Research shows that intrinsic motivation is essential if students are to learn to read well. That is, the motivation to read must come from within. Bribing children with extrinsic motivators stickers, candy, or pizza simply does not help them learn to read. In fact, extrinsic motivators or bribes can actually discourage children from reading. Intrinsic motivators that work include hands-on learning techniques. For example, children could make a project based on a book—a puppet, a pop-up book, or a costume based on a book character. Hands-on learning also improves comprehension. Similarly, creative art therapy ties simple craft projects to reading skills and turns them into intrinsic motivators.
To learn to read, children must start with phonemic awareness, that is, knowledge of letter sounds. If the child does not understand how to break words down into letter sounds and then put those sounds back into a pronounceable word, not even the most creative project will teach a child to read. Explore phonemic awareness and letter sounds first. Then, introduce simple vowel clustered stories. We must teach children to read one step at a time.
Chapter 4 of my book, After-School Prevention Programs for At-Risk Students, gives more information about intrinsic motivation.
To learn to read, children must start with phonemic awareness, that is, knowledge of letter sounds. If the child does not understand how to break words down into letter sounds and then put those sounds back into a pronounceable word, not even the most creative project will teach a child to read. Explore phonemic awareness and letter sounds first. Then, introduce simple vowel clustered stories. We must teach children to read one step at a time.
Chapter 4 of my book, After-School Prevention Programs for At-Risk Students, gives more information about intrinsic motivation.
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