What Teachers Can Learn About Reading Motivation Through Conversations With Children

Sixteen students, randomly selected from a pool of 91 fourth-graders in a midsize elementary school, were interviewed about their reading choices. The interviews revealed that children had different degrees of motivation, following several patterns. Children chose narrative literature for these reasons: The books related to their personal interests The characteristics of the books appealed to them The students were given choices Expository books were chosen for these reasons: The knowledge gained from books The books related to personal interests The students were given choices The main source of book referrals was the school library. Children also reported being motivated to read by family members, teachers, and peers. Receiving books as gifts was frequently mentioned as another source of motivation. Classroom implications are suggested, based on the findings from the interviews. Teachers can increase student motivation by allowing self-selection, giving attention to characteristics of books, identifying the personal interests of students, providing access to a variety of books, and actively involving others in sharing books with children.