Teachers role in motivating
students to be awed by books
Shamala Ramakresinin
T
he school environment provides opportunities
for children to meander across various
resources. Ideally, as they wander and linger
among the resources, they wonder and develop an
interest towards literacy. Teachers, school leaders,
administrators, classroom teacher assistants as
well as other entities (e.g., librarians, class library,
school library and programmes) act as resources in
motivating children to take an interest in literacy.
This article focuses on one particular entity:
classroom teachers and their role in students leisure
reading practices in Singapore primary schools.
Social agents
Parents, siblings, peers, and media are the most
influential agents in childrens social environment.
Besides these agents, scholars believe that teachers
and others in the school environment influence
children in many ways as well (Methe & Hintze,
2003). In general, social agents influence children
by modelling attitudes, thoughts and values
B
among other things. According to social learning
A
theorists (e.g., Bandura, 1986; Bussey & Bandura,
C D
2004) children learn about desired behaviours and
viewpoints from social agents or models in their
environment.
Notwithstanding, research has shown that
children do not emulate all social agents in their
environment. Rather, they replicate the behaviour
2 017
of powerful models more than insignificant ones
(Bussey & Bandura, 1984). In other words, these
F E B RUA RY
scholars believe that power and prestige of the
models become essential factors in determining their
impact on children.
Teachers as social agents
In the school context, teachers play a fundamental
1
role in motivating students to read for pleasure. One
N U M B E R
way in which teachers motivate their students to
read is to model reading. Perez (1986) for instance,
suggests that when students observe their teachers
talking about materials that they read and enjoying
2 2
books with them, the idea that reading is important
and valuable is reinforced.
VO LU M E
Research has shown that there is positive
association with teachers reading habits and their
pedagogical practices. For example, Morrison,
38
Jacobs and Swinyard
(1999) investigated the
relationship between
teachers reading and
their instructional practices. They found that
teachers who are readers themselves tend to use a
wide range of instructional practices linked with
best practices. Based on their findings, Morrison
et al., concluded that students become engaged
in reading when teachers are enthusiastic readers
themselves and used a variety of activities to
promote engagement in reading.
Students views on classroom reading
practices
Against the background of social agents influence,
in particular, teachers influence in motivating their
students to become interested in leisure reading, I
conducted a study in a local government school in
Singapore. These 80, Primary 5 students (46 boys and
34 girls) were in the age range of 10 11 years old at
the time of the study.
Generally, the aims of the study were twofold: to
gather information on 10 11-year-olds interest in
leisure reading, and elicit their opinions regarding
their classroom reading practices. By surveying
and interviewing the students, I found that 58.7%
of male and 82.4% of female participants read
for leisure, whilst 41.3% of males and 17.6% of
females did not read for leisure. Additionally,
the majority of the students (63.7%) expressed
that their teachers did not read stories or other
reading materials weekly to them; yet among the
sample, most students (88.7%) affirmed that their
teachers encouraged them to read books in English.
Similarly, 72.6% of students acknowledged that
their class libraries had an interesting collection of
reading materials in English.
Based on these statistics, it could be argued
that the majority of the teachers do not engage in
book talk or share reading materials with the
participants. It appears that the students teachers
seemed to play an implicit role in motivating
students to become interested in leisure reading:
they verbally encouraged them and stocked up the
classroom library with sufficient and interesting
reading materials. The teachers perhaps hope that
their students would become as Pilgreen (2012)
expressed hooked on books through their implicit
gestures (p.12).
Such implicit gestures may or may not work with
all students based on the aforementioned results.
So, what can teachers do to influence most, if not all
students?
Workable ABCD strategies1 for reading
Below are some strategies that are used by some
teachers in Singapore in motivating their students.
Called ABCD, these strategies could be used by all
teachers, and they are delineated below.
1. A (Invite an Author)
Local authors were invited to talk about his or her
books each term.2 Class teachers invite the most
celebrated author (voted by the class) to give a talk
on books and reading. It is important to note that
both male and female authors were invited to inform
students reading as an activity that is enjoyed by
both genders. It also provides opportunities for
students to interact with the authors and find out
more about their books. Another way to carry out
this activity would be to organise this activity as a
Primary 5 level event where all students could reap
benefits of interacting with their favourite authors.
2. B (Book Display)
The class library is always stocked with books
catering to students interests. A simple survey on
the genres that students are interested in, provides
teachers sufficient information on the type of
materials that they should display in the class library
so there are materials for all students to enjoy.
3. C (Character Parade)
The class teacher used genre as the basis of character
parade to conduct this activity monthly. For instance,
based on the genre, science fiction, the teacher
volunteered students interested in the genre to dress
up as one of their favourite characters from the
science fiction book that they read or were reading.
During this activity, other students were encouraged
to ask questions on the plot or other characters to
the character.3 This activity paves way for other
students to become interested in the selected genre;
widening student interest in a diversity of reading
materials.
4. D (Different reading materials based on
curriculum themes)
Besides introducing fiction during reading
lessons, teachers introduced a variety of materials:
advertisements, blogs, book reviews, information
texts, manuals, menus, movie reviews, newspapers,
plays, poems, posters, recipes, travel guides, and so
on to acquaint students with the writing styles of
these genres and to provide an enriching literary
experience.
Next, I discuss some strategies which we consider
as pitfalls to students leisure reading interest.
Avoidance strategies for reading
Based on student feedback, some activities were
deemed as uninteresting to many students. These
activities are briefly sketched below.
1 Online book quizzes
Frequently, students have expressed their
displeasure in quizzes based on materials they have
read. As one student remarked, sometimes, I forget
some part of the story when Im doing the quiz
online4 I need to take the book and flip through in
order to get the answer right it really takes time.
2 Book reviews
Tasking students to do book reviews to track their
reading progress was also unfavourably viewed
by many students. To them, the joy of reading is
killed if they have to complete book reviews each
time they read a book. To them, activities like book
reviews simply means an additional chore which
lessens their interest in leisure reading.
3 Materials read by students
Teachers often encourage students to read materials
they deemed suitable and which improve students
English Language results. Unfortunately, there is a
mismatch between reading materials suggested by
teachers and student interests. Genres like comics,
graphic novels, horror and DIY (Do-it-Yourself)
manuals are usually not in teachers recommended
lists; but these genres are well-received by most
students. Some students claimed that they do not
enjoy reading in school but enjoy reading their
favourite materials out of school.
To be in awe
Based on my experiences as a classroom teacher as
well in discussion with other colleagues, we believe
that students need to see their teachers enjoying
reading; teachers who are readers convey their
love for reading to their students, that this love for
P R AC T I C A L
reading provides a role model, and that it makes a
difference in classroom practice (Dreher, 2002/2003,
p.338).
Moreover, the recommended strategies and
strategies to avoid provide some directions for
classroom teachers as active agents of reading who
L I T E R AC Y
encourage their students to become awe-struck
while reading. Role modelled gestures towards
leisure reading, increase the probability of students
becoming enticed by reading.
39
 References
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action:
A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-
Hall.
Bussey, K., & Bandura, A. (1984). Influence of gender
constancy and social power on sex-linked modelling.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 12921302.
Bussey, K., & Bandura, A. (2004). Social cognitive theory of
gender development and functioning. In A.H. Eagly, A.E.
Beall, & R.J. Sternberg (Eds.), The psychology of gender (2nd
ed.) (pp.93119). New York: The Guilford Press.
Dreher, M.J. (2002/2003). Motivating teachers to read. The
Reading Teacher, 56(4), 338340.
Methe, S.A., & Hintze, J.M. (2003). Evaluating teacher
modelling as a strategy to increase student reading
behaviour. School Psychological Review, 32(4), 617623.
Morrison, T.G., Jacobs, J., & Swinyard, W.R. (1999). Do
teachers who read personally use recommended
practices in their classrooms? Reading Research and
Instruction, 38, 81100.
Perez, S.A. (1986). Children see, children do: Teachers as
reading models. The Reading Teacher, 40(1), 8 11.
Pilgreen, J.L. (2000). The SSR handbook: How to organize and
manage a Sustained Silent Reading Program. Boynton/Cook:
Heinemann.
continued from page 37
Use the Remixed Fairy Tale apps to inspire students
to come up with alternative endings to their
favourite stories.
2 017
F E B RUA RY
1
iMovie
N U M B E R
Conclusion
We live in a technological world a world full of
discovery, inspiration and wonder. Many of the jobs
2 2
our students will do and the tools they will use are
not even invented yet. The Australian Curriculum
VO LU M E
requires that teachers prepare students for a future
we cant even envisage by integrating technology
across all subject areas and fostering students
40
Notes
1 Previously, I was a primary school teacher, and some of
the strategies shared here were used by my colleagues
and me.
2 There are four terms in a Singapore school calendar;
each term consists of ten weeks.
3 Based on a thirty-minute lesson, there could be about
two to three students parading as their favourite
character based on the selected genre.
4 Online book quizzes based on books that a particular
level has to read and answer the questions before the end
of the term.
Shamala Ramakresinin is currently a part-time tutor at
National University of Singapore and at Singapore Institute of
Management. She has more than 10 years of teaching experience
in primary schools in Singapore and is a member of ALEA. This
research is part of her doctoral study which she recently
completed. Email: ramakresinin2010@gmail.com
capacity to be discriminating and informed
producers, innovators and users of technologies
(ACARA, 2012).
This is a momentous task, but one that should fill
us with excitement not dread. Now more than ever
we must learn alongside our students and create
space and time to wonder. We are surrounded by
opportunities to inspire and amaze our students, the
only real limit is our own imagination!
References
ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority. (2012). Draft shape of the Australian
Curriculum: Technologies. Retrieved from http://
www.acara.edu.au/_resources/Draft_Shape_of_
the_Australian_Curriculum_Technologies_paper_-_
March_2012.pdf
Carson, R. (1965/1998). The sense of wonder. New York:
Open Road.
Clarke, A.C. (1973/2000). Profiles of the future: An enquiry
into the limits of the possible. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart, &
Winston.
McVeity, J. (2011). Narrative writing manual. Melbourne:
Seven Steps to Writing Success.
Sarah Bakker is the Publishing and Content Manager at Seven
Steps to Writing Success. She is a qualified primary teacher with
over a decade of experience in creating educational resources.
For more activities and inspiration visit the Seven Steps website
at www.sevenstepswriting.com and sign up to the free blog.
Email: sarah@sevenstepswriting.com
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