Robertson 1

Casey Robertson
Professor Canby
Lit 3304.5U1
7 Aug 2013
Encouraging Lifelong Readers
The benefits of reading a good book are innumerable. Many believe that in addition to
entertainment, reading fosters creativity, abstract thought, and empathy. Leisurely reading has
been shown to be an accurate predictor of comprehension, vocabulary, and reading speed, with
avid recreational readers faring most successfully. Likewise, students given free voluntary
reading time had better scores in reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, spelling, and
grammatical development (Krahsen 12). In answer to the question Why Read?, Harold Bloom,
author of How to Read and Why suggested that reading enables individuals to form their own
judgments and opinions (21). Furthermore, reading is an important and necessary skill desired by
employers and necessary throughout any persons lifetime. Because of these and many more
benefits, children and adults alike are encouraged to read for pleasure as well as for academic
purposes. And yet, many schools are focusing less on reading and are removing literature from
curriculum. This change, due largely in part to standardized testing, is contributing to a loss of
literacy that results in far fewer students becoming lifelong readers; however, even with
curriculum focused on passing tests, teachers can still motivate their students to have a love for
reading.
In Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do about It, author
Kelly Gallagher defines readicide as, the systematic killing of the love of reading, often

Robertson 2
exacerbated by inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools (2). He argues that instead of
developing readers throughout our school systems, we are developing test takers (7). In an honest
attempt to help students be successful across the board, educators are instituting practices that
actually contribute to the death of reading. Teachers and administrators push practices that kill
many students last chance to develop into lifelong readers, with their current method of
teaching reading in the classroom (2).
This unfortunate shift from reading for the benefits of reading to reading for a grade is
due largely in part to standardized testing. After the induction of the No Child Left Behind Act,
the drive to raise test scores resulted in less teaching of novels in the classroom. Ironically,
Gallagher notes that in an attempt to raise reading scores, school districts across the country are
removing books from kids (11). For example, students in schools in Philadelphia are reading
fewer books each school year to make more room for test preparation (Meier et. al 57). Bruce
Alberts, the president of the National Academy of Sciences, likewise puts the blame on
standardized testing, explaining how its easier to test for facts than [for] understanding (41).
This is not to say that intentions are not in the right place. The point is that in an attempt to help
students, educators may be hurting them in the long run.
The negative effects of standardized testing can best be understood through Gallaghers
Paige Paradox. Named after Rod Paige, Secretary of Education in the George Bush
administration, the Paige Paradox outlines the steps educators are taking that contribute to
readicide. First, high-stakes tests are created to compel struggling readers to become more
proficient. These tests are administered on a state and national level. The test scores reflect on the
school and result in educators narrowing curriculum in an attempt to raise scores. This is where
the love of reading is lost, as workbooks begin to replace novels and students are overwhelmed

Robertson 3
with test preparation. Next, the high-stakes tests are administered. According to Gallagher,
schools that continue to struggle (often our worst-funded schools) are threatened with economic
sanctions and other penalties. If they are given money, it is strictly earmarked for test
preparation (17). These schools will now focus even more on passing tests by intensifying the
techniques and strategies that were ineffective in the beginning. At this point, the cyclical nature
of the Paige Paradox becomes apparent, as the cycle starts all over again (17).
Perhaps the most devastating realization concerning standardized testing comes upon
realizing that the idea of incentivized standardized testing has never been shown to be an
effective tool for helping students. Much of federal regulation from NCLB concerning statewide
and nationwide assessments is founded in the Texas Miraclethe remarkable progress Texas
Schools made when educational carrots and sticks were attached to high-stakes, multiple choice
exams (Gallagher 19). The truth of the matter is that the results of the Texas Miracle were
statistically flawed. It is now apparent that wide-scale cheating was occurring due to the drive to
succeed. And in the long run, research has shown the Texas Miracle to have been harmful to
students. College-bound students from exemplary or recognized schools in Texas didnt even
have the necessary skills for freshman-level college classes. In Texas high schools, students
showed an increase in their state reading scores, but sharply declined in their SAT reading scores
and college readiness (20). Even so, the concepts behind the Texas Miracle remain why
standardized testing has become the focal point of education in America, and therein why
readicide is occurring in this nations schools.
On a national level, the shift away from reading literature in the classroom has had a very
negative impact on many students. According to the National Assessment of Educational
Progress, secondary schools are reading below expected levels (Gallagher 2). One in four

Robertson 4
secondary students are unable to read and comprehend the material in textbooks (3).
Furthermore, literacy scores of high school graduates have dropped since 1992 (2). The 2005
ACT College Readiness Benchmark for Reading found that only about half the students tested
were ready for college-level reading, and the 2005 scores were the lowest in the decade (3).
Ultimately, we arent even creating good test-takers in our focus to help students pass
standardized exams at the expense of literacy. Learning is not occurring, nor is the love of
learning. Clearly, the focus on standardized testing instead of literature is negatively affecting
students literary ability.
Given this lack of literacy, Jane Healy, author of Endangered Minds: Why Children Cant
Thinkand What We Can Do About It, is also concerned about the effect it may have on
childrens developmental needs. She warns that if the childs developmental needs during these
periods are not met, we may actually close down some of those developmental windows (Healy
2-3). She advocates activities, such as reading, that require students to think deeply, and worries
about the impact that less literature and more electronics will have in the lives of children. Mark
Edmundson, author of Why Read?, warns that TV is a tranquilizing medium, a soporific,
inducing in its devotees a light narcosis. It reduces anxiety, steadies and quiets the nerves. But it
also deadens. (11). Knowing how technologically focused younger generations have become,
educators should be helping students develop a love of reading at an early age, while they are
still developmentally able.
Unfortunately, teachers who are trying to keep literature in the classroom are often
discouraged by administrators who view novels simply as stories being read and not as an
opportunity for critical thinking, growth, and development. For example, Gallagher is actually
discouraged from using novels in his high school English classroom by his superiors (40). By

Robertson 5
that estimation, novels are no better than entertaining media at helping students to learn.
However, research supporting Jane Healy and Mark Edmundson has shown the validity of their
concerns and admonitions about increasing literacy. One such study found that the first
generation of students raised in the midst of electronic media read lessand less wellthan
previous generations of students (112). Without a love of reading and the proper literary
abilities, more and more children may be turning to electronics during their free time. Healy
believes it is no coincidence that there has been a drastic increase in the number of children
diagnosed with ADHD, seeing this as the result of substituting reading for electronics (39).
While electronics are easily accessible outside of school, so should books be made available
within the classroom. Educators may not have sufficient influence in childrens home lives when
it comes to reading, but they should still give ample opportunities to read in their classrooms.
With the focus in the classroom moving away from reading books, students from more
diverse backgrounds struggle the most. The National Center for Education Statistics found that
there is a consistent, significant achievement gap in reading between varying racial, ethnic, and
economic groups (Gallagher 3). One study suggests that only about half of the adults in the
United States even read for their own enjoyment or to their children (112). Perhaps most
disturbing is the statistic that shows that by age five, a middle-class child has heard an average of
32 million more words than an under privileged child (32). Once again, this would make the
classroom the best place to develop readers and provide skills and opportunities to read on a
regular basis independent of home life; however, without support in the home or the classroom,
many students struggle to read at all, let alone enjoy reading. Schools may be even more to
blame than parents, for surely if children arent learning to read while in school, something is
amiss.

Robertson 6
Although we live in a society dominated by standardized testing, there is still a lot
teachers can do to keep literature in the classroom and to keep the love of reading alive for their
students. Gallagher points out how valuable classroom time presents the best opportunity
often the only opportunityto turn kids on to reading (2). Teachers can start by creating a
literature culture in their classroom. All Children Read: Teaching for Literacy in Todays Diverse
Classrooms suggests creating a classroom environment that fosters reading amongst students.
This can be done by setting aside a reading corner or a readers chair, having a class library,
providing appropriate magazines and newspapers, and sharing students responses to literature. It
is also very important that teachers share their own enthusiasm by displaying books they are
currently reading and discussing books they have read with their students (Crawford et. al 3335). Simply by creating this environment, teachers can start to encourage a more positive view of
reading for their students. Reading will begin to look increasingly inviting to students and be
viewed as a means of recreation and enjoyment instead of subject matter for which there will be
a grade.
One of the most successful implementations to facilitate reading in the classroom is Free
Voluntary Reading (FVR) Time. This includes giving students time during the school day to read
a book of their choice. Contrary to what many administrators believe, this practice has proven to
be very beneficial for students. In 38 out of 41 studies, students who participated in FVR Time
scored as well or better than students given more traditional, skill-based reading instruction
(Krahsen 2). Further, the results proved to be more and more consistent the longer FVR was
practiced (3). FVR Time has also shown to improve vocabulary (8). Students learn to recognize
and understand unfamiliar words by looking to context clues (10). Research has also shown that
poor readers show significant gains in word recognition, vocabulary, and reading comprehension

Robertson 7
when they participate in FVR (Wu and Samuels 2). FVR gives autonomy to students and gives
them an opportunity to enjoy reading for readings sake. Contrary to what many educators
believe, giving students control over what they are reading and therefore encouraging the
enjoyment of reading is as beneficial if not more beneficial than rote memorization and test
preparation.
Clearly, reading for pleasure is academically fruitful. Bloom suggests that the benefits of
reading are only achieved if students are reading for themselves and not for any external factors
(21). Educational Psychology: Developing Learners has an explanation for the academic benefits
of reading for fun. This may be best understood through the principle of intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation is defined as motivation resulting from internal personal characteristics or
inherent in the task being performed (Ormrod 364). Intrinsic motivation is not dictated by any
external factors, such as the desire to get a good grade or pass a test. Instead, students with
intrinsic motivation participate in activities simply because they find them pleasurable and they
find the skill they are learning to be important and useful. The benefits of intrinsic motivation
include a desire to complete assignments, an eagerness to learn, and the ability to engage in more
meaningful learning (364). These are the very characteristics we want to see in all students. The
National Endowment for the Arts also discovered that those students who are reading for fun are
scoring the highest in reading and writing on standardized tests (Gallagher 35-36).
Students who achieve the highest level of intrinsic motivation experience flow, the state
in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience
itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it
(Csikszentmihalyi 4). We see this in students who read more than is required or have trouble
putting a book down. Unfortunately, as students progress through school, they become less and

Robertson 8
less intrinsically motivated because our classrooms are set up with mostly extrinsic (or external)
motivators. Students who are extrinsically motivated often need to be persuaded to complete
activities, only process information superficially, and may only exert minimal effort with any
given assignment (Ormrod 364). Thus, teachers should be utilizing intrinsic motivators in their
classroom to encourage reading. Otherwise, many students will never be able to achieve flow
while reading, an essential element to become a lifelong reader.
Unmistakably, intrinsic motivation is essential for lifelong readers, but how can educators
encourage their students to read for readings sake? Harold Bloom suggests that how they read,
well or badly, and what they read, cannot depend wholly upon themselves, but why they read
must be for and in their own interests (21). Thus, educators should help their students to
become better readers, but should also focus on students interests when considering readings for
the classroom. Furthermore, there are a variety of intrinsic motivators teachers can use to help
their students become lifelong readers. Besides creating a culture of literature in their classroom
and providing FVR Time (as previously discussed), it is also very important that teachers
provide authentic reading opportunities. Authentic activities are classroom activities similar to
an activity that students are apt to encounter in the outside world (Ormond 231). Authentic
reading can come from newspapers and magazines, but it also comes from longer novels that
teach students to relate what they have learned to life outside the classroom. Student attitudes
toward reading are often reflected in how much value they see in the material they are asked to
read. Teachers can facilitate authentic reading experiences by providing interesting and diverse
reading materials, including novels and challenging works in curriculum, and leaving time in the
school day for students to read (Gallagher 29).

Robertson 9
Another way teachers can encourage intrinsic motivation is by being a reader themselves.
Teachers should read young adult literature not only as an example to their students, but also as a
resource for their classroom. If teachers are reading books themselves, they can also help
reluctant readers identify books they might enjoy reading. These books should be at an
appropriate level for the student and should reflect the students personal interests (Crawford et.
al 61). Many reluctant readers simply havent found the right book yet. If teachers are wellversed in the variety of genres available in young adult literature, they will be better able to help
all students in their classroom discover their innate love of reading. This is especially important
for male readers. Boys make up the majority of troubled readers. This may be due to several
factors, including female-dominated school environments, few positive male reading models,
cultural differences, and a lack of physical and emotional maturity compared to girls. To help
boys in spite of these deterrents, teachers should be providing books of interest to boys, such as
the highly irreverent Captain Underpants series and nonfiction informational books about nature,
history, biography, and sports (59). In addition to this, teachers can also help boys by letting
them sprawl out on the floor while reading, recognizing archetypes of masculinity in books, and
providing more time in the initial stages of reading instruction for immature boys (59). Just as
with struggling male readers, teachers should also be considering how cultural and ethnic groups
could benefit from more personalized reading instruction. Ultimately, it is by teaching reading to
the individual that teachers will see the greatest success.
Another influence on whether or not students become lifelong learners is parental
involvement. Although this mostly occurs outside of the classroom, teachers can still strive to
work with parents and inspire parents to become involved in their childs reading. The National
Center for Educational Statistics found that there is a link between parental involvement and

Robertson 10
childrens academic achievement. When we look specifically at reading, the amount of time
parents devote at home to reading to their childrenis clearly related to the gains children make
in literacy (Crawford et. al 122). Given this information, it is of the utmost importance that
teachers involve parents in the classroom, keep them informed, and provide them with resources
and information to enable them to help their emerging readers at home. Teachers can read and
discuss books in the classroom, and then send their students home with the books to read and
discuss with their parents (123). Parents can also have a huge impact on preventing the
achievement gap that occurs due to summer reading loss. By encouraging them to have their
children read just 4 or 5 books over the summer, lost ground over the summer can be prevented
(Gallagher 55). With increased parental involvement and participation, the literacy challenges
facing teachers can be more effectively battled on two fronts.
In spite of teachers and administrators best intentions, focusing on preparing students to
pass tests has proven to deter students ability and enthusiasm when it comes to reading.
Furthermore, standardized tests may be harming students more than helping them when it comes
to literacy and college readiness. Unfortunately, standardized tests are an unavoidable reality in
todays classroom, but teachers can still utilize reading in their classrooms to not only encourage
a love of reading, but also improve reading and writing scores. This is best accomplished through
creating a culture of literature, providing reading time, using intrinsic motivators, and involving
parents. By so doing, teachers will see an increased enjoyment from reading as well as academic
improvements by their students. Reading is more than just a measurable skill. The benefits that
come from reading should not be sacrificed or overlooked. Thus, every teacher should strive to
be creating lifelong readers in their classroom.

Robertson 11
Works Cited
Bloom, Harold. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000. Print.
Crawford, Alan, Penny Freppon, Donna Ogle, and Charles Temple. All Children Read: Teaching
for Literacy in Todays Diverse Classrooms. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.,
2011. Print.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: They Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper
Perennial, 1990. Print.
Edmundson, Mark. Why Read?. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2004. Print.
Gallagher, Kelly. Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It.
Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 2009. Print.
Healy, Jane M. endangered minds: Why Children Don't Think--and What We Can Do About It.
New York: Touchstone, 1990. Print.
Krashen, Stephen. The Power of Readings: Insights from the Research. Edgewood: Libraries
Unlimited, 1993. Print.
Meier, Deborah, Alfie Kohn, Linda Darling-Hammond, Theodore R. Sizer, and George Wood.
Many Children Left Behind: How the No Child Left Behind Act Is Damaging Our
Children and Our Schools. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004. Print.
Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis. Educational Psychology: Developing Learners. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson
Education, Inc., 2011. Print.
Wu, Yi-Chen, and S. Jay Samuels. "How the Amount of Time Spent on Independent Reading
Affects Reading Achievement: A Response to the National Reading Panel". Reno:
International Reading Association Conference, 2004. Print.