Read More Project: Reading Ability and Motivation Issues

Abstract

College-age students and adults who sign up for the Read More Project, a voluntary, extracurricular class at a private university in Sapporo, Japan, have different expectations and face different problems. This paper presents a study of the problems experienced by the students and the instructor during the Read More Project and describes measures taken to address them. The data from pre- and post-reading speed and comprehension tests show that slow readers and learners with low proficiency in English need to read a certain number of the lowest-level Graded Readers to make a significant impact on their English reading skills. A variety of activities are used during the project to keep students’ motivation high, as well as improve reading speed and comprehension, and develop reader autonomy and good reading habits.