What Story Is Your Student Telling Themselves About Reading?

Long before children can explain how they feel about reading, they begin developing beliefs about themselves as readers. They notice when reading comes easily to their classmates but feels difficult for them. They recognize when teachers call on them to read aloud, move them into a different reading group, or offer extra help. Even seemingly small classroom experiences can shape how children view their abilities.

As an educator, you spend a great deal of time assessing reading skills, identifying areas of need, and planning instruction. It's equally important to consider how students feel about their progress and what they believe their reading experiences say about them.

As we discuss in our first episode of TIL Season 6, "The Stories We Carry," early literacy experiences can shape the stories children tell themselves about who they are as learners. Those stories can follow them throughout their educational journey and beyond.

Reading Experiences Shape Reading Identity

Learning to read involves developing complex skills, from phonemic awareness and decoding to spelling, fluency, and language comprehension. But we often come back to the idea that learning doesn't happen in isolation, so this isn’t everything that students are absorbing.

A child who picks up reading easily may associate early literacy experiences with excitement and success. A child who struggles to connect sounds and letters or read unfamiliar words may associate those same experiences with frustration and uncertainty.

Over time, repeated difficulties can lead children to develop beliefs such as "I'm not good at reading," "I can't do this," or "I hate reading." These beliefs can influence their willingness to participate, tackle challenging tasks, and take academic risks.

Research supports the connection between reading achievement and reading self-concept. In their 1997 longitudinal study, Chapman and Tunmer examined the relationship between beginning reading achievement and children's perceptions of themselves as readers. Their findings point to a reciprocal relationship: Reading achievement and reading self-concept influence one another over time. 

This connection reminds us to consider the whole learner as we plan literacy instruction.

Pay Attention to the Messages Students Receive

Children notice more than we sometimes realize. They recognize differences between themselves and their peers, and they pick up on the language and expectations surrounding reading instruction.

Consider some everyday classroom experiences that may influence a child's reading identity:

• Reading groups: Students often know which group they're in and may make assumptions about what that placement says about their abilities.
• Reading aloud: A student who struggles to decode may begin avoiding opportunities to read in front of classmates.
• Writing assignments: Children who worry about spelling may choose simpler words or shorter sentences to avoid mistakes.
• Teacher feedback: General comments about effort or ability may leave students unsure about what they're doing well or how they're progressing.

These practices all serve important instructional purposes. Your approach and the language you use can help students feel supported as they develop their skills.

Behavior is Communication

Sometimes, a student's behavior tells you something about their literacy experiences that they may not yet have the words to express.

A child who avoids reading aloud might worry about making a mistake. A student who rushes through an assignment might feel overwhelmed. A learner who insists they don't care may actually care deeply but feel discouraged by repeated struggles.

Instead of immediately interpreting these behaviors as a lack of motivation, take a closer look. Identify which skills feel difficult, where the student experiences success, and whether your instruction addresses their individual learning needs.

Nancy Young's Ladder of Reading and Writing offers a helpful framework for understanding the different levels of ease with which children acquire literacy skills. It also reinforces the importance of matching instruction, scaffolding, and practice to individual learners.

Help Students Build a New Story

One of the most meaningful things you can do as a literacy educator is help students recognize their own progress.

• Make success visible: Rather than relying on general praise, offer specific feedback that helps children understand what they've accomplished. Point out when a student successfully applies a decoding strategy, reads a previously challenging word, or recognizes a spelling pattern they've practiced.
• Provide achievable challenges: Appropriate scaffolding and meaningful practice allow students to experience success as they continue developing essential skills.
• Make room for conversation: Ask students how they feel about reading, what they find challenging, and what they're proud of accomplishing. Their responses can offer insight into how they view themselves as readers.

And remember, a difficult start doesn't determine a child's future. As Casey and Emily remind us: it's never too late. With appropriate instruction, meaningful support, and opportunities to recognize progress, students can begin to change the stories they tell themselves.

We can't control every experience a child has while learning to read. But we can be intentional about the experiences we create in our classrooms.

As you work with your students, take time to reflect on the messages they receive through their literacy experiences. Your instruction, feedback, and encouragement can help them develop confidence in their abilities and a stronger sense of what they can achieve.

Hear more:

• 5.9 The Gift and Curse of Dyslexia with Deon Butler
• 5.18 Season 5 Finale: What Do Students with Dyslexia Really Need?
• 6.1 The Stories We Carry: When Learning Feels Different