| The Use of Multiple Intelligences Assessments to Motivate Elementary Readers. by Joanne M. Duncan New England College, May 2016 Motivation to read for pleasure is a dying art among elementary school students. Although reading for pleasure is not assessed by The Nation's Report Card of Reading (2015), the data does indicate that our children have demonstrated little improvement in reading proficiency since 1992, hence the need to further explore the root cause of this problem. This action-research, mixed methods study investigated how the use of Multiple Intelligences reading assessment activities influenced reading for pleasure. Scholarly research supports the inclusion of choice, collaboration, ownership, and relevance as part of well-designed reading instruction, yet studies on reading motivation from an assessment perspective are limited. The findings of this study suggest that using Multiple Intelligences activities as a reading assessment have a positive impact on reading motivation. Many participants report that the routine of writing, which usually follows their reading work, diminished their motivation to read. However, the participants did acknowledge a sense of empowerment that accompanied having choice and autonomy over their post reading activities as a driving force to engage in the reading task. It is the recommendation of this researcher to continue further studies on how the use of Multiple Intelligences assessments might influence reading motivation as well as reading achievement, and to consider the importance of seeking alternative means by which to assess student growth.;Keywords: intrinsic motivation, reading motivation, Reader's Workshop, Multiple Intelligences, reading for pleasure, reading proficiency. |
