Middle School Reading Motivation
Links included may be affiliate links. My family may receive a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for your support! For more information, see our terms, privacy policy, and disclaimer.
Getting Middle Schoolers to Read!
Hi there, fellow mamas!
I’m so happy to be guest posting on Mandy’s blog! I’m so grateful to know her and to call her friend. She’s such an encouragement to me. My name is Mindy and I’m a former middle and high school teacher turned homeschool mom of three very active boys. I’m very excited to be sharing with you all today about one of my biggest passions- reading!
Reading motivation and self-efficacy was something I became really interested in during my early 20’s when I saw several of my middle and high school students struggling. I wanted to help them, but I didn’t know how. Fast forward 20 years, and I’ve spent most of my professional life learning about how kids learn to read, how to help them when they are struggling with reading, and how to get their reading motivation back.
Reading is an Important Gift
As homeschool moms, I think we can all agree that reading is one of the most important gifts we can give our children. If they can read successfully, they can accomplish pretty much anything! One thing I’ve noticed through the years, is the decline in reading motivation that happens around 6th grade. There’s a bunch of research on it, but I won’t bore you with all of the details (unless you want them. If you do, send me a message!)
Instead, I wanted to share a few ways to increase, or maintain, your child’s reading motivation and self-efficacy. If your middle or high schooler loves reading, that’s great! You can totally use these tips to keep encouraging that. However, if you are seeing a decline in reading motivation in your child, PLEASE know that this is normal for this age. And, these tips can help!
What you can do AT HOME
1. Keep reading aloud. Your child is NEVER too old to be read to. I even read aloud to my high schoolers when I was still in the classroom.) Reading aloud to our kids creates a bond and forms memories that will last a lifetime.
2. Display books. Keep a variety of books and magazines around your home. Know your child’s interests and keep books on those topics out and available. Does your child love fishing? Put a basket of fishing magazines in the bathroom. Grab some coffee table books from the discount bin at the bookstore and display them on your coffee table. Put some fishing brochures or short non-fiction books in the car and rotate library books in your morning basket.
3. Change your location or atmosphere. Do you have a reading habit in your family? I know we do. If your child is used to reading for a certain length of time every day, try changing up the location or atmosphere. Hang a hammock on the back porch, spread a picnic blanket out in the backyard and throw in some pillows for fun, or change up your location completely and head to local park. Change your atmosphere with a fun treat or a cup of hot cocoa.
4. Create a Family Reading Challenge! This is one of my favorites. Create a monthly reading challenge for your family. Make a chart and hang it in a prominent place. If you’ve ever done the 1000 hours outside challenge, think of a chart like that. Each time someone in your family finishes a book, fill in a square. When you’ve reached your goal, celebrate with something special!
5. Pique your child’s interest with First Chapter Fridays I love first chapter Fridays. You can pick any book you like, and on Fridays you’ll read just the first chapter to your kids. If they like it, they can continue reading it on their own, independently. If they don’t, pick a new book the next Friday and try again. My kids have really enjoyed this. We don’t do it every Friday because if they select the book I read, I wait until they finish it to introduce a new one.
Want to see another blog on reading motivation and tips you can use in co-op groups or in your community? Let us know in the comments below!
Have great tips that you already use? Please message me and let me know! I’d love to hear them!
In Him,
Mindy
