Courtney Miller: Individual Post and Team Yellow CLC Summary and Essay

Courtney Miller’s Individual Post: Why Children Read

Currently, I teach children in 7th and 8th grade, who are all within Stage 3 (reading for learning new or reading to learn). All of the students I work with are fluent readers, and some have overcome reading disabilities that have stifled them in the past. They are all learning from the material they are assigned in class as they read sections and chapters within their textbooks.

I researched and summarized a survey focused on why children read. In this survey, twenty elementary students, including 12 boys and 8 girls, were asked to report to an adultwho would ask them a series of questions related to reading. If children responded to readingnonassigned materials, and they understood the benefits of what reading had to offer them, they were assumed to be good readers. These children were immersed in an environment of written language and people who encouraged the strengthening of their reading skills. The poor readers, on the other hand, defined the purpose of reading to please others and only engaged in reading assigned materials in school. These children only read “to learn the words” and did not understand the values of reading various types of texts. I have discovered these findings to be accurate with many of my students throughout the past seven years. Children who spend time only reading assigned materials do not always understand the purposed of reading, but those who do read nonassigned materials usually enjoy reading and comprehend the benefits of reading. I also believe that one of the main reasons some children love reading is due to their positive reading environment at home. If reading is encouraged and valued in the home, many children become drawn to the colorful pictures, print within the book, and stories awaiting them.

Summary of Team Yellow’s Survey Findings

Team Yellow has discovered that most of our surveys are based upon students’ opinions toward reading, which generate positively or negatively due to their home reading environment. It is apparent that a majority of students surveyed base their opinions upon their parents’ attitudes toward reading. If parents are willing to develop a positive reading environment during Stage 0, the pre-reading stage, children will be more likely to be drawn to books and the contents within them. It is important for parents to take time to reading to their babies and children at a young age so they develop a love for reading. Also, a supportive teacher is another valuable ingredient for students’ reading success.

Team Yellow Table and Essay


Abstract
A recent study was conducted by four graduate students from Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Arizona). During this study, researchers analyzed and summarized various educational surveys related to students’ motivation to read, students’ eating habits, students’ reading attitudes, and the reasons behind why students read. It was found that there are numerous reasons why students like to or don’t like to read, much of which is dependent upon their home and school reading environment. The results of the eating habits’ surveys suggest family factors should be considered in the development of children possessing proper eating habits, especially focused on the need to have a nutritional breakfast at school or before school starts. Although there have been many surveys administered throughout the Unites States for years, our need to improve the education and the lives of young people continues to grow, making it a priority to continue surveying children in schools within our nation.






Reading Interest Surveys: CLC Group Project

Why do children read?
Elementary students
Twenty elementary students, including 12 boys and 8 girls, were asked to report to an adult who would ask them a series of questions related to reading. If children responded to reading nonassigned materials, and they understood the benefits of what reading had to offer them, they were assumed to be good readers. These children were immersed in an environment of written language and people who encouraged the strengthening of their reading skills. The poor readers, on the other hand, defined the purpose of reading to please others and only engaged in reading assigned materials in school. These children only read “to learn the words” and did not understand the values of reading various types of texts.

Family, Child, and Teacher Perceptions of African American Adult Assistance to Young Readers
Elementary students
A study was done focusing on the reading ability of African American children in third and fourth grades. Surveys were given to the students, their parents, and their teachers, with the goal of determining whether of not these three groups had a shared understanding of each of the following: the child's reading level, the family's reading practice at home (or lack thereof), and their general views on opportunities for or barriers to families' decisions to help their children with reading. The information collected showed patterns of agreement and disagreement. In some cases, there was much disagreement. Another problem could be a differing of expectations for a child's success. What a teacher thinks is important for a student to learn might be different from what his/her parent thinks is important. Some of the problem could be caused by cultural issues, but some stems from a lack of communication between parents and teachers. It's important for the teacher to communicate with parents to gain an understanding of where parents are coming from to lessen stress for both student and parent and increase success for all students within the class.

Eating Habits of Students
High school students
Three thousand one hundred and fifty-five students in suburban high schools in Atlanta, GA were examined to determine the demographic characteristics and selected family factors on the consumption of a healthy breakfast and lunch and the consumption of fruits and vegetables among said age group. The study found that students consuming healthy breakfasts and lunches with more fruits and vegetables were more likely to be white or Asian. The study further found that these students are better able to communicate with parents and/or guardians on serious issues. They are also closely monitored by their parents, living with one or both parents, spending less time at home without adults, perceiving themselves at about the right weight or underweight. These results suggest family factors should be considered in the development and implementation.

Eating Habits of Students
High school students
Eight hundred forty-six inner city high school students’ breakfast- eating habits were studied. While a free, hot-breakfast program was served in the school, fifty seven percent of the students reported skipping breakfast on the very day of the study. Further, more females than males skipped breakfast and the sophomores had the highest rate of skipping breakfast on the day of the survey. Sixty-four percent of breakfast-skippers cited a lack of time, and 28% stated they could not eat early in the morning. More breakfast eaters reported eating at home, 48%; only 14% reported eating at school, with 3% eating both at home and school. The results suggest that it is important to educate parents and students about the significance of eating breakfast as it provides an important part of a student’s daily intake of nutrients for needed energy, growth, and learning.

Motivation for reading a piece of literature Elementary students The targeted population in this survey consisted of one first grade and two fourth grade classrooms in the suburbs of a major metropolitan city. The problem of low student motivation had been documented through low performance on reading assessments, teacher observation, self-assessments, class participation, student work samples, and homework. The data revealed that the cause was reflective of several facets: (1) diversity of student needs contributed to greater challenges in sustaining student motivation; (2) ineffective supports and interventions for students having difficulty with reading; (3) an emphasis on passive learning rather than active learning; (4) low student self-esteem; and (5) students were unaware of their control of their learning, thinking behavior, and motivation. Solution strategies included altering reading curricula by teaching to the multiple intelligences, implementing student self-assessments, and incorporating student goal setting. The results were indicative of increased student motivation in reading and the development of student appreciation for reading that went beyond the classroom.

Reading Motivation Techniques Elementary students According to Burlew, Gordon & Holst (2000) the main aim of their survey was to address the general lack of interest in reading for enjoyment exhibited by children in the first, second and third grade classes. Data collected in this survey indicated that the lack of reading motivation was as a result of the students allocating very little time for reading during their free times. In addition to this, Burlew, Gordon & Holst (2000) states that motivated readers generate their own learning opportunities. However, in this survey, it was discovered that most of the students lacked the opportunities and motivations to practice skills and strategies to further improve their reading capabilities. This they claim is due to low self esteem by these students as well as lack of adequate moral support from the teachers and parents. Additionally, they discovered that motivation to reading is developed through “curiosity, involvement, social interchange and emotional satisfaction (Burlew, Gordon & Holst, 2000)”.Data collected from the student survey indicated that 52% of the students population liked reading for fun, 54% agreed that they were good at reading, 68.9% stated that they enjoyed books as presents and nearly 40% of the students preferred T.V, computers and playing than reading during their free time especially during the fall season.

Reading habits, preferences, attitudes, and motivational factors
Elementary, middle, and high school students
A survey was conducted within the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District to all grades within the district. According to the survey, 42% of the students attested that they had a great deal of interest in reading fictional and non fictional books, 38% had some interest, 12% a little interest, and 8% had no interest at all in such literature. In addition to this, 28% of the students preferred reading comics and graphic novels while 25% of the surveyed population showed no interest in the same. Also, it was noted that only 18% read newspapers while 38% had no interest in reading the newspapers. As regarding to reading motivations, 30% claimed that the authors of the books they chose to read were not important and only 10% viewed this as a cause to read a book. On the same note, 11% admitted to reading a book due to the cover design while 37% claimed that the cover had little importance as to why they read any book. Also, it was discovered that recommendations offered by friends motivated 40% of the students to read these books. Nineteen percent viewed such recommendations as very important, 29% claimed it was a little important, and 13% said that it was not at all important.



Reading Interest Surveys: CLC Group Project
One of the most important aspects in human lives is getting an education. A good education guarantees a brighter future and a chance to succeed through the various challenges that one may come across as one works to fulfill career goals and objectives. Considering this, various scholars and researchers have tried over the years to understand the motivational factors that influence students’ reading interests and their attitudes toward reading as well as their parents’ attitudes toward reading. As a result, reading interest surveys have been developed with the goal of helping teachers and parents understand the strengths and weaknesses of the students in regards to their reading behaviors and preferences. Teachers and parents will also become equipped with the necessary knowledge on how they can best assist students work through their challenges and capitalize on their strengths (Reif & Heimburge, 2007).
It is important to consider many factors when analyzing and discussing surveys regarding student motivation in reading. Students develop different reading habits for different reasons. The reasons why students read is a factor that must be considered, for example. Also, different students have different motivations for wanting or needing to read. A student’s eating habits also is a big factor in how well or how much a student will want to read. Finally, a student’s family’s attitude toward reading also plays a part in how s/he feels about wanting to read. All these factors are vital when looking at readers who are struggling as well as those who are having success.
The reasons why students read needs consideration first. If a student is struggling to learn to read, that student is not going to attempt to read on his/her own outside the walls of the school building. In fact, reading is the furthest thing from that child’s mind when s/he is not in school – until the necessity of the chore hits him/her smack in the face. That is when s/he feels like a failure and hates everything about his/her school experience. We, as teachers, need to change that experience for this child at the youngest age we can by giving him/her the strategies s/he needs to have success. Then s/he can become the successful student who enjoys reading, who does so seamlessly, and thinks about reading those street signs when s/he is riding in the car, or reading a book just because s/he feels like it, not because s/he has to for some sort of assignment for school. When this happens, then a success story has taken place.
Motivation for reading a piece of literature is another factor that is closely related to the reasons why students read in the first place. The problem of low student motivation has been documented using many evaluative procedures: performance on reading assessments, teacher observation, self-assessments, class participation, student work samples, and homework (Herbe, R. Thielenhouse, M. and Wykert, T., 2002). The results of this study yielded interesting results: 1) diversity of student needs contributed to greater challenges in sustaining student motivation; 2) ineffective supports and interventions for students having difficulty with reading; 3) an emphasis on passive learning rather than active learning; 4) low student self-esteem; 5) students were unaware of their control of their learning, thinking behavior, and motivation (Herbe, R., Thielenhouse, M. and Wykert, T., 2002).
Another factor in determining motivation for why students read is their attitudes when it comes to reading. A survey was done with elementary school students to find out what their attitudes toward reading were. According to Burlew, Gordon & Holst (2000) the main aim of their survey was to address the general lack of interest in reading for enjoyment exhibited by children in the first, second and third grade classes. Data collected in this survey indicated that the lack of reading motivation was as a result of the students allocating very little time for reading during their free times. In addition to this, Burlew, Gordon & Holst (2000) states that motivated readers generate their own learning opportunities. However, in this survey, it was discovered that most of the students lacked the opportunities and motivations to practice skills and strategies to further improve their reading capabilities. This they claim is due to low self esteem by these students as well as lack of adequate moral support from the teachers and parents. Additionally, they discovered that motivation to read is developed through “curiosity, involvement, social interchange and emotional satisfaction” (Burlew, Gordon & Holst, 2000).
Data collected from the student survey indicated that 52% of the students population liked reading for fun, 54% agreed that they were good at reading, 68.9% stated that they enjoyed books as presents and nearly 40% of the students preferred T.V, computers and playing than reading during their free time especially during the fall season (Burlew, Gordon, & Holst, 2000).
From this study, it is evident that most students have great interest in reading. However the lack of access to reading materials, motivation, priority, time organization and parental intervention may lead to low self esteem for the students as pertaining to reading ability or for enjoyment and as a result, cause them to dislike reading. As such, it is important that both the teachers and the parents work together to ensure that they understand the children’s reading needs and help them realize them.
Another factor important to consider are the eating habits of students. Two studies involving surveys were reviewed concerning high school students and their eating habits. Students’ eating habits play a part in their overall learning, and can have positive or negative effects on their reading ability, depending on how well or how poorly they choose to eat. In the first study, three thousand one hundred and fifty-five students in suburban high schools in Atlanta, GA were examined to determine the demographic characteristics and selected family factors on the consumption of a healthy breakfast and lunch and the consumption of fruits and vegetables among said age group. The study found that students consuming healthy breakfasts and lunches with more fruits and vegetables were more likely to be white or Asian. The study further found that these students are better able to communicate with parents and/or guardians on serious issues. They are also closely monitored by their parents, living with one or both parents, spending less time at home without adults, perceiving themselves at about the right weight or underweight. These results suggest family factors should be considered in the development and implementation (Young, 2009). In the other study, eight hundred forty-six inner city high school students’ breakfast- eating habits were surveyed. While a free, hot-breakfast program was served in the school, fifty seven percent of the students reported skipping breakfast on the very day of the study. Further, more females than males skipped breakfast and the sophomores had the highest rate of skipping breakfast on the day of the survey. Sixty-four percent of breakfast-skippers cited a lack of time, and 28% stated they could not eat early in the morning. More breakfast eaters reported eating at home, 48%; only 14% reported eating at school, with 3% eating both at home and school. The results suggest that it is important to educate parents and students about the significance of eating breakfast as it provides an important part of a student’s daily intake of nutrients for needed energy, growth, and learning (Sweeney, N.M., and Horishita, N. 2005).
Family attitudes toward reading are a final important aspect to consider for several reasons. A study was done focusing on the reading ability of African American children in third and fourth grades. Surveys were given to the students, their parents, and their teachers, with the goal of determining whether of not these three groups had a shared understanding of each of the following: the child's reading level, the family's reading practice at home, and their general views on opportunities for or barriers to families' decisions to help their children with reading. The information collected showed patterns of agreement and disagreement. In some cases, there was much disagreement. Another problem discussed could likely be a differing of expectations for a child's success. What a teacher thinks is important for a student to learn might be different from what his/her parent thinks is important. Some of the problem could be caused by cultural issues, but some stems from a lack of communication between parents and teachers (Msengi, 2007). It is important for the teacher to communicate with parents to gain an understanding of where parents are coming from to lessen stress for both student and parent and increase reading success for all students within the class. When both parents and teachers are willing to communicate openly about the education and well-being of the student, then the student is more likely to attain success.
So many factors contribute to the habits students have surrounding reading. Students are motivated or not motivated to read for many reasons. If teachers and parents work together, especially when students are young, reading is a skill that should come easy for most students. When reading is easy for children it is enjoyable and students tend to do more of it, like anything they enjoy doing. However, teachers must have open communication with parents, who in turn need to follow-up at home, especially when children are still young; and students need to eat a healthy diet so their brains can function well while in school. Students who have these factors in place are the motivated students who enjoy reading and have already made it an enjoyable habit. Improving these factors for unmotivated students will help them become more motivated and find success.



References
Burlew, W, Gordon, T & Holst, C. (2000). A Study of Reading Motivation Techniques with Primary Elementary School Students. Retrieved on April 10, 2010 from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/4e/71.pdf.
Gillis, M.K. (1981). Why do children read. ERIC database. Retrieved from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED210655&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED210655
Herbe, R., Thielenhouse, M. & Wykert, T. (2002). Improving student motivation in reading through the use of multiple intelligences. Retrieved from:www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=ED471576
MCPASD. (2010). Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District reading survey. Retrieved on April 10, 2010 from: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewanalytics?hl=en&formkey=dHJlTWlYX1dKVTZoYjVlaXV1eDBNa3c6MA.
Reif, S, A & Heimburge, J, A. (2007). How to reach and teach all children through balanced literacy: user-friendly strategies, tools, activities, and ready-to-use materials. USA: John Wiley and Sons.
Msengi, S.B. (Spring/Summer 2007). Family, child, and teacher perceptions of African American adult assistance to young readers. The School Community Journal. Vol. 17 (1). Retrieved from: http://www.adi.org/journal/ss07/SpringSummer2007.pdf.
Sweeny, N. M & Horishita, N (2005). The breakfast-eating habits of inner city high school students. Retrieved from: http://jsn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/2/100
Young, E. M. (2009). Factors related to the eating habits of students in grades 9-12. Retrieved from: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122444152/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0