Page 7 - Handbook for reluctant, struggling and poor readers

they will spend their free time. Several decades’ worth of research on intrinsic motivation shows that
outside rewards do not increase intrinsic motivation (Cameron and Pierce, 1994). While extrinsically
motivating programs can increase reading for the duration of the program, they have less impact on
developing lifelong reading habits. Closely related to the concept of intrinsic motivation is the development
of autonomy, defined as a sense of independence and self-rule. Notably, adolescence is characterized by
the drive for autonomy. The need for autonomy is essential to learning as well. A sense of autonomy has
been found to be an important influence on academic outcomes (Deci and Ryan, 1985). Further, autonomy
and intrinsic motivation work in tandem (Boggiano et al., 1992). The teacher in a secondary school has a
great deal of influence in how autonomy will be fostered because he or she can determine the extent to
which students can exercise choice. Several studies have found that teachers who exert high levels of
control and who limit student choice undermine learners’ autonomy and intrinsic motivation to learn (e.g.,
Connell et al., 1994; Deci et al., 1981). Thus, opportunities for choice and self-selection play an important
role in developing a self-regulated desire to read outside of academic assignments. Student interest is
another factor in the choice to read. As adults, we can certainly understand this perspective. After all, it is
unlikely that you would be reading this article unless you were interested in the topic.The same can be
said for our secondary students. When it comes to voluntary reading, the subject of the text is critical. A
book or article that matches a student’s interest is more likely to be read. In addition, interest plays a role
in comprehension, precisely because the reader is attending to the text more closely. Wigfield et al. (1998)
note that “interest is more strongly related to indicators of deep-level learning, such as recall of main ideas,
responding to deeper comprehension questions, and representation of meaning, than it is to surface-level
learning, such as responding to simple questions or verbatim representation of texts” (p. 77). A book or
article of interest is therefore more likely not only to be read but also to be understood.
One of the primary objectives of education and training is to formulate and develop in particular the internal
motivation of pupils to learn as a form of self-realization. Motivation has a dynamising, activating and
guiding function.

Learning difficulties of RSP readers
Are the children born with a natural aversion towards reading? Definitely, not. After all, toddlers are
3
delighted with books, they love concertina books. When a where does the problem occur? Why do the
children lose their interest in books? When is the turning point? When does a book lover change into
somebody who loathes reading? We need to persuade our students that reading is a skill, not a natural-
born talent, and that they are capable of learning. However, all those involved in the process of education
of the child, often ask themselfes: Why do not they learn? Students might struggle with reading for different
reasons but, nevertheless, the particularity is that the intellectual abilities of students relucant to reading
are average to above average.
One of the main characteristics of struggling readers is that they cannot identify the reasons for their
difficulties. They read little and display negative attitudes towards reading. They cannot use monitoring
strategies, only employ very few surface reading strategies and overestimate their comprehension skills
(ADORE-Project, Executive Summary). Adolescents handicapped by reading problems look back on many
years of school failures. Lacking motivation and having no confidence in their own capabilities mark the
personality of RSP’s. They are well-known to try and conceal their deficits in reading literacy by loudly
announcing that they do not want to read. This self-concept prevents them from facing their reading
problems and keeps them from developing their skills.
Difficulties RSP readers are facing:
- lack of motivation
- poor performance
- fear of failure
- lack self-regulative capacities
- lack of interest in school reading materials
- lack of self-confidence in their own capabilities
- their subject-specific learning potentials and interests cannot unfold because of comprehension
problems
- weak insufficient motivation
- non-specified or defined the goal of educational reading (Why, or What do I need it for?)
- lack in the ability to apply comprehension strategies in order to create meaning

3 Few of the findings are good news for secondary educators. For example: reading interest and motivation peak in first grade
and decline steadily every year after that, with the largest one-year drop occurring when students move to middle school (McKenna
et al., 1995).