1. WHY SHOULD WE INTERVIEW STUDENTS

2. Presentation topic: I choose interviewing children as my final presentation topic because from taking Principles of Research and my experiences in tutoring during Remediation I learned how valuable interviewing can be as a data source especially interviewing children when you are in fact studying how something affects children.

3. Because Kids say the Darndest Things… A SHORT CLIP TO REMIND US ALL THAT KIDS SAY THE DARNEST THINGS- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFXti_KRcLw But in all seriousness…

4. Because they know… My research focused on the affects of using reading/writing material specific to students’ interests and likes on students’ motivation. I wanted to know if it would motivate the unmotivated when reading or writing about something that interests them. This semester taught me there’s no one better to answer that question than the students themselves.

5. Important Points to Remember  If your studying kids, make them active participants in your study, ask them questions you’ll learn more about what they think.  For my study no one else could better answer my big question than the students themselves, what motivates them to read?

6. Ask the Right Questions YES OR NO NO- YES OR NO QUESTIONS THEY LIMIT THE RESPONSES YOU WILL RECEIVE. Do not ask- Would you read books assigned by your teacher? Instead ask- Why would you decide to read or not read a book assigned by your teacher? Interview questions should be open-ended!

7. Different types of Questions: Use a variety of different types of questions such as: Grand Tour-Describe a typical reading session Recapture a time- Tell me about a time you really enjoyed reading Evoke an opinion/value- How do you feel about the books you read in school? Situate yourself as a learner- Will you share with me what would be a great reading session? Ask for advice- What advice would you give to me to make reading fun?

8. In Addition to ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWING With young children it may be a good idea to interview in groups- these groups are called focus groups. It allows students to feel more comfortable and encourage them to join the discussion more. Also try using questionnaires- Questionnaires have the benefits of reaching large amount of people and obtaining general data easily. They can also help you narrow down a specific topic to focus on for one-on- one interviews or find candidates to interview one- on-one.

9. And Remember.. MAKE WORDS FLY “As an interviewer you are not a research machine, but you do “pitch” questions at your respondents with the intent of making words fly” (Glesne)