Although the average child's attitude toward reading is positive in early elementary school, it gets more negative year by year. By puberty, the typical kid is indifferent toward reading or even feels a bit negative. The early elementary years, when children are still mostly positive about reading, is the time to think about how to prevent this decline. In effective classrooms, reading is given a physical place of prominence. Does your classroom incorporate these six best practices? From Raising Kids Who Read by Daniel T Willingham: http://bit.ly/JBWillingham

1. Learn how to encourage positive reading attitudes in your classroom:
bit.ly/JBWillingham
Sources:
Guthrie, J. T., & Cox, K. E. (2001). Classroom conditions for motivation and engagement in reading.
Educational Psychology Review, 13(3), 283–302. doi:10.1023/A:1016627907001
Janiuk, D. M., & Shanahan, T. (1988). Applying adult literacy practices in primary grade instruction.
Reading Teacher, 41(9), 880–886. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ370154.
Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children’s motivation and
performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(1), 33–52.
Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9686450.
A teacher-generated collection of books, varying by topic
and level of difficulty, can serve as a classroom library.
Students read and absorb materials on the walls
such as colorful posters, words, and collages.
These are tools students can use again and again.
Effective reading teachers are enthusiastic and talk
about reading for pleasure in their daily lives.
Students are motivated when teachers praise their efforts
to maximize learning, such as selecting a book
that may be challenging.
Opportunities to choose what and where to read give students
greater ownership and commitment to reading.
(Hint: A classroom library is a big help here.)
Great reading teachers create opportunities for students to see
themselves as successful readers. (Be careful to avoid endless
praise, particularly for performance—speed and accuracy.
This can divert from the real focus: learning.)
Creating Positive
Reading Attitudes
Features of a Great Classroom
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DECOR
ENTHUSIASM
PRAISE
POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPT
LIBRARY
CHOICE