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Part 1: Blessing the Book with Sharon Callen

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Motivating Young Readers: Unlocking the Joy and Purpose of Reading

One of the most common challenges teachers face is ensuring that students not only read but also understand and enjoy what they are reading. Many children can decode words and pass reading tests, but are they truly engaging with the books? Are they reading for pleasure, or is it simply another school task? Across classrooms, teachers frequently report that children aren't choosing to read on their own, both inside and outside of school. Although students may be developing basic skills like decoding and fluency, their growth as readers can stall if they aren't enjoying the process.

The Engagement Problem

When students don't choose to read, we must ask: why? Often, it stems from their relationship with books. Many students haven't yet connected with the deeper purpose of reading—discovery, curiosity, and understanding the world. Instead, reading becomes a chore rather than an activity of enjoyment.

The key to fostering lifelong readers is helping students understand that reading is not just about getting through a text but about discovering something new. Without engagement, reading becomes just another task to complete. When students find joy in reading, it transforms their experience, motivating them to pick up the next book after finishing one.

Reading for Life, Not Just for School

It's essential for teachers to help students see reading as more than a "school task." We must ask ourselves, Are we enabling our children to find, choose, and access books they love? Students are more likely to engage with reading if they have access to a wide range of materials that appeal to their interests and reflect their lived experiences. Access is the first step, but it's equally important that students learn how to choose books that resonate with them.

Many students don't enjoy reading because they haven't found that one book that speaks to them. If reading is simply about getting to the end of a text, students miss out on the joy of exploration and connection. For reading to become more than a task, it needs to provoke thoughts, spark curiosity, and engage students' personal interests.

What is Reading For?

This brings us to a vital question: What is reading for? Our curriculum often breaks reading into components like literacy, literature, and language, focusing on teaching children how to decode words and read fluently. But reading is about so much more. It's about understanding the world, other people, and oneself.

As the late literacy researcher Linda Gambrell pointed out, no author sits down to write a book thinking, How can I best teach children how to read? Instead, authors write to help readers understand ideas, emotions, and the human experience. Our job as teachers is to help students find that connection—to see reading as a tool for personal growth, not just a skill to master.

The Seven Rules of Reading Engagement (beginning few)

To create a classroom where students are motivated and excited to read, we can follow Linda Gambrell's "Seven Rules of Engagement." These principles are research-backed strategies for fostering reading motivation and engagement. Let's explore a few of these key ideas:

  1. Reading Tasks Should Be Relevant to Students' Lives

Making reading relevant to students is a crucial element of engagement. One practical strategy is to have students keep a reading diary. This simple yet powerful tool helps students reflect on what they've read, set personal goals, and make connections between their reading and their own experiences.

In one school, teachers developed a school-wide reading calendar to encourage students to log their daily reading progress. Students recorded what they read, how many pages, and even set goals based on their reflections. This approach helps students see reading as a personal journey, rather than just an assignment to be completed.

  1. Students Need Access to a Wide Range of Reading Materials

Research shows that classrooms with diverse selections of reading materials see students reading up to 50% more. Gambrell's ARC framework—Access, Relevance, and Choice—emphasises the importance of giving students a variety of options. A well-stocked classroom library plays a vital role here.

In classrooms where teachers regularly rotate books, students are consistently exposed to new and exciting material. Teachers can even visit bookstores or library sales with specific students in mind, handpicking books that they believe will resonate with their interests. This small act can make a huge difference in how students view reading.

  1. Provide Students with Choice in Their Reading

When students have ownership over what they read, their engagement naturally increases. Allowing students the freedom to explore different genres, topics, and formats gives them the power to choose books that they find personally compelling. This choice fosters a sense of independence and makes reading feel less like a school mandate and more like a personal discovery.

  1. Blessing the Book

One of the most powerful strategies for motivating students to read is to "blessing the book." This concept, drawn from Linda Gambrell's work, involves introducing a book to students with genuine enthusiasm and a personal recommendation. By showing why a book matters and how it connects to their lives, teachers can make reading feel like a shared, meaningful experience. The key is to make the book feel special—not because it's at the right reading level, but because it offers something of value to the student.

Creating Lifelong Readers

Ultimately, reading isn't just a skill to master; it's a gateway to new ideas, emotions, and experiences. As teachers, we have the responsibility to help students unlock the joy of reading. By giving them access to a variety of books, teaching them how to choose books that resonate with them, and fostering an environment where reading is celebrated, we can inspire a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

Gambrell's seven rules of engagement remind us that reading motivation is built on relevance, choice, and access. By applying these principles in the classroom, we move beyond simply teaching decoding and fluency—we help students connect with the real purpose of reading. When students understand why they are reading, they are far more likely to become motivated, independent readers who choose to read not just for school, but for life.

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PODCASTS (TEACHER'S TOOLKIT FOR LITERACY)

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