Motivating Reluctant Writers

Multi-genre Essay
My topic for the multi-genre research paper is motivation for beginning or reluctant
writers. I chose this particular topic because I wish to explore different ways that I can
motivate my future students. The concept of writing can be a nerve wracking experience for
some students, especially if there is a lack of motivation. As a preservice teacher, I am aware
that I will have to work with and support all my learners, but how do you make writing class
enjoyable for students who just arent having it? Students who struggle with writing can
struggle in many areas such as: adding detail, word choice, selecting a topic, organization,
handwriting and mechanics, and fluency (Richardson, 2002).
My personal experience with learning how to write was frustrating. Although I often
lacked motivation to put my pencil down on paper, I had even less motivation to finish any
writing piece. I cant remember most of the strategies my teachers attempted with me or
which strategies were successful and which were learning experiences. Although I do not
have experience with motivating writers in specific, I have learned general motivation
techniques while working with an after school program. Whenever I encounter a child who
was bored or uninterested with a game or activity, I would ask the group ways that we
could make this game even better and would tailor the game based on some suggestions.
When encountering a child who was shy or too self conscious to participate, Id start the
activity off with an icebreaker that would lower affective filters for everyone in the room. I
would also find a way to lift their self esteem by picking activities that would showcase their
strengths rather than weaknesses (Meyerson, 2006).
The reason this topic is so crucial for me is because setting the tone that writing is fun
and dynamic will set up students for success in the future. In order to fully grasp motivation, I
researched several key areas. I want to compare and contrast the reasons why some
students are motivated and why others are unmotivated, which situations help and which
situations hinder motivation and the best times to implement various strategies. Finding the
answers to these questions will help me understand how to encourage future learners to
become life long writers and excited to write for fun.

Motivating Reluctant Writers

References

Bromley, K., & Powell, P. (1999). Interest journals motivate student writers.
The reading teacher, 53(2), 111.
Alber, S. R. (1999). FOCUS ON MAINSTREAMING:''I DON'T LIKE TO WRITE, BUT
I LOVE TO GET PUBLISHED'': USING A CLASSROOM NEWSPAPER TO MOTIVATE
RELUCTANT WRITERS. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 15(4), 355-360.
Troia, G.A. (2009). Instruction and assessment for struggling writers (1st ed.)
Spring Street, NY: Guilford Press.
Meyerson, M.J. (2006). Strategies for struggling readers and writers: step by step
nd

(2

ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Person Education, Inc.