This page is referenced by:

• 1 2019-11-30T16:39:49-08:00 Conclusion 6 Wrapping it all up plain 2019-12-19T10:20:02-08:00

  We have discovered a number of guidelines for reading instruction and suggestions for activities to improve reluctant readers’ will to read. In reading about these guides and techniques, I have often been stymied by their being originally intended for young readers i.e. elementary and middle school readers. But, in a course of reading instruction for high school age or adult students, they would also prove useful. I also believe that I can apply some of them in my own current tutoring context. 

  Many of these techniques address the psycho-affective issues that contribute to reading reluctance, such as lack of agency and ideological mismatches. They also address other issues that may impact students’ ability to read, including students’ non-dominant varieties of English and too difficult texts. Many of these suggestions simply aid in creating a classroom environment and instructional plan that are conducive to encouraging reading, even for those students who are capable but reluctant readers.

  Many of these ideas are based on the premise of a reading class, i.e. a class on reading only. However, if we consider many of these ideas individually, they could easily be incorporated in any kind of class, regardless of discipline, to benefit the reluctant readers any teacher might encounter. They need not be restricted to reading courses or to younger students only. Adult resistant readers in any discipline could benefit from the integration of many of these concepts and activities. Their content-knowledge reading (by far, the majority of reading done in college) can be improved by the application of the above. And our teaching can likewise be improved by these ideas and practices.
  
  Were I to expand this project, I would want to look further into the issue of reading instruction stopping after third grade. Why do we not continue reading instruction as required reading materials gradually increase in difficulty? Why do we not support the ongoing growth of readers as they progress through the education system and why do we not continue to treat reluctant readers? Answering these questions, unfortunately, would require a much larger project than the present one. Perhaps others will take up this research focus in the future.