Back to the Basics

In thinking about ways to increase motivation with our most disinterested, disengaged or reluctant readers, I thought it would be appropriate to go back to one of the motivation gurus herself, Linda Gambrell.  Gambrell has studied student motivation and has published many articles on this topic.  One of her published pieces that I have found helpful and informative in getting students motivated to read is Creating classroom clutures that foster reading motivation.  This text was published in The Reading Teacher in September of 1996.  While it is older than my current 5th graders, I believe the information within the text is still very relevant today. 

Gambrell shares that four key features of associated with motivation to read are:

• access to books in the classroom
• opportunities to self-select books
• familiarity with books
• social interactions with others about books.

Those key features to increase motivation seem to be so simple, but if you look around your building, are your students having access to a plethora of books on various topics and genres?  Probably not.  While school budgets get slashed, it seems as if there is little or no money being allotted to increase or improve existing classroom libraries (even though research shows it is so important!). 

So, if you are wanting to increase your library, but your wallet is feeling a little light, try some of these sources for books:

• DonorsChoose.org - This fanastic organization allows educators to create project proposals on their website and then wait for the generous donors from around the world to fund your project.  Once your project is fully funded, the DonorsChoose team will order your materials and send them directly to your school.  After your class has had time time to use the materials, you send some photos (or upload them directly to their site) and ship off some thank you letters.  This organization has been such a blessing!  Through my funded projects, I have added over 300 new, high-interest books to my classroom library. 
• Scholastic - My students rarely order books from the monthly book catalogues, but when they do, I use the points to add new books to my classroom library. 
• Good ol' Goodwill - While many of the books are pretty junky or are titles that wouldn't interest my kiddos, I usually find one or two titles each time I head to Goodwill that my students would enjoy.  Remember though, just because it is cheap, doesn't mean you should buy it.  If you don't see any of your kiddos liking the book, don't buy it. 
• Garage Sales - If you are truly lucky, you will hit the jackpot of all garage sales - a retiring teacher!  This has only happened once to me.  Actually my mom found the garage sale and all they had left were big books.  She called and ask if I wanted them.  Dumb question!  Of course I did.  What kid doesn't love reading a HUGE book every now and again!   
• Reading Conferences - When ever I attend a professional conference, it seems as if there are always sales reps trying to get teachers to purchase the newest series or program that is almost guaranteed to get our students reading on level.  Well, I never have the hundreds of dollars for their series of books (and some seem pretty interesting), but I always leave with some books.  Simply by asking!  I always ask for a sample (it helps if you tell them you will share the series with your principal) and 99% of the time, I leave with 5-7 books.  Absolutely free. 
• Students - Once my students know that I am a lover of books, they often offer to bring in books that they aren't reading anymore.  Of course, I encourage them to keep their favorites at home, but allow them to bring in books that they aren't attached to.  Sometimes they bring in some junky books, but I add them to our library and then purge them at the end of the school year.  Books that get purged are given away to students, given to other teachers or given back to Goodwill.
• Friends and family - For Christmas or birthdays, I often ask for my family members and friends to purchase a book for my classroom library.  Many people select books that were their favorites or browse the book store looking for the newest hits.  Either way, this is another great way to increase your library. 
• Grants - Type in reading grants into google and you are sure to come up with some leads. 
• Public Libary - I love the library!  When my students show interest in a specific book or topic, I add it to my library list (imagine a grocery list with only books on it).  Every couple of weeks, I head to the library and shop for the books they have requested.  As I am an impulsive shopper, I also throw some books that catch my eye into my bag as well.  I've taught my students that these books are NOT to go home.  We have a central location for students to place the public library books when they are done.  The day before I head back to the library, I print out a list of all the books I have and my students go on a 5 minute scavenger hunt.  For the most part, all of the books get returned.  I've only had one book go missing in the past six years and the library didn't charge me for it.  They simply asked that when I find it, I return it.  And truthfully, I would be fine with paying the $17.00.  I know I've checked out hundreds of books, so I wouldn't mind paying for a lost book now and again. 
• On a side note, my students love it when I drag my stacks of books in from the library.  I do book talks on some of them and others are given directly to those that requested them.  I make sure I select enough books that everyone has the opportunity to get a "new book" from the library. 

Once you have the books, you are a quarter of the way there to motivating your students.  Check back in for my next post in which I share ideas on how to allow students to self-select books.