Posted by Jenny Nash | Posted in reading | Posted on 30-10-2010
As part of my friend Mrs. Holtsman’s fall blogging challenge, I was asked to take a class survey. (You may have noticed the “class” survey results posted on Mrs. Phillips’s blog and Mrs. Holtsman’s blog.) I suppose I could have very quickly polled all of the farmers at M.N.O. Farms to find out their favorite cookie (Oreo? Chips Ahoy? Fig Newtons?), their preference in sandwiches (Peanut butter and jelly? Turkey? Balogna?), or even their favorite Chets Creek Tradition….but I’m not one for doing things randomly.
So, I created the Reading Survey. The survey contains questions about what readers are reading at home, in school, favorite authors, favorite books, personal strengths and weaknesses as readers. These questions are not new to the readers at M.N.O. Farms. They’ve seen them before on their DRA2 Reading Survey, in reading workshop at the introduction of our author study, and are discussed in individual reading conferences on occasion. Compiling the data, though, in a digital format provides unique benefits.
Perhaps the most important question on the survey is, “Do you like to read?” This question was presented in a multiple choice format: yes, no, and sometimes. This question alone is the reason I designed this survey to be completely anonymous. I want the truth.
And what is the truth, you ask?
The results are a bag of mixed blessings.
- I’m very thankful that nearly half of our students say YES, they like to read.
- I’m thankful that only 4% say NO, they do NOT like to read.
- I’m concerned that 49% of our students say they only like to read SOMETIMES.
My goals are:
- Identify what causes readers to like reading at times and not at others? Is it the setting, content, genre, difficulty, or confidence?
- Provide readers opportunities to explore other genres, authors, and experiences with reading so they find something they love.
- Make reading more interactive so we share the experience and build positive memories and feelings around reading.
- Utilize the avid readers in our classrooms as Reading Ambassadors. How can they encourage others to love reading?
What are your thoughts?
Well, I wouldn’t be too discouraged about those that voted “sometimes” because even though I LOVE to read…thereI are times that I would rather not. I would rather not read things I “have” to read. I’d rather choose my own reading. And even though I know I should always read the directions when I am putting something together, I hate those teeny tiny directions and they never make sense to me.
I wonder if the answer would have been different if you asked, “Do you like to read things that you choose to read on your own?”
Either way, I loved reading your post and enjoyed checking out your results and goals.