Chapter 8

I think one of the most important things in this chapter is how to motivate children to read and write.  Children need motivation and examples that can help and guide them through their learning process.  Because children hear a lot of negativity throughout their school years, they need that extra push that will help them see that they can do whatever they want to do if they set their mind to it.  According to the book, "Researchers have found that motivation in schools promote: (1) choice, (2) challenge, (3) relevance, (4) authenticity, (5) social collaboration, and (6) success."

In order for children to have an open mind, they need to have kind words in the backs of their minds reminding them that they can do whatever they want.  Here is a picture with examples of what types of motivational phrases they can use instead of negative ones:

Saying these types of phrases to themselves can really help boost students' confidence and make them motivated.
One way that I have learned first-hand is that children LOVE to watch you write and read.  When I was teaching lesson plans in a Kindergarten classroom at Burris Elementary, the students loved to watch us model our writings from the lesson.  When you model literacy and writing for children, it gives them motivation to create their own writing and read what they want to read.  Another big thing that I plan on incorporating in my classroom is a "classroom library".  This will definitely promote literacy in the classroom.  Allowing children to check out books to take home with them will not only let the children read while in school, but expand that time to outside of the classroom.  Bringing a book home with them can involve their parents, caregivers, siblings, grandparents, and relatives in reading and literacy.