The Value of Pleasure Reading in Middle School

The Research Says . . .

Research based Facts from Stephen Krashen’s  The Power of Reading

1. FVR results in: better reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, spelling, and grammatical development.
2. Readers are better at writing.
3. Reading as a leisure activity is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary, and reading speed.
4. The relationship between Free Voluntary Reading and literacy is remarkably consistent.
5. Each time an unfamiliar word is seen in print, a small increase in word knowledge typically occurs.
6. If children read 1 million words in a year (easily attainable for middle class children) at least 1000 words will be added to their vocabulary.
7. Students who read a novel with many unique words actually learned the meaning of many of those words from context clues only.
8. Teaching vocabulary lists is inefficient—the time is better spent reading alone.
9. The less literate are the first to fail and drop out of school.

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Mary Leonhardt’s observations about reading from Parents who love reading, kids who don’t

How important is it that your child be an avid reader?

Only avid readers are excellent readers.

Only avid readers are excellent writers.

Avid readers concentrate on outside information and ideas more easily.

Avid readers are better at weathering personal problems.

Avid readers have a better chance for a successful, fulfilling adult life.

Why so many kids hate reading:

We put children in ability groups so we can teach them skills.

Kids are encouraged to read only “good” literature.

Middle School and High School reading is almost all teacher assigned.

Students don’t read well enough to enjoy reading.

There is not a critical mass of readers among young people.

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Jim Trelease statements from The Read-Aloud Handbook

• Two factors that produced higher achievements: frequency of teachers reading aloud to students and the frequency of SSR/pleasure reading in school.
• Listening comprehension comes before reading comprehension. Listening vocabulary promotes speaking vocabulary, reading vocabulary and writing vocabulary.
• Reading aloud to the class helps take the “sting” out of requiring them to read.
• The research overwhelmingly shows that lifetime readers cut their reading eye-teeth on series books and comic books, not the classics.  The more “junk” they read, the better they do at reading and thus were able to graduate to more sophisticated books later.
• Children who read at least 6 books during the summer do not lose anything they have learned in the previous year.  (Summer reading is VERY important.)
• Reading must have a pleasure connection.
• 100% (all) Kindergarten students are enthusiastic about learning to read.
• By 12^th grade, only 26% of students read for pleasure.
• One factor producing a higher percentage of readers was frequency of SSR.
• Book Talks (not book reports) are the greatest advertisement for reading.

from

Leesa Cole, Sally Collins, Kay Honeyman, Darcy Young, Shannon Taliaferro,  Highland Park ISD, Dallas, TX