Abstract
Our current education system does not ensure that a child will have had exposure to reading for pleasure. Teachers often are unprepared to encourage students to read for pleasure since it is not a focus during teacher preparation programs. The project was created to provide a handbook of learning strategies for educators to use to supplement their reading instruction curriculum and motivate their students to read for pleasure. In creating this project, literature around various practices and strategies was surveyed as a means of exploring the best practices related to reading for pleasure. The research surveyed included the impact of reading and literacy, the effects of high-stakes testing, educators as literacy leaders and their role, motivation, the significance of engagement, and the best practices for reading and writing instruction. The handbook focused on the Gradual Release of Responsibility, Metacognitive Learning, Motivation, Choice, and Interest, Direct Instruction in Vocabulary, and Using Academic Language relating to reading for pleasure based on the needs of high school teachers. The handbook is composed of a Letter to the Educator, the Introduction, the Learning Strategies, and Lesson Plans that serve as a resource for educators to implement in their classrooms.