Motivation to Read: What Matters Most?

1. Motivation to Read: What Matters Most? Barbara A. Marinak (bam234@psu.edu) Penn State Harrisburg Linda B. Gambrell (LGAMB@clemson.edu) Clemson University

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3. Motivation: What Matters Most?

4. Why does motivation matter? “Motivation makes the difference between learning that is superficial and shallow and learning that is deep and internalized.” Gambrell, 1996 (p.15)

5. Insights from research on motivation to read… • 1. While motivation to read holds steady for pre-school through 1st grade, by 2nd grade both self-concept and value of reading begin to decline (Marinak & Gambrell, 2009; Mazzoni, Gambrell, Korkeamaki, 2000; McKenna, Kear, & Ellsworth, 1995).

6. Insights from research on motivation to read… • 1. While motivation to read holds steady for pre-school through 1st grade, by 2nd grade both self-concept and value of reading begin to decline (Marinak & Gambrell, 2009; Mazzoni, Gambrell, Korkeamaki, 2000; McKenna, Kear, & Ellsworth, 1995). • 2. Appreciation of the value of reading declines rapidly beginning in 2nd grade, while self-concept holds stable (Marinak & Gambrell, 2009).

7. Insights from research on motivation to read… • 1. While motivation to read holds steady for pre-school through 1st grade, by 2nd grade both self-concept and value of reading begin to decline (Marinak & Gambrell, 2009; Mazzoni, Gambrell, Korkeamaki, 2000; McKenna, Kear, & Ellsworth, 1995). • 2. Appreciation of the value of reading declines rapidly beginning in 2nd grade, while self-concept holds stable (Marinak & Gambrell, 2009). • 3. Boys and girls do not differ with respect to self-concept, however boys value reading significantly less than girls (Marinak & Gambrell, 2009; 2010).

8. Value of Reading: Salient MRP Items 2. Reading a books is something I like to do. 10. I think libraries are ______________. 14. I think reading is _______________. 20. When someone gives me a book for a present I feel________________.

9. Key Informant Responses MRP Conversational Interview Grades 3 and 5

10. Do you like to read things other than books? • Grade 3 - 16 yes • Grade 5 - 16 yes Mentioned: Magazines, Newspapers Not Mentioned: Computer, Gaming, Texting, nothing electronic

11. Do you like for your teacher to read out loud? Why or why not?Grade 3 • 6/8 boys-no • 4/8 girls-no NO - want to read alone want to follow along doesn’t read with I like never asks us what we want to hear YES - reads cool stuff like the books he/she reads

12. Do you like for your teacher to read out loud? Why or why not? Grade 5 • 8/8 boys - no • 8/8 girls - yes NO - want to read alone want to follow along doesn’t read what I like (girls) does not ask us what we might want to hear YES - reads cool stuff like the books he/she reads

13. Do you talk to your friends about books?Grade 3 • 8/8 boys -no, • 8/8 girls – yes NO - we talk about other stuff we talk about sports YES - all the time we read the same books and talk at recess my friends like to know what I am reading

14. Do you talk to your friends about books? Grade 5 • 4/8 boys = no • 8/8 girls = yes NO - no, just don’t YES - I like to talk with my friends about books we read the same books and talk sometimes we talk about newspapers or magazines (boys)

15. Do you like to spend time reading? Grade 3 • 4/8 boys - no • 8/8 girls - yes NO - no YES - helps me get better (boys) it’s fun I get lost in the books it’s a time to be quiet

16. Do you like to spend time reading? Grade 5 • 6/8 boys - no • 8/8 girls - yes NO - no YES - helps me get better (boy) I like real books (boy) I get good at it it’s fun I like stories

17. What do you think you have to learn to be a better reader?Grades 3 and 5 • Keep reading • Spend more time reading • Read more than I do now • Read, read, read • Read all kinds of stuff Not mentioned: instruction/school tasks

18. These studies provides further evidence that a major factor in gender differences in motivation to read is “value” rather than “self-concept”. • These studies also lend support to the notion held by a number of researchers that elementary reading motivation may be situational and influenced by grade level expectations and teacher actions (Guthrie et al., 2007).

19. Implications for the classroom • Authentic literacy tasks • Collaboration • Choice • Challenge

20. What are authentic and collaborative literacy experiences? Authentic reading, writing and discussion experiences are like those that are encountered in the day-to-day lives of people, as opposed to school-like activities such as completing worksheets or answering teacher-posed questions.

21. “Getting to Know You”: The written conversation begins with students and their pen pals exchanging friendly letters.

22. Literacy Motivation Survey (LMS) (22 items) Pre-Intervention Post-Intervention Mean/SD Mean/SD 51.1 (29.8) 57.0 (23.5)* P = .01 Gambrell et al., under review

23. Student comments about Adult Pen Pals: “Well, I get most excited when our new books come, and when our new pen pal letters come, because I really love to hear what my pen pal has to say…and I really love to read the books and see if I have the same thoughts as my pen pal.”

24. 2008-2009 Teacher: “This is real-life literacy the way my students will use it in their daily lives. The purpose is authentic, not contrived for classroom instruction. My students are writing for real people they care about and who personally respond to them. Therefore, they have a reason to read more carefully, think more deeply, and write more thoughtfully.” 2008-2009 teacher

25. What literacy experiences offer choice and challenge? • Balanced Collections • Classroom and School Library • Book Clubs • Teacher Read Alouds • Texts for Self-Selected Reading • Texts for Instruction • Experts Teaching

27. Good Books, Good Times Good books. Good times. Good stories. Good rhymes. Good beginnings. Good ends. Good people. Good friends.

28. Good fiction Good facts. Good adventures. Good acts. Good stories. Good rhymes. Good books. Good times. Lee Bennett Hopkins

29. References Gambrell, L. (1996). Creating classrooms cultures that foster reading motivation. The Reading Teacher, 50, 4-25. Gambrell, L., Palmer, B., Codling, R., & Mazzoni. S. (1996). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading Teacher, 49(7), 518-533. Gambrell, L., Hughes, E., Calvert, W., Malloy, J., & Igo, B. (under review). The role of authentic tasks in elementary students’ literacy motivation and critical thinking. Guthrie, J., Hoa, A., Wigfield, A., Tonks, S., Humenich, N., & Littles, E. (2006). Reading motivation and reading comprehension growth in the later elementary years. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32, 282-313. Mazzoni, S., Gambrell, L.B., & Korkeamaki, R.L. (2000). A cross-cultural perspective on early literacy motivation. Reading Psychology, 20, 237-253.

30. Marinak, B. & Gambrell, L. (2009). Developmental differences in elementary reading motivation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Charlotte, North Carolina, November 6, 2009. Marinak, B. & Gambrell, L. (2010). Reading motivation: Exploring the elementary gender gap. Literacy Research and Instruction. McKenna, M., Kear, D., & Ellsworth, R. (1995). Children’s attitudes toward reading: A national survey. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4), 934-956. Malloy, J., Marinak, B. & Gambrell, L. (2010). Essential readings on motivation. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.