Tracey Johnson and Megan Koppes

Johnson’s and Koppes’ innovative teaching idea, “I Hate to Read Bookshelf,” targets high school students in Montana who have low reading proficiency and negative attitudes towards reading. Research shows students with low reading skills often avoid reading, which prevents them from becoming fluent readers. This self-perpetuating cycle exacerbates reading struggles. Approximately 100 out of 900 students entering Flathead High School lack proficient reading skills for their grade level. Since learning in all subjects beyond second grade relies on the ability to read and comprehend instructional texts, these struggling readers face major challenges across the curriculum. To build literacy skills, students require ongoing practice reading texts they can understand and find interesting. The I Hate to Read Bookshelf is a dedicated reading area in a high school writing center filled with high interest reading materials tailored to Montana students’ backgrounds and hobbies, such as camping, fishing, farming and survival skills. By providing relevant, engaging books and magazines, this area will encourage reluctant readers to practice reading regularly. This project offers a creative solution to improve reading proficiency among Montana’s high schoolers by making reading options relevant.