How to motivate struggling readers
How
can you motivate adolescents who have never turned on to the magic of
reading? Tutoring teenagers is as much about building self-confidence as
teaching skills. Low self-image and feelings of powerlessness trouble
many unmotivated adolescents.
Focus on the Positive
If you recognize
specific skill development -good thinking, creativity, tone, rhythm
-praise will help reinforce further development. Just remember that
adolescents won’t welcome inappropriate, excessive, or false praise. You
might notice when he arrives on time, remark that you enjoyed your last
conversation, say you’ve been thinking about what he said, or find an
article that supports her point of view. These interactions will create a
positive, trusting, and meaningful tutoring relationship.
