). A national survey about the
importance of motivation on reading achievement showed that there is a strong
correlation between motivation and reading abilities (McKenna et al., 1995).
Although educators acknowledge the importance of reading motivation to become a
proficient reader, adolescents’ motivation to read has not been widely examined in
reading research for students with disabilities (Strommen and Mates, 2004). The
purpose of this study was to investigate whether motivation to read, as assessed by the
Adolescent Motivation to Read Survey (AMRS), changed significantly for struggling
adolescent readers with and without disabilities after eighteen weeks of reading
Melekoğlu & Wilkerson 79
International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
instruction in upper elementary and high schools. One sample t-tests were conducted to
investigate whether students’ motivation scores significantly improved from pretest to
posttest. In addition, students’ answers to questions in the AMRS are broadly
examined. After the discussion of the results, practical methods to increase reading
motivation of struggling adolescents are highlighted.
METHOD
Participants
Struggling readers with and without disabilities between grades four and twelve who
are exposed to a structured, research-based reading program for students with reading
difficulties at local elementary and high schools were the target of this study.
“Struggling readers” was defined as students who obtained scores at a “basic” level
(i.e., reading scores less than current grade level) or “below basic” level (i.e., reading
scores significantly less than current grade level) on their most recent standardized
reading test, the Scholastic Reading Inventory. A total of 45 students from two
elementary schools and one high school in two rural cities in a Midwest state in the
USA participated in this study. Participating students consisted of 10 students from
fourth grade, 14 students from fifth grade, and 12 students from sixth grade in the two
elementary schools, and 3 students from tenth grade, 5 students from eleventh grade,
and 1 student from twelfth grade in the high school.
Table 1: Overall participating student characteristics
% n
Gender
Female 62.2 28
Male 37.8 17
Ethnicity
Caucasian 84.4 38
Hispanic 2.2 1
African American 2.2 1
Asian/ Asian American 4.4 2
Multi-racial/Multi-ethnic 6.7 3
Grade Level
Fourth Grade 22.2 10
Fifth Grade 31.1 14
Sixth Grade 26.7 12
Tenth Grade 6.7 3
Eleventh Grade 11.1 5
Twelfth Grade 2.2 1
Disability Status
Identified with a disability 42.2 19
Non-disabled 57.8 26
Of participating students, 62.2% were female (n = 28) and 37.8% were male (n= 17).
The majority (84.4%) of participating students were Caucasian (n= 38) while 4.4%
were Asian/Asian American (n= 2), 2.2% were Hispanic (n= 1), 2.2% were African
American (n = 1), and 6.7% were from multi-racial/multi-ethnic background (n= 3). In
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International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
terms of disability status, 42.2% of participating adolescents (n= 19) were identified
with a disability (i.e., learning disability, emotional and behavioral disorder, speech and
language disorder, or other health impairment) by their school district while 57.8%
were students without disabilities (n= 26).
Reading Instruction
The reading program that students were exposed to during the study period combines
various evidence-based teaching methods including whole-group, small-group, and
technology-integrated instruction. Each day, instruction starts with a 20 minute whole-
group instruction session with the teacher. During this instruction period, teachers use
various activities (e.g., vocabulary instruction, modeling of reading strategies, and read
alouds) to improve specific reading skills. After the whole-group instruction, teachers
divide students into three groups for the small-group rotations. For rotations, students
have three instruction options: small-group instruction with the teacher, instructional
software, and modeled and independent reading. Each rotation takes 20 minutes, and
each group of students rotate among these activities. During the small-group instruction
with the teacher, students are engaged in guided reading activities to practice specific
reading strategies and improve their reading skills. At the instructional software
rotation, students work independently on a computer to practice reading skills. During
the modeled and independent reading rotation, students select a book from the
paperbacks or audiobooks of the reading program to read silently and provide written
responses to questions related to what they have read. After completing all rotations,
students get back together as a whole group for a 10 minute wrap-up. The teacher
quickly goes through the key points of the instruction, lets students share their
reflections, and closes the instruction session.
For the purpose of this study, the instruction was delivered in specific classrooms
allocated for the implementation of the reading program by school administration. The
program was carried out at different time periods in the week determined according to
daily schedules of schools. The reading classes consist of students from different grade
levels and all students in the reading classes received the instruction five days a week in
blocks of 90 or 100 minutes depending on the school district.
Adolescent Motivation to Read Survey (AMRS)
Motivation to read of participating adolescents was assessed with the AMRS. The
motivation survey consists of 20 questions which students respond to using a four-point
scale, and mainly assesses self-concept as a reader and the value placed on reading
(Pitcher et al., 2007). The motivation surveys were administered by the first author to
whole classes before and after the 18-week instruction period according to the survey
administration directions. The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Students’ motivation scores were calculated according to the survey scoring directions.
The previous version of the motivation survey, Motivation to Read Survey for
Elementary Grade Students, was evaluated for internal consistency and pre and posttest
reliability with 330 third and fifth grade students in 27 classrooms in 4 schools
(Gambrell et al., 1996). Internal consistency calculations yielded moderately high
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International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
reliability for both subscales (self-concept= .75; value= .82). Pre and posttest reliability
coefficients of the survey also indicated moderately high reliability for both subscales
(self-concept= .68; value= .70).
The entire session of each administration of the AMRS was recorded by using a digital
voice recorder, and all recordings were checked for the fidelity of administration by
using a checklist, which was created based on the teacher directions. Results of the
fidelity checks yielded 99.8% fidelity in administering the AMRS (range, 98.4% to
100%) in pretest and 99.7% fidelity (range, 98.4% to 100%) in posttest. Additionally,
motivation scores were recalculated for 20% of students to obtain reliability for
calculation of the motivation scores, and the results indicated that students’ motivation
scores were calculated with 100% reliability.
RESULTS
Changes in Motivation Scores
The difference between motivation scores from pretest to posttest indicated changes in
motivation to read for participating students. The results of the AMRS revealed three
motivation scores: Self-Concept, Value of Reading, and Full Survey scores. One
sample t-tests were conducted for each score to examine the significance of changes in
those motivation scores (see Table 2). The results showed that Self-Concept scores of
adolescents with disabilities decreased an average of 0.47 point (SD= 11.67; range, -27
to 25) but the change was not statistically significant (t[18]= -0.18, p= .862).
Additionally, Value of Reading scores for students with disabilities declined an average
of 4.16 point (SD= 10.47; range, -25 to 10), though this change was also not significant
(t[18]= -1.73, p= .101). Likewise, the Full Survey scores of adolescents with disabilities
decreased an average of 2.26 point (SD= 8.95; range, -26 to 14) and this decline was
not significant (t[18]= -1.10, p = .285). On the other hand, Self-Concept scores of
adolescents without disabilities improved an average of 4.35 points (SD= 8.66; range, -
13 to 22) and this increase in Self-Concept was statistically significant (t[25]= 2.56, p=
.017). The Value of Reading scores of students without disabilities also increased an
average of 0.85 point (SD= 9.47; range, -15 to 23) but this change was not significant
(t[25]= 0.46, p= .653). Similarly, the Full Survey scores of adolescents without
disabilities increased an average of 2.77 points (SD= 7.47; range, -13 to 16), though this
improvement was also not significant (t[25]= 1.89, p= .070).
Table 2: Results of one sample t-tests for changes in motivation to read
Students with Disabilities Students without Disabilities
M SD t M SD t
Self-Concept -0.47 11.67 -0.18 4.35 8.66 2.56*
Value of Reading -4.16 10.47 -1.73 0.85 9.47 0.46
Full Survey -2.26 8.95 -1.10 2.77 7.47 1.89
*p < .05
The results of t-tests yielded that only the Self-Concept scores of students without
disabilities significantly increased over the study period. Although the Value of
Reading and Full Survey of adolescents without disabilities improved from pretest to
82 Motivation to Read: How Does It Change for Struggling …
International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
posttest, those changes were not statistically significant. For adolescents with
disabilities, all motivation scores decreased from pretest to posttest but those changes
were not significant. To further investigate changes in adolescents’ motivation to read,
changes in students’ answers from pretest to posttest for each question in the AMRS for
adolescents with disabilities as well as students without disabilities were analyzed. This
analysis provides a better understanding of students’ thoughts about their Self-Concept
and Value of Reading.
Analysis of Questions in the AMRS
Although the overall findings of the AMRS showed that the reading motivation of
students with disabilities decreased while adolescents without disabilities exhibited
improved motivation, an individual analysis of each question in the survey shows a
better picture of changes in students’ perception about reading. The AMRS consists of
20 questions with half of those questions focused on students’ Self-Concept as a reader
and the other half investigating students’ thoughts about the Value of Reading. Table 3
demonstrates the changes in percentage of answers from pre to posttest for Self-
Concept questions, and Table 4 shows those changes for Value of Reading questions.
As delineated in Table 3, students’ answers to Self-Concept questions indicated that
even though all of the participating students were reading below their current grade
level, according to their reading achievement scores, only one student without a
disability indicated that his or her friends think that he or she is “a poor reader” at the
pretest and no one chose that response at the posttest. Most of the adolescents with
disabilities claimed that they read “about the same as” their friends and do not
experience significant problems with comprehending what they read at the posttest.
Another noteworthy change in students’ responses was that while most of the
adolescents without disabilities
Table 3: Students’ answers to self-concept as a reader questions in the AMRS
Students without Disabilities
Questions Choices Pretest % (n) Posttest % (n)Pretest % (n) Posttest % (n)
a very good 31.6 (6) 21.1 (4) 30.8 (8) 34.6 (9)
a good 15.8 (3) 42.1 (8) 34.6 (9) 42.3(11)
an OK 52.6(10) 36.8 (7) 30.8 (8) 23.1 (6)
My friends think I
am….. reader
a poor 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 3.8 (1) 0.0 (0)
not as well as 42.1 (8) 26.3 (5) 23.1 (6) 11.5 (3)
about the same as 36.8 (7) 47.4 (9) 53.9(14) 50.0(13)
a little better than 15.8 (3) 15.8 (3) 11.5 (3) 34.6 (9)
I read…..my friends
a lot better than 5.3 (1) 10.5 (2) 11.5 (3) 3.8 (1)
almost always 36.8 (7) 26.3 (5) 30.8 (8) 50.0(13)
sometimes 57.9(11) 52.6(10) 69.2(18) 50.0(13)
almost never 5.3 (1) 21.1 (4) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0)
When I come to a word
I don’t know, I can…..
figure it out
never 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0)
almost everything 47.4 (9) 36.8 (7) 57.8(15) 65.4(17)
some of what 42.1 (8) 57.9(11) 34.6 (9) 30.8 (8)
almost none of what 10.5 (2) 0.0 (0) 3.8 (1) 3.8 (1)
When I am reading by
myself, I
understand…..I read none of what 0.0 (0) 5.3 (1) 3.8 (1) 0.0 (0)
Melekoğlu & Wilkerson 83
International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
I am…..reader a poor 0.0 (0) 15.8 (3) 3.8 (1) 0.0 (0)
an OK 63.2(12) 31.6 (6) 26.9 (7) 26.9 (7)
a good 31.6 (6) 42.1 (8) 46.2(12) 46.2(12)
a very good 5.3 (1) 10.5 (2) 23.1 (6) 26.9 (7)
every day 5.3 (1) 15.8 (3) 3.8 (1) 0.0 (0)
almost every day 26.3 (5) 5.3 (1) 11.5 (3) 3.8 (1)
once in a while 36.8 (7) 42.1 (8) 38.5(10) 46.2(12)
I worry about what
other kids think about
my reading ….. never 31.6 (6) 36.8 (7) 46.2(12) 50.0(13)
can never think 0.0 (0) 10.5 (2) 3.8 (1) 0.0 (0)
have trouble thinking 15.8 (3) 5.3 (1) 15.4 (4) 7.6 (2)
sometimes think 57.9(11) 63.2(12) 38.5(10) 46.2(12)
When my teacher asks
me a question about
what I have read,
I.….of an answer always think 26.3 (5) 21.1 (4) 42.3(11) 46.2(12)
very easy 5.3 (1) 10.5 (2) 46.2(12) 50.0(13)
kind of easy 57.9(11) 52.6(10) 30.8 (8) 42.3(11)
kind of hard 36.8 (7) 36.8 (7) 19.2 (5) 7.7 (2)
Reading is…..for me
very hard 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 3.8 (1) 0.0 (0)
almost never 21.1(4) 15.8 (3) 7.7 (2) 3.8 (1)
sometimes 47.4(9) 63.2(12) 46.2(12) 38.5(10)
almost always 21.1(4) 21.1 (4) 26.9 (7) 30.8 (8)
When I am in a group
talking about what we
are reading, I….. talk
about my ideas always 10.5(2) 0.0 (0) 19.2 (5) 26.9 (7)
a poor 21.1(4) 15.8 (3) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0)
an OK 47.4(9) 52.6(10) 46.2(12) 38.5(10)
a good 15.8(3) 21.1 (4) 30.8 (8) 34.6 (9)
When I read out loud I
am….. reader
a very good 15.8(3) 10.5 (2) 23.1 (6) 26.9 (7)
Note. AMRS = Adolescent Motivation to Read Survey.
(69.2%) indicated that they can “sometimes” figure out an unknown word while
reading in the pretest, half of the adolescents without disabilities claimed that they can
“almost always” figure out an unknown word while reading at the time of the posttest.
Students’ answers also showed that perceptions of adolescents with disabilities about
their reading ability changed over the study period with 15.8% of them indicating that
they are poor readers at the posttest, whereas none had claimed that they were poor
readers in the pretest. Additionally, perceptions about the difficulty of reading in
general improved from pretest to posttest for adolescents in both groups.
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International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
Table 4: Students’ answers to value of reading questions in the AMRS
Students without Disabilities
Questions
Choices Pretest
% (n) Posttest
% (n) Pretest
% (n) Posttest
% (n)
never 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 3.8 (1) 3.8 (1)
not very often 26.3 (5) 15.4 (2) 15.4 (4) 7.7 (2)
sometimes 57.9(11) 69.2 (9) 53.8(14) 76.9(20)
Reading a book is
something I like to do
often 15.8 (3) 15.4 (2) 26.9 (7) 11.5 (3)
really fun 5.3 (1) 15.4 (2) 7.7 (2) 3.8 (1)
fun 15.8 (3) 7.7 (1) 26.9 (7) 30.8 (8)
OK to do 52.6(10) 53.8 (7) 46.2(12) 46.2(12)
My best friends think
reading is …..
no fun at all 26.3 (5) 23.1 (3) 19.2 (5) 19.2 (5)
never do this 31.6 (6) 23.1 (3) 23.1 (6) 11.5 (3)
almost never do this 5.3 (1) 15.4 (2) 23.1 (6) 23.1 (6)
do this some of the time 57.9(11) 53.8 (7) 42.3(11) 46.2(12)
I tell my friends about
good books I read. I…..
do this a lot 5.3 (1) 7.7 (1) 11.5 (3) 19.2 (5)
very interesting 15.8 (3) 23.1 (3) 11.5 (3) 11.5 (3)
interesting 47.4 (9) 30.7 (4) 57.7(15) 69.2(18)
not very interesting 21.1 (4) 38.5 (5) 19.2 (5) 7.7 (2)
People who read a lot
are.…..
boring 15.8 (3) 7.7 (1) 11.5 (3) 11.5 (3)
a great 26.3 (5) 15.4 (2) 26.9 (7) 34.6 (9)
an interesting 21.1 (4) 15.4 (2) 19.2 (5) 7.7 (2)
an OK 31.6 (6) 53.8 (7) 46.2(12) 46.2(12)
I think libraries
are…..place to spend
time a boring 21.1 (4) 15.4 (2) 7.7 (2) 11.5 (3)
not very important 0.0 (0) 7.7 (1) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0)
sort of important 5.3 (1) 15.4 (2) 3.8 (1) 3.8 (1)
important 42.1 (8) 23.1 (3) 34.6 (9) 34.6 (9)
Knowing how to read
well is…..
very important 52.6(10) 53.8 (7) 61.5(16) 61.5(16)
a boring 5.3 (1) 15.4 (2) 11.5 (3) 15.4 (4)
an OK 63.2(12) 53.8 (7) 57.7(15) 50.0(13)
an interesting 15.8 (3) 15.4 (2) 15.4 (4) 19.2 (5)
I think reading is …..
way to spend time
a great 15.8 (3) 15.4 (2) 15.4 (4) 15.4 (4)
none of my time 10.5 (2) 7.7 (1) 7.7 (2) 3.8 (1)
very little time 26.3 (5) 15.4 (2) 11.5 (3) 26.9 (7)
some of my time 52.6(10) 61.5 (8) 69.2(18) 50.0(13)
As an adult, I will
spend….. reading
a lot of my time 10.5 (2) 15.4 (2) 11.5 (3) 19.2 (5)
every day 21.1(4) 23.1 (3) 19.2 (5) 26.9 (7)
almost every day 31.6(6) 23.1 (3) 11.5 (3) 15.4 (4)
once in a while 47.4(9) 46.1 (6) 57.7(15) 38.5(10)
I would like for my
teachers to read out
loud in my classes….. never 0.0 (0) 7.7 (1) 11.5 (3) 19.2 (5)
very happy 47.4(9) 23.1 (3) 26.9 (7) 30.8 (8)
sort of happy 31.6(6) 53.8 (7) 53.8(14) 38.5(10)
sort of unhappy 5.3 (1) 7.7 (1) 15.4 (4) 26.9 (7)
When someone gives
me a book for a present,
I feel….. unhappy 15.8(3) 15.4 (2) 3.8 (1) 3.8 (1)
Note. AMRS = Adolescent Motivation to Read Survey.
As can be seen in Table 4, most of the students reported that they sometimes or often
like reading a book despite the fact that they are struggling readers. While the responses
of adolescents with disabilities did not significantly change from pre to posttest for the
question on whether they like reading a book, the percentage of adolescents without
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International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
disabilities who reported that they sometimes like to read a book increased from 53.8%
at the pretest to 76.9% at the posttest. However, some of those adolescents believe that
their friends think reading is not a fun activity and reading is a boring way to spend
time. Interestingly, most of the adolescents with disabilities and students without
disabilities report that knowing how to read well is very important. Although some
adolescents with disabilities and students without disabilities claim that they won’t
spend any time reading when they are adults, many adolescents indicate that they will
devote some of their time for reading.
DISCUSSION
Findings of this study indicated that there was no significant change in motivation to
read of students with disabilities from pretest to posttest; their all motivation scores
declined. These results support others’ findings that since students with disabilities
struggle with serious problems with reading comprehension (Denton and Vaughn,
2008; Newman, 2006), they manifest extremely low reading motivation (Pitcher et al.,
2007; Strommen and Mates, 2004). The reason behind the negative changes in
motivation to read of participating adolescents with disabilities might have been their
continuous struggle with reading and below grade level reading performance. As
adolescents with disabilities improve their reading skills and start to perform at or
above grade level, their reading motivation may also develop at the same time.
Furthermore, all motivation scores of adolescents without disabilities increased from
pretest to posttest but only the change in Self-Concept scores was statistically
significant. These findings support that, perhaps due to serious difficulties in reading,
adolescents with disabilities showed lower motivation to read compared to their peers
without disabilities (NJCLD, 2008). Additionally, since there was an escalating trend
for Value of Reading and Full Survey scores of adolescents without disabilities over the
study period, a longer exposure to reading instruction may have yielded greater changes
in those motivation scores as well.
Findings of the motivation survey yielded that Value of Reading scores of all
participating adolescents improved the least compared to other motivation scores. In
fact, students’ responses to Value of Reading questions on the AMRS were fairly
positive at pre and posttest. As adolescents developed their reading skills, they started
to think positively about their reading abilities and thus, may have improved their Self-
Concept as a reader. However, having better reading skills did not significantly change
students’ thoughts about the importance of reading as reported in the survey responses.
The lack of gains in Value of Reading explains the lack of significant findings related
to overall improvement in motivation to read as measured by the Full Survey scores for
both adolescents with and without disabilities. One implication of this finding for
practice is that reading teachers should consider focusing on the importance of reading
for students’ lives in addition to improving their reading skills. If adolescents appreciate
the value of reading, they might develop higher motivation to read and thus make even
more improvements in reading.
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International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
Practical Tips to Improve Adolescents’ Motivation to Read
To increase adolescents’ willingness to read, basic reading skills of struggling
adolescent readers should be enhanced as a first step (Morgan and Fuchs, 2007; Pitcher
et al., 2007; Strommen and Mates, 2004). Technology-based reading instruction can
improve students’ motivation to read because user-friendly computer programs make
teaching easier for educators and instruction more enjoyable for students. As a result,
technology can become a motivating factor for struggling adolescent readers who
receive instruction for improving their reading skills (Hall et al., 2000).
Self-directed learning is a crucially important instructional technique that requires
motivation and needs to be taught explicitly to struggling adolescent readers.
Competent readers do not succeed in other content areas without engagement and
motivation (Biancarosa and Snow, 2006). In order to improve adolescents’ motivation
to read, teachers should offer a variety of reading materials, and dedicate independent
reading time to their daily instruction (Biancarosa and Snow, 2006). Providing reading
choices does not mean that adolescents should be left entirely on their own because
continuous teacher support is critical to successful completion of reading assignments
and for improving motivation. Additionally, motivation of adolescents with reading
difficulties can be enhanced by teaching students how to analyze the relevancy between
their reading materials and their experiences in life (Biancarosa and Snow, 2006).
Providing constructive feedback regarding adolescents’ individual reading gains is also
crucial to improve motivation to read (Marzano, 2003). If a teacher creates a
competitive environment in the classroom, only a small number of students will be
considered successful and many students won’t exhibit motivation to excel in reading
classes. However, if the teacher regards the reading gains of each student individually
and does not compare them to each other, everyone can enjoy success and can become
motivated readers (Marzano, 2003). Additionally, teachers can direct students to work
in pairs and have them provide suggestions to each other about their reading work since
students usually benefit from their peers’ feedback regarding their reading own
performance (Guthrie and Humenick, 2004). Furthermore, naturally engaging reading
activities and tasks increase reading motivation of youth in school (Marzano, 2003).
When providing a reading task or activity, teachers should consider whether students
are capable of tackling the task without too many struggles, and provide tasks that are
exciting and intriguing.
Having adolescents choose a reading task among various options can also improve
adolescents’ curiosity to read, and hence, their willingness to spend more time reading
(Guthrie and Humenick, 2004). To keep adolescents motivated in reading classes,
teachers can have students develop and work on long term projects of their own.
Encouraging students to construct a project that is interesting and exciting to them
significantly improves their engagement in the project, and consequently, student
motivation to complete the project will increase in the classroom (Guthrie and
Humenick, 2004; Marzano, 2003). Additionally, when teachers explain how students’
approach to reading tasks influences their motivation and the importance of motivation
Melekoğlu & Wilkerson 87
International Journal of Instruction, January 2013 ● Vol.6, No.1
for success in school, students can better understand the dynamics of motivation and
hopefully change their disposition accordingly (Marzano, 2003).
In short, teachers should blend and utilize various methods to increase the reading
motivation of adolescents in their classrooms. Focusing on the motivation of struggling
adolescent readers is critical because, while students who are motivated to read readily
and autonomously enhance their reading performance and comprehension skills,
unmotivated adolescents are usually reluctant to improve their reading and do not
acquire the necessary skills to become a proficient readers. For these reasons,
motivation is considered an important factor in ensuring gains in reading and attention
to motivation should be an indispensable component of daily reading instruction.
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