The idea that students learn and perform better when they are personally invested in something is basic psychology. In this article the author focuses on the idea that letting students have the power to choose the texts they read, and the prompts they write about can do amazing things for positively affecting student motivation, comprehension, and performance. Adolescent students know what types of entertainment appeals most to them, and this idea applies to literature also. Students know what types of texts they like to read, and will be much more passionate about a text they have a personal connection to then one that is just assigned by a teacher. Teachers must take advantage of this passion for personally preferred literature in the classroom. This We Believe is referenced to show support for this idea, and many different examples of options to integrate student choice are listed for …show more content…
These surveys could be used when studying expository texts to give students’ text to analyze that they are personally connected too. In narrative writing it is crucial to give variety of writing prompts, so students do not feel locked into one prompt, and can choose which one connects with their personality and memories best. The author stresses the importance of having a mentor text from the teacher for students to reference multiple times, and to give students something to compare what their writing should be similar to when they are done. Teachers must write these texts along with students, so that students are given the opportunity to see the process and formatting as it develops and grows into the mentor text. Integrating student choice into an ELA class requires an extensive amount of time and effort, but when implemented properly, it can do wonders for student engagement, motivation, and performance, and always pays off in the