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[Music] Welcome to the Overview
on Establishing Motivating Contexts

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for Reading and Encouraging
Text Discussions.

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When students are taught reading
comprehension in a motivating

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environment, they are more likely
to become better readers.

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A motivating environment is one where:
There are engaging opportunities

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for students to read
and discuss what they are reading,

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the purpose of reading is clearly
conveyed, and there is a consistent

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focus on the larger goal of learning.

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Reading should be a prominent consideration 
in how K-3 classrooms are set up.

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Classroom libraries should be filled
with books that are both interesting

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to students and clearly organized
by theme, for example.

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Reading areas should have comfortable
seating to help make reading together

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a pleasant experience.

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Giving choices also helps
engage students.

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Teachers can: allow students to choose
from a variety of reading activities

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or centers; permit students
to choose the order

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in which they complete their work;
ask students what interests them

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and lead them to relevant texts;
give students different ways to respond

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to what they've read, such as writing,
discussing, or drawing;

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and allow students to choose
from a selection of texts

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that serve an instructional purpose.

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Teachers can engage students
through hands-on science activities,

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dramatic performances, and drawing
or crafts that relate to what they read.

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For example, after reading about plants,
a class might plant seeds in small pots.

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The teacher can help students make
meaningful connections

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between what they've read
and their experience.

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Reading comprehension activities should
be challenging but attainable

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with effort so that students learn
to appreciate the value of a challenge.

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Difficult texts and reading 
mistakes can be presented

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as opportunities to learn.

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Teachers should encourage students
to face these challenges,

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while helping them set goals,
monitoring their progress,

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and providing positive feedback
on their performance.

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This kind of support can increase
students' motivation to read.

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Discussion about text is not only social
and engaging, but helps students better

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understand what they are reading
and gives teachers the opportunity

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to directly support students
in their learning.

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By talking about important reading
strategies, such as questioning,

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summarizing, and re-reading,
students gain a clearer sense of how

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to approach texts.

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Four factors contribute to the success
of a whole group discussion.

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The first two are related to planning:
Select texts that are compelling enough

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to spark a discussion, such as stories
in which a character faces a real-world

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problem or dilemma;
create a discussion guide

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with higher-order questions
that prompt students

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to think more deeply about the text.

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The other two factors relate
to sustaining and expanding the

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discussion: Use follow-up questions
that lead students to think about,

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elaborate on, and justify their
answers-- questions like

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"What makes you say that?"
and "Can you explain what you meant?"

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Divide the class into smaller groups,
and ask students

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to discuss the text among themselves.

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Collaborative learning activities 
can be very motivating for students.

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Activities need
to be carefully structured

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so that all students work together
and see their individual contribution

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as valuable.

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Teachers can have students work
in pairs to: read and discuss a text;

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retell a story,
identify main characters,

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or make predictions
about how a story will end;

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learn interesting facts
from informational texts;

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and perform stories in a skit
or play format.

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It is important to meet kindergarten
through third-grade students' needs

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when engaging in group discussions.

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Start with short discussions,
and then expand them

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as students develop their skills.

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Model discussion behavior.

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Post and refer to class guidelines
for discussions.

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Give students time
to formulate their thoughts.

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Before a discussion,
give students questions to reflect

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on through either writing or drawing.

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Give students practice
by having discussions frequently.

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Students may need assistance staying
on task during group work.

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This may require close monitoring 
or assigning responsibilities

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This may require close monitoring
or assigning responsibilities

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to students in each group,
such as keeping the discussion on task

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or asking questions.

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Younger students might perform 
better in pairs.

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Teachers can provide discussion aids,
like graphic organizers, pictures,

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or question prompts, which students 
can share and use in their discussion.

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Reflecting on group work
as a class can lead

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to improvement over time.

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Students can do self-evaluations
and talk with the teacher

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about what went well
and what needs work.

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Creating a motivating classroom
environment means offering choices

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and giving students frequent
opportunities to talk

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about what they read.

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It involves shifting from thinking
about reading as a solitary process

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to envisioning reading
as active engagement

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with text and others.

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[Music] To learn more about
Establishing Motivating Contexts

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for Reading and Encouraging
Text Discussion, please explore

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the additional resources on the
Doing What Works website.