Amy Elam Gabbard: November 2024

In gathering background information on creating an environment that motivated readers. There are many activities and spaces that can be created. These activities connect the reader with the text. Choice of reading for students builds motivation and empowers the reader. Choice also builds respect and rapport with students because it gives them the freedom to choose what interests them to support engagement in their reading journey.

When looking further into what reading motivation looks like, Chat GPT gives many examples of what reading motivation in fifth graders is interest, engagement, confidence, choice, and enjoyment from students. It also gives several pieces of what reading motivation looks like. These include enthusiasm, active discussion, diverse exploration, creative expression, and goal setting. The one example that Chat GPT gave that stood out to me and inspired this blog post was book recommendations. In building a foundation of background knowledge about motivation in 5th graders by introducing the process of creating a fifth grade book club.

Objective:

Build a reading community that creates a space to connect and motivates reading for fifth graders.

Preparation:

The first step in building a fifth grade book club is to design what you would like it to look like, expectations, and goals. In the article Operation Motivation it states book clubs should remain kid centered. This would involve the club members leading the choices of books covered. The value of a book club is that many engagement pieces of the classroom can be used to discuss and actively engage the group. A book club would also need expectations. To create a safe environment that motivated the group of students to have mutual respect and grow as a group of readers.

Steps:

- Plan a weekly time to meet and design communication sent out to get the word out in the weekly classroom newsletter, announcements, and print out sent home with the students. The first meeting plan to go over what the weekly book club schedule will look like and the expectations of the group.

- Get feedback from the members and book suggestions to pick for the first book.

- The second meeting the first book is introduced and the group discusses what they think the book will be about. The timeline of the first book and discussion questions to go over at the next meeting.

- After each book is complete the following week a book celebration with the books theme can take place to celebrate the completion of the book and discuss the next book to read. This continues through the school year until Spring.

Overview:

Book Clubs have value in connecting students to reading while participating in a group/club activity. Below is a graph showing the frequency and enjoyment of reading and how digital activity has grown in children. Book Clubs offer several advantages for the students involved. Less digital time, developing a frequency in reading each book and building enjoyment of reading while giving the freedom to choose, ownership, and control to the students involved. Book clubs can be the building blocks to motivate reading with choice and empowerment.