Beyond levels and labels: applying self-determination theory to support readers

Reading levels and levelled reading have been tried and true teaching tools used for assessment and to guide the teaching of reading in classrooms for decades. However, identifying students' reading levels does not necessarily lead to success in reading for students. In strictly adhering to an instructional routine based on reading levels and choosing books based on those levels, we miss valuable opportunities to identify and celebrate children's current and learned reading practices, and importantly adhere to students' reading interests. In this article, we draw on self-determination theory from the field of motivation to rethink how we are framing our students as readers, and further urge educators to look critically at their use of reading levels and levelled reading. As opposed to solely relying on the tried and tested ways of working with readers, we instead offer an opportunity for teachers to bolster students' well-being by focusing on their motivational needs and their efficacy as readers. In designing reading instruction and activities around students' interests, choice, abilities, and interactions in the class community, we can empower students, foster their lifelong love of reading, and support their development as strong and strategic readers.