This paper presents an overview of the Attitude-Influence model of reading, originally articulated by Matthewson (2004), and applies it to a practical classroom lesson plan. The paper explains how attitude and influence work together to shape children's reading behaviors, discusses the roles of internal and external motivators, and argues that teachers can cultivate positive reading attitudes through thoughtful instruction. A detailed lesson plan is provided, covering objectives, materials, reading methods, vocabulary strategies, comprehension activities, and assessment. A reflection section connects the lesson back to the model's core principles, emphasizing the long-term value of fostering a love of reading in young learners.
The Attitude-Influence model of reading involves teaching good attitudes about reading in an effort to influence how children feel about the reading experience. Attitude was chosen as the most important component of the model because it plays such a strong role in research conducted at a psychological level. However, attitude can be hard to measure, because it is very subjective and can fluctuate widely. That is one of the drawbacks of the Attitude-Influence model, and one of the challenges of attempting to address attitude in general in research contexts. In this model, however, attitude is not all that is considered. Influence is also very important. Influence refers to how a person is moved to read and how he or she perceives reading. If a person's attitude is positive but there is no influence, reading might not take place. The same is true if the attitude is negative but there is plenty of influence. Both components must work together in order to ensure that children learn to read and enjoy reading.
One of the best things teachers can do for their students within this model is to help establish self-concepts, goals, and values that are personal and that will lead to positive attitudes about reading. By doing this, teachers show children that reading is not only done out of necessity, but also for pleasure. When children enjoy reading, they focus on what they can learn because it is fun for them — they absorb valuable information without even realizing they are doing so. For example, a child who has previously struggled in school because he was not retaining information and did not enjoy learning needs a reason to engage with what he is being taught. If reading can be made easier and more personal in a way that is enjoyable, it is much more likely that he will succeed as a reader going forward. When children read well, they generally also perform better in their other studies, because they have better comprehension of the material.
There are both internal and external motivators when it comes to reading, and these motivators may be different for every student. Internal motivators cannot really be controlled by anyone other than the person who holds them, but external motivators are those on which a teacher must focus. If the teacher can identify external motivators for any given child, that child will have a much better chance of learning to read well and of enjoying reading as a hobby rather than merely enduring it as a requirement. Persuading students that various authors and genres have value and are worth reading can be a difficult task, which makes the creation of engaging lesson plans all the more important. When working in the classroom, it is vital that instructors foster strong reading skills and create an environment where reading is encouraged and accessible, so that students will be more motivated to participate.
"Appropriate difficulty and enjoyment foster reading habits"
For this lesson, the following objectives will be met:
Students will be introduced to reading and its value. Students will be assessed as to their current level of reading comprehension. Students will be introduced to a book and a character about which they will learn. Students will be asked to discuss what they like and dislike about the idea of reading. Students will be asked to discuss what they like and dislike about the particular book and character to which they have been introduced. Students will work with the teacher to express their feelings about reading and the motivations they have, in order to assess their attitude toward reading. The instructor will address influence and how a person can be influenced to read — or not read — something in particular.
The standards of learning define the expectations relating to student achievement and understanding. For this lesson, the children will be expected to understand the value of reading, complete an assessment that will reveal their level of reading comprehension, learn about a book and character, discuss how they feel about reading and about the book and character, work with the teacher to better articulate their attitude about reading, and understand the concepts related to how a person can be influenced by another. By meeting all of those standards, the children will have successfully completed the lesson and will be ready to move on to the next lesson, where they will learn more about the book and character.
The materials for this lesson are straightforward. A book at the children's grade level will be selected in order to introduce them to a story and a character. In addition to the book, oral assessments will be used to gauge the students' interest and understanding with respect to attitude, influence, and reading in general. By promoting a reading-friendly environment, students will be encouraged to read, and that will lead to better attitudes about reading.
When addressing students, it is important to communicate the value of attitude in an enjoyable way rather than through a lecture-style approach. By making reading and learning fun, an attitude of enjoyment about reading can begin to be cultivated. Once the value of attitude has been addressed, students will be introduced to the genre and the characters in the book. The concepts the book addresses will come next, along with how those concepts may or may not relate to prior learning experiences the students have had. Vocabulary words will then be introduced. By that point, students will be interested in the book and the characters and will therefore be motivated to learn the vocabulary words in order to engage more fully with the story. The author and illustrator of the book are also discussed, and students can examine the pictures to form predictions about the book and whether they will enjoy it.
"Guided reading, vocabulary, phonics, and writing strategies"
"Evaluation methods and model-based lesson reflection"
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