Being a reader or learning how to read is not something many have to think about. So, I would like to take you on a quick journey. Think back to your first memory of your reading life. Was someone reading to you? Was it a favorite childhood book? Was it a book you remember reading as a child? Was it part of a series? Take a moment to make a mental picture of this time. Was it joyful or was it a struggle?
As a literacy coach, one of the most important questions I’ve gotten from teachers, parents, and mentors is, “How can I get my child/student to want to read?” Wanting to do something makes a task seem so much more tempting and doable. One of the best responses I can give to anyone who asks comes from one of my favorite books, From Striving to Thriving How to Grow Confident Capable Readers by Stephanie Harvey and Annie Ward.
In this book, Harvey and Ward introduce readers to the idea of book formats with appealingly low effort-to-reward ratios. They go on to give an analogy of a bicycle. If you find yourself wanting to go on a nice bike ride, it is not the most appealing to start off at the bottom of a steep hill. It is similar to choosing a new book. Imagine a child choosing a book that is too difficult. It would be like pedaling that bike (from a dead stop) up that steep hill. Striving (struggling) readers will use all their effort trying to comprehend the very beginning of the story and more than likely give up before making any headway into the book.
We, as parents, educators, and mentors, have to weigh the effort to be invested in a book (considering the text length, challenges, and complexity) against the rewards provided (interesting characters, illustrations, details, and plots) (Harvey & Ward, 2017). Encouraging children to read is the best gift we can give them and finding books with low effort-to-reward rations is a great support strategy. Striving readers often benefit from book series, how-to books, anthologies, infographics, joke books, graphic novels, and anything that lights the spark. It may not be a book of our choice, but if it lights the spark in a child’s eye, then the bike is rolling!
Diana Lerch
Mesmerized by the stories and the lilt of her grandma’s voice as she read, Diana became an avid reader herself, soaking up the world of words, characters, and imagination found in books. Diana taught kindergarten, first, and second grades; and is now entering her 26th year in education as an Early Literacy Coach walking alongside teachers to promote essential literacy practices.