ENCOURAGES SETTING—AND ACHIEVING—READING GOALS “To be independent and successful, all readers must assume responsibility for self-assessment: setting clear goals for reading, monitoring progress along the reading path, and determining if reading is successful” (Afflerbach, 2016, p. 416). Goals drive much of what people do every day, from going to the gym to completing work assignments. Self-set goals have a strong influence on learning (Hattie, 2012) and are more effective than assigned ones. In one study, sixth graders with learning disabilities were taught subtraction in a series of classes. Before instruction began, one group of students set goals for their performance, another group had comparable goals assigned to them, and a third group learned without goals. Those who set their own goals had the highest self-efficacy and did the best at subtraction (Schunk, 1990). The best goals are specific, proximal, and difficult (Schunk, 2001). Specific goals promote self- efficacy because progress is easy to gauge. They also boost performance by providing precise details about how to achieve success. Proximal goals are better than distal ones because they are accomplished faster and facilitate self-evaluations of progress. When students perceive progress in their reading, they feel capable of improving their skills, connecting the dots between practice and proficiency. Finally, goals should be challenging enough to both motivate and allow students to self-regulate. In studying children’s motivations for reading, literacy experts concluded that intrinsic motivation and learning goals “are crucial predictors of long-term participation” (Wigfield & Guthrie, 1997, p. 429).
SCHOLASTIC LITERACY PRO FOUNDATION PAPER 14
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