Research Study Update #1
Plan basics: Determine impact of sustained silent reading
and external rewards on reading motivation
My research study has been put into action. All consent and assent forms were given out
and returned, so the sustained silent reading period was implemented in all
secondary homeroom classrooms on Tuesday mornings. The high school began a week later due to
semester exams.
Successes:
- All targeted students and their parents agreed to participate in the study.
- Other secondary homeroom teachers were receptive to the idea and agreed to implement SSR into their classrooms even though the targeted students were only in four of the seven secondary grades. This has created a more positive reading culture in the school.
- Day 1 of the SSR period in my homeroom class went smoothly with all students reading quietly for the duration of the block.
- Survey #1 was handed out and fully completed by participating students. An initial look at the results matches my presumptions.
Difficulties:
- Including reading goals as part of the program has not been successful. If these are filled out during SSR period then the reading time decreases. If they are given to students on a different day, students are distracted by other tasks that need to be done.
- Students are not all coming prepared to the SSR block with reading material. While they can read texts from in the classroom or material on their phones, I want the students to use this time to read something they WANT to read as opposed to “guess I have to read a random magazine the teacher has”
- One participating student will be leaving the school before the end of the study; this will drop the total number of participants.
Potential problems:
- The majority of students take an approximately 90 minute bus ride to the school. These buses are often late, which would cut into the SSR time.
- Only being able to be in one place at a time, I am unable to monitor if the SSR period is actually being implemented as requested in the other classrooms. This includes appropriate modeling by the homeroom teacher.
- Sam
I absolutely love this idea of sustained silent reading! I try very hard in my 9-12 ELA classroom to allow this time for students' independent reading. However, when I only have each class for one hour a day for four days a week, it is very difficult to find the time to do this. But to me, it is worth it to take the time whenever I can because one of the things I want my students to learn is the love of reading. They are allowed to read virtually anything they want and I also have book reports due on the books they read, but I allow and push for complete flexibility and creativity with these so that it is still fun. So I'd be very interested to see how this program works for you. I also have experienced similar problems that you mention, like the students that forget to bring their reading material. How do you make the students accountable for reading like they are supposed to? And how do you help those that "hate" reading find something that they might actually like and convince them to give it a real chance?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Veronica. The students aren't accountable to read anything in particular, and they are allowed to read on their phone or computer, so even if they don't bring a book, they have options. After a few groans when I ask them to get their books or reading material out, they quiet down and remain so for the full 15 minutes. I scan the room occasionally while reading my book, but I haven't "caught" anybody not doing what they are supposed to. They may just be staring at a blank screen for all I know, but I haven't noticed any texting, typing, or chatting during this process, and that's a win. I also want them to be aware that reading is not just reading a novel - reading can be reading the news, or comic books, or message boards about your hobby. So many students say they hate reading, but they don't recognize that there's more to reading than just holding a book in their hands and writing essays on it.
DeleteSam, thanks for sharing your articles and your update on your action research. I am intrigued to find out more about the research you are implementing. It looks like you’ve laid some good theoretical groundwork with your literature review, and I like that you dug into what motivation really is. I think it can be easy to dismiss kids as “lazy” when they aren’t motivated to do the things we want them to do—but really, there can be so much else that goes into it! Also, congratulations on a successful kick-off! I’m impressed that all the teachers in your school got on board with the weekly SSR.
ReplyDeleteCould you shed a little insight into your action research for me? I am really curious about it!
- Who are your targeted students and how did you choose them?
- How long are your students reading for? Did you choose this length of time intentionally?
- Are you offering extrinsic rewards?
- Are you doing comprehension checks/conferences with them as they read, or is the fact that they are reading enough (given what you’ve seen in the literature)?
I also had 1 small piece of advice from my own efforts to have students read books of choice in my classroom. (If you’ve already tried these things or figured them out, I’m sorry to be offering my 2 cents unasked.) First: my students LOVE peer recommendations, so I’ve tried to utilize this by having an entire class period where we go to the library, hear a book talk from the librarian (who’s picked out her favorite, age-appropriate books for the class), and then the students circulate and talk to each other as they pick out what to read. I also host a Book Fair with my 6th graders so they can share recommendations with each other. While a whole Book Fair is surely WAY more than you want to take on right now, perhaps you can have some kind of peer-to-peer recommendation system? Second: if I have students that frequently forget their books, I ask them to keep a copy in the classroom. They might not be reading that book at home, but at least they have something they chose to return to when they are with me.
Hi Laura,
DeleteIn my mind the other teachers are on board because this SSR period is during homeroom when we often have nothing to talk about it. If I tried to have other teachers do this during actual class time, they would have laughed in my face.
To answer your questions:
1) I chose 7th, 8th, 11th, and 12th grades because I felt those grades had the lowest reading motivation. Out of those grades, I had to choose the specific students based on their parents' native languages. Out of those four grades, the families speak 13 different languages, and it was impossible to translate the forms into those. I could only get the forms in English and Korean, so that limited me to the twelve students in my study.
2) The reading is 15 minutes a day once a week. It's not much time, but all I could eke out.
3) The extrinsic rewards are secondary, and I wish I had not included them as part of my original idea. I was hoping to get agreements by admin for a casual dress day as a reward, but my principal didn't go for it (or more honestly - she ignored me when I requested it). I will do a pizza party or two, plus give out some of the school's reward tickets, and try to swing some free time for the 11th and 12th graders.
4. Due to the limited time available, I won't be doing any comprehension tasks. Asking them about what they have read is a part of my interview process. They also have reading goals and book logs, but even finding time for those to be filled out is nigh impossible. The SSR literature does highlight the need for some sort of non-graded reporting and sharing, but for this project, the component I am focusing on is just giving students time to read.
I have already decided to include SSR in my middle school English class next year, so I can implement some of the further features of successful SSR along the lines of what you recommend. I am glad to be doing the program this year, but the small time frame plus the need for interviewing, surveying, and logging is hindering from me making this as great as it can be. Overall though I feel it is successful thus far.
Sam,
ReplyDeleteLove your blog! I really enjoy the clarity in your presentation and how you succinctly summarize the literature that you have explored. Also, I love the idea of developing/implementing a sustained silent reading program in the classroom.
The first question that popped into my head as I explored your research was, "I wonder if I would get written up (or at least scolded) for trying such a thing in my classroom." I thought this because I teach a required-to-graduate course and collaboration is mandated. If an administrator walks in and students aren't working together, there will probably be issues.. Have you thought much about how your program may be implemented across different content- or how to win over administration that may not be on board?
I also wanted to recommend Culturally Responsive Teaching. I am sure you probably won't learn anything new, so to speak, but it is straight up your ally since you work with a diverse population and it may lend well to your academic literature review.
Cheers
Rob
Thanks for the comment Rob.
DeleteIf I was using SSR outside of the homeroom period, this would definitely not get green-lit by administration. Well, at least for the high school classes in which we have a set curriculum and little chance for wiggle room.
The middle school is far less regulated and rarely paid attention to by administration, so as long as we are teaching to standards, we have pretty much free reign. Therefore, I do plan on running a more traditional SSR in my 7th grade English classroom next year.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I'm always looking for ways to better respond to and interact with the variety of cultures represented in my school.