Learn about the reading interest inventory and understand how it works. Explore the purpose of a reading interest survey and see how it helps teachers and students.
Updated: 03/04/2022
Reading Interest Inventory Purpose and Use
What is a Reading Interest Inventory?
A reading interest inventory also sometimes referred to as a reading interest survey, is a questionnaire given to encourage students' interest in reading. It can be written, oral, or online depending on the students' abilities and needs of the classroom. Questions can include the kinds of books they like and dislike, their attitudes about reading, and other opinions having to do with reading and literature. It is given to students for many reasons, but its most important function is to find out what books or stories they do and don't like. It also helps the teacher understand the needs of the students and what books or lessons to include in the reading curriculum. A major goal of giving the reading interest inventory is to encourage students to read more and to instill in them a love of reading.
Purpose of a Reading Inventory for Students
When teachers use a reading inventory for students, they can learn what kinds of books students enjoy reading. Teachers can use that information to build a classroom library offering similar or other books designed to further students' love of reading. For example, if students say they love the Goosebumps series, teachers can introduce other scary stories. Those new stories can be used to further a student's excitement for reading and continue a love of reading. Teachers and other administrators should use information from these surveys to find similar kinds of books to purchase or otherwise provide easy access. Having a strong interest in what they are reading helps increase students' desire to read and, therefore, will support them in other areas like fluency and comprehension, which can be helped by independent reading.
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How the Reading Interest Inventory Works
A reading interest inventory is usually given at the beginning of the school year. Teachers can use the information to plan out many different lessons and ideas for the classroom. Some typical questions may include:
- Do you like to read? Why or why not?
- What is your favorite book?
- What is your favorite book series?
- Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? Why?
- What types of books do you enjoy reading?
- What types of books do you not enjoy reading?
The inventory can be given on paper and is usually done this way for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students. It can also be given electronically, which has many benefits, including using software that can compile the books into an easy-to-read list. For younger elementary students and students who have difficulty writing, giving the survey orally is a usually a quick activity that provides a great deal of information about the students. When giving the inventory orally, many teachers have students use the First to Five test. Teachers hold up a book and explain to students that if they love the book, they should hold up five fingers, and if they don't like the book, they should hold up one finger. Students can also use the numbers in between if they only like it a little or if it's a good book, but not their favorite. Using this method is a great way to quickly organize students into interest groups or plan for a read aloud that will hold the students' interest.
How to Use a Reading Interest Survey
Teachers can use the information from the survey in many different ways. The main way the survey is used is to help select reading material that students actually want to read so they will stay engaged with the story and keep reading. The inventories should also be used to make sure there is a time for reading set aside for the students to chose their own reading material. Ideally this would happen everyday but as much as it can be fit into a schedule, it should be.
The survey's information is used to create lesson plans, set up independent reading time in class, purchase high-interest books for a classroom, or set up book groups or small group literature circles. By using it to purchase reading materials, it gives the students access to a wide range of reading materials that they may not find in a textbook or curriculum-based reading program.
A Reading Interest Inventory
By this point in our lives, most of us agree that reading is pretty awesome. We read for education, for relaxation, for entertainment. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm is not shared by all. Learning to read can be a difficult process for many children. For those to whom this does not come naturally, the thought of having to read can be stressful and intimidating. So, as educators, it is our job to not only teach children to read, but to motivate them to want to read on their own, outside of a school setting.
Students who read independently will become better readers, but they're not likely to do this if they don't enjoy reading. Thankfully, some very smart educators have put a lot of thought and time into this and have come up with some practical solutions. One of these is the reading interest inventory, a survey to establish a child's reading interests. This technique helps teachers combat reading difficulties by tailoring individual reading strategies unique to each child, designed to pique their interest and teach them what we adults already know: reading is pretty awesome.
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Small book groups or literature circles take place when about five or six students read the same book and discuss each chapter or section or answer questions. An early elementary interest survey can be used not only to make small groups, but also to pair up students for partner reading, during which students take turns reading the same book to help build comprehension and fluency skills. An interest survey can also be used in classes where students are not yet independent readers. For instance, a teacher can use the first to five strategy to introduce multiple books with the same theme and give the students options, including teacher read alouds or just flipping through the pictures of the book.
Teachers in classrooms of independent readers should use information from the survey to, first and foremost, stock their classroom with high interest reading materials for independent reading time. Independent reading helps students with fluency and increasing their reading rate. Independent reading also helps develop reading comprehension as well as vocabulary understanding and usage. Developing a love of reading opens many opportunities for students and getting them interested in reading is the first step in creating that passion. Using a reading interest survey to connect students with books will keep their attention and continue their momentum into future reading.
Lesson Summary
A reading interest survey is a questionnaire given to students to see what kinds of books they enjoy reading, what books they don't enjoy reading, and their overall attitude towards books and reading. This can be given orally, written, or digitally depending on the needs of the classroom. Also known as a reading interest inventory, the main purpose is to help teachers instill a passion for reading by providing students with materials they want to read (rather being forced to read). Most of these books are used for independent reading time, but they can also be used to create small groups for literature circles or pair up younger students to read picture books together. Typical questions on the surveys include what is your favorite book, do you like reading, what is your favorite book series, and what books do you not enjoy. For younger elementary students, a strategy called First to Five asks students to hold up fingers to show if they like a given book or not. Holding up one finger means they don't like it, while five fingers up means it's their favorite book.
Teachers should use the information from the reading interest survey to stock their classroom library for independent reading. They can also use it for lesson planning, small group reading, or partner reading but having these books purely for student enjoyment yields the best results. The information gained from the student reading inventory can help build a love of reading, in turn increasing vocabulary and comprehension skills as well as producing a lifelong reader.
How It Works
Okay, so what exactly does the reading interest inventory look like? Basically, it's a short survey designed to identify the parts of reading that interest a student the most. Common questions include things like:
- What are your favorite books you've ever read?
- Rank these genres of books from your most favorite to least favorite.
- What are your favorite hobbies?
There are dozens of these inventories available online and through educational research publishers, but the general idea is to figure out where the student's interests are. Now, since this survey is designed for those students who are struggling with reading, you may have to give the survey orally.
For younger students, many teachers also turn to the First to Five Test, asking students to hold up a number of fingers to indicate their interest. Read the title and the first page of a story, then have the student hold up a number of fingers to indicate how interesting this is to them, where one finger is not interested at all and five fingers is very interested.
Purpose
So, what's the point of the survey? This is not a tool to specifically teach reading skills. It's all about motivation. The theory is that by understanding student's interests the teacher can provide the books that will be the most fun for them to read. If we can get students excited about reading, they will be much more likely to voluntarily read on their own outside of school, which is critical for their development as readers.
How to Use It
Great. The student has taken the reading interest inventory, and you have the information in your hand. Now what? How do we apply this? There are a few things we can consider. First, let's look at classroom time. There are two basics to increasing reading motivation. First, give students time to read. Setting aside a clear reading time and making this a relaxed, enjoyable part of the day helps make reading a recreational routine. Second, give students access to a wide range of materials. Make sure your class library is stocked with reading material from different genres and different difficulty levels, from newspapers and comics, to chapter books and novels. If you don't have a class library, schedule weekly time to go to the school library. Individual reading time should be a chance for students to explore material that's within their interests, so you need to ensure you have access to diverse materials that fits these interests.
The reading interest inventory also helps with classroom management when it comes to reading time. Students who are unmotivated to read may often have difficulty selecting their own reading material. By using the inventory survey you can think of recommendations and help students find reading materials that are most in line with their reading level and interests.
Many teachers have also found success in using these surveys to build up classroom reading interest groups. Let's say you have a bunch of students that like fantasy novels, a bunch who like non-fiction and a group that's into mysteries. Starting miniature book clubs in class helps students associate reading with social activity. And grouping students of similar reading levels together can help them feel like they're not alone.
Using the natural interest of a student can help turn reading from a chore into a reward. Making reading something that the student wants to do, rather than has to do, is a critical stage for developing, and maintaining, full literacy.
Lesson Summary
Teaching reading is hard to do if students don't care about it. Maintaining interest in reading is critical to getting students to read independently outside of school, and the reading interest inventory can help teachers achieve this. A reading interest inventory is a survey to establish a child's reading interests, so that the teacher can help that student find the most appropriate reading material.
The purpose of the survey is not to teach reading skills, or test reading levels, but just to figure out what sort of material would get a student most excited about reading. Two basics to increasing motivation are giving students time to read and giving students access to a wide range of materials. Many teachers also use reading interest inventories to group students of similar interests together, making reading a social event.
We all know that reading is awesome, and we want our students to figure that out as well. The reading interest inventory can be a great way to get there.
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Video Transcript
A Reading Interest Inventory
By this point in our lives, most of us agree that reading is pretty awesome. We read for education, for relaxation, for entertainment. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm is not shared by all. Learning to read can be a difficult process for many children. For those to whom this does not come naturally, the thought of having to read can be stressful and intimidating. So, as educators, it is our job to not only teach children to read, but to motivate them to want to read on their own, outside of a school setting.
Students who read independently will become better readers, but they're not likely to do this if they don't enjoy reading. Thankfully, some very smart educators have put a lot of thought and time into this and have come up with some practical solutions. One of these is the reading interest inventory, a survey to establish a child's reading interests. This technique helps teachers combat reading difficulties by tailoring individual reading strategies unique to each child, designed to pique their interest and teach them what we adults already know: reading is pretty awesome.
How It Works
Okay, so what exactly does the reading interest inventory look like? Basically, it's a short survey designed to identify the parts of reading that interest a student the most. Common questions include things like:
- What are your favorite books you've ever read?
- Rank these genres of books from your most favorite to least favorite.
- What are your favorite hobbies?
There are dozens of these inventories available online and through educational research publishers, but the general idea is to figure out where the student's interests are. Now, since this survey is designed for those students who are struggling with reading, you may have to give the survey orally.
For younger students, many teachers also turn to the First to Five Test, asking students to hold up a number of fingers to indicate their interest. Read the title and the first page of a story, then have the student hold up a number of fingers to indicate how interesting this is to them, where one finger is not interested at all and five fingers is very interested.
Purpose
So, what's the point of the survey? This is not a tool to specifically teach reading skills. It's all about motivation. The theory is that by understanding student's interests the teacher can provide the books that will be the most fun for them to read. If we can get students excited about reading, they will be much more likely to voluntarily read on their own outside of school, which is critical for their development as readers.
How to Use It
Great. The student has taken the reading interest inventory, and you have the information in your hand. Now what? How do we apply this? There are a few things we can consider. First, let's look at classroom time. There are two basics to increasing reading motivation. First, give students time to read. Setting aside a clear reading time and making this a relaxed, enjoyable part of the day helps make reading a recreational routine. Second, give students access to a wide range of materials. Make sure your class library is stocked with reading material from different genres and different difficulty levels, from newspapers and comics, to chapter books and novels. If you don't have a class library, schedule weekly time to go to the school library. Individual reading time should be a chance for students to explore material that's within their interests, so you need to ensure you have access to diverse materials that fits these interests.
The reading interest inventory also helps with classroom management when it comes to reading time. Students who are unmotivated to read may often have difficulty selecting their own reading material. By using the inventory survey you can think of recommendations and help students find reading materials that are most in line with their reading level and interests.
Many teachers have also found success in using these surveys to build up classroom reading interest groups. Let's say you have a bunch of students that like fantasy novels, a bunch who like non-fiction and a group that's into mysteries. Starting miniature book clubs in class helps students associate reading with social activity. And grouping students of similar reading levels together can help them feel like they're not alone.
Using the natural interest of a student can help turn reading from a chore into a reward. Making reading something that the student wants to do, rather than has to do, is a critical stage for developing, and maintaining, full literacy.
Lesson Summary
Teaching reading is hard to do if students don't care about it. Maintaining interest in reading is critical to getting students to read independently outside of school, and the reading interest inventory can help teachers achieve this. A reading interest inventory is a survey to establish a child's reading interests, so that the teacher can help that student find the most appropriate reading material.
The purpose of the survey is not to teach reading skills, or test reading levels, but just to figure out what sort of material would get a student most excited about reading. Two basics to increasing motivation are giving students time to read and giving students access to a wide range of materials. Many teachers also use reading interest inventories to group students of similar interests together, making reading a social event.
We all know that reading is awesome, and we want our students to figure that out as well. The reading interest inventory can be a great way to get there.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a reading interest inventory important?
A reading interest inventory is important because using texts students actually want to read helps shape them to become lifelong readers. By providing reading materials they enjoy, students will want to read and increase fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
How do you measure reading interest?
Creating a reading interest survey can be done orally, written on paper, or digitally. As long as students provide answers to questions about their likes and dislikes of genres and other kinds of books, the reading interest inventory can be given in any method best suited to the students.
What is the purpose of a reading survey?
The purpose of the reading survey is to purchase or provide books that align with the students likes and dislikes. Ideally, students would also be provided time to enjoy these books independently.
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BackResources created by teachers for teachers
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& teaching resources‐all
in one place.
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Back
Reading Interest Survey Purpose & Use | Reading Interest Inventory
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