Ninja Quest Adventures

When my grandsons are hanging out with me, I often look for an adventure they haven’t experienced before. Recently, Ninja Quest Adventures looked like a perfect way for them to burn off some energy. It’s a small gym with interesting obstacles, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching my grandsons, other children, and their parents for an hour. 

Adults in the room landed in two categories. Some watched and encouraged their children when they made eye contact, mostly letting them freely explore. Others pushed their children to try the next thing, attempt the next level, with an urgency to “accomplish” the obstacles before them. This observation made me curious about how the adults were influencing the children’s experience.

The children who belonged to the first group were able to explore at a relaxed pace. Sometimes they would do an obstacle over and over and over, mastering minutiae or achieving a level of ease that comes only with practice. Without exception they would eventually move on or up to a new challenge or level of difficulty. The motivation for this group was completely intrinsic.

The second group was having fun, too, though it wasn’t marked by relaxed enjoyment. There was pressure at each station to get to the next thing. The motivation for this group was largely extrinsic.

And I thought of how similar this is to my experience in the classroom and school library. Parents sometimes tell me they worry because their child wants to read only Dog Man (I promise, they won’t stay there forever). Or a second grader will come in and tell me their mom will let them get only chapter books from now on (and I grieve that the thoughtfully curated riches of the picture-book shelves are going to be lost to this child).

I am not saying we can’t be growth focused. We can. We are. We, like the coaches in the gym, offer support, guidance, and teach to ensure growth and success.

And, as we gear up for a new school year, let’s commit to letting every student move through their reading lives like the first group in the gym. When they unreservedly choose what looks good, and freely reread if they want to, they will experience the intrinsic motivation that creates in them a lifelong love of reading.