Engaging students to raise reading scores

Middle school teacher Shannon Arko of Jefferson Middle School in Aurora, Illinois, gave her sixth- and seventh-grade language arts students two tasks on their first day of school: list the books they like to read and what they are excited to learn about in class. The students will still have one required reading book, but most of their reading will be done in books that they have selected themselves. Their daily homework will be to read anything of their choosing for 20 minutes a day.

Arko's idea came in response to a challenge from principal Pat Cross to improve reading scores schoolwide. Arko hopes that increasing student motivation and engagement will help in this regard. For further information, read the full article by Stephanie Lulay appearing in the Aurora Beacon News.