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Second grade is a time for students to strengthen and hone their foundational skills. It really is the last year in which they are learning to read. In third grade they will be expected to read to learn. That is why it is so important that we find ways to motivate our struggling and reluctant readers. If our students don't leave us at the end of the year with confidence in their reading skills they will fall behind. Standing in the way of some struggling readers is the phenomenon known as the Matthew Effect. Many reading researchers (Ciampa 2012, Quirk and Schwanenflugel 2004, Zipke 2012) refer to a study done by Stanovich in 1986. This study documented the Matthew Effect which states at its most basic, that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. When attributed to reading, the Matthew Effect says good readers become better and poor readers remain behind never enriching their vocabulary, never achieving sufficiently, basically not learning along with their peers. The Matthew Effect has consequences throughout a student’s life playing a part in the high school dropout rate, poor employment, and the inability to use education to improve life. More recently reading researchers Quirk and Schwanenflugel (2004) describe this gap between good and poor readers as a gap which often widens because good readers tend to read more and gain skills and confidence through additional practice, while poor readers continue to be unsuccessful because they tend to avoid reading. Barring any physical or mental impediments to learning to read, the unmotivated struggling reader needs something which will “move” them up and out of the Matthew Effect phenomenon.
This is why I introduced e-readers into my classroom. I wanted to "move" my unmotivated and struggling readers. With the advent of ipads in my classroom I wanted a solid reason to use them. If I could harness them as a motivator I saw that as a great beginning.
Please check out the videos below to get an overview of my research and then go to the inspiration page to read more about my research.
The videos below are projects from my Master's Program. They each draw imformation from my research on the influence of e-readers.
The first video was made with WeVideo and the second with Animoto.
Second grade is a time for students to strengthen and hone their foundational skills. It really is the last year in which they are learning to read. In third grade they will be expected to read to learn. That is why it is so important that we find ways to motivate our struggling and reluctant readers. If our students don't leave us at the end of the year with confidence in their reading skills they will fall behind. Standing in the way of some struggling readers is the phenomenon known as the Matthew Effect. Many reading researchers (Ciampa 2012, Quirk and Schwanenflugel 2004, Zipke 2012) refer to a study done by Stanovich in 1986. This study documented the Matthew Effect which states at its most basic, that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. When attributed to reading, the Matthew Effect says good readers become better and poor readers remain behind never enriching their vocabulary, never achieving sufficiently, basically not learning along with their peers. The Matthew Effect has consequences throughout a student’s life playing a part in the high school dropout rate, poor employment, and the inability to use education to improve life. More recently reading researchers Quirk and Schwanenflugel (2004) describe this gap between good and poor readers as a gap which often widens because good readers tend to read more and gain skills and confidence through additional practice, while poor readers continue to be unsuccessful because they tend to avoid reading. Barring any physical or mental impediments to learning to read, the unmotivated struggling reader needs something which will “move” them up and out of the Matthew Effect phenomenon.
This is why I introduced e-readers into my classroom. I wanted to "move" my unmotivated and struggling readers. With the advent of ipads in my classroom I wanted a solid reason to use them. If I could harness them as a motivator I saw that as a great beginning.
Please check out the videos below to get an overview of my research and then go to the inspiration page to read more about my research.
The videos below are projects from my Master's Program. They each draw imformation from my research on the influence of e-readers.
The first video was made with WeVideo and the second with Animoto.
This is the ipad cart in my classroom. My school is a one to one school and so I have a class set. The ipads are often stacked on top when not in use. I have a student helper each week who puts then in the cart and plugs them in every few days. We have headphones (class set) and keyboards (12).
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This is one way students use the ipads. During read to self time in my classroom students can sit anywhere. Some sit at desks like this, some sit on the floor, some even read under the tables.
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Links and Resources
Nat'l Education Tech Plan
REFERENCES
Children and Technology
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