Case
Class Participation

Students are required to participate in reading during my class. Sometimes we read aloud and I'll randomly call on someone to read aloud because it's a part of their grade and ensures that they are following along and paying attention. This one particular student fails to read at any given moment that she is called on. She can read, but she just refuses to read. What can I do to encourage her to participate in class?

Posted on: 03/10/15 | Views: 1025
Solution #1
I would offer some type of reward system for the student or I would talk to the student personally about the behavior. I would encourage her to follow along with her finger so that she knows exactly where we are at all times.

Is the student shy? I have a student who is capable of reading, reads above grade level, but will not read aloud when it is her turn due to being shy.

Thanks for sharing

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Solution #2
I do a reading circle with my classes, which takes away the option to read or not to read. I know that sounds a little harsh, however, my students really enjoy the reading circle. After one semester of struggling to get students to read, I had to find something different, fun, and interactive for them. The reading circle creates a continuous read until I interrupt the circle. When I interrupt the circle, we play musical questions which connects the reading to comprehension. Believe it or not, I don't get any resistance from students about reading in the reading circle and ALL of my students read in the reading circle(struggling readers, SWD, LLL, ELL...). In order for this to work well, you must have very defined rules that students must follow, especially concerning respecting and supporting struggling readers. The reading circle works exceptionally well in my classes.
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Solution #3
Depending on the situation, perhaps you could find something that you know you will be reading in class and give it to her a day or two in advance. Explain to her that you need for her to read out loud in class for her participation grade, and then allow her to practice the passage/paragraph at home on her own to gain confidence.

Thanks for sharing

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Solution #4
I'd say it depends on how the student feels. Is she shy about reading aloud? Maybe instead of doing individual readings, you could do a choral reading with her group of desks or have all girls read then all boys read, etc. This may make her feel more comfortable. I'd also try some kind of incentive with her, starting out with the choral readings. If she reads when it's her turn, she gets 1 point. When she gets to 5 or 10 points, she gets some kind of small incentive.

Thanks for sharing

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Solution #5
Are there any exceptions to the required reading for participation activity? Could she read quickly to you before you begin the group reading activity? I think that providing accommodations for students is perfectly acceptable if it means that the student is able to show the teacher what they know.
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Solution #6
I would privately talk to her and ask her why she does not feel comfortable reading aloud. I would also encourage her and tell her that she is a great reader so her confidence will go up.
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Solution #7
I would provide the student with a heads up before you call on her. This will give the opportunity for her to prepare and possibly not feel as though she is put on the spot in class. As she becomes more comfortable with reading aloud, you can work at reducing or eliminating the heads up you provide her.

Thanks for sharing

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Solution #8
You can remind the student that reading when she's called on is part of how you grade her in the class and that her grade will fall if she doesn't participate. You could also have a conversation with her and attempt to find out her reasoning for refusing.
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Solution #9
Offer a reward for her reading. You could have a goal of reading so much aloud and she can have extra computer time or anything else the student likes to do in the class.
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