Improving Reading Proficiency in Morocco Begins with Teachers’ Reading Habits

Adil Bentahar, English Language Institute and School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware

I grew up in Morocco, where I first learned to read in my mother tongue Arabic in Grade One, French in Grade Three, and English as a tenth grader. In the past two decades, I have grown used to hearing news on the poor reading proficiency levels in Moroccan public schools. The factors behind such lingering include students’ overall language proficiencies, age, motivation, thinking abilities, learning environment; parental engagement with reading; the number of books at home; as well as the country’s educational reading assessment practices (The Research Triangle Institute [RTI], 2014). While it is important to consider student accountability for their reading outcomes, this article redirects the focus from students to educators. First, I examine related literature, explain the Peter Effect, and suggest recommendations for reading practitioners in Morocco and beyond.

Advancing Reading in Morocco

In 2022, USAID published a landmark report titled “Reading for Success-National Program for Reading,” highlighting its results from a five-year-long strategy to improve the overall student Arabic reading proficiency in elementary schools across Morocco. Numerous impediments continue to loom large in the area of early-grade reading performance. With 70% of Moroccan first graders unable to read at grade level, many questions emerge regarding the status of Moroccan student reading performance and the likely role of instructional and learning practices in Moroccan classrooms. To further understand the topic, another initiative zeroed in on reading, this time by targeting Moroccan teacher preparation programs.

USAID and the Moroccan Ministry of Education and Vocational Training investigated the factors hindering Moroccan student language acquisition, this time in an attempt to understand the content and expectations of Moroccan teacher preparation centers (RTI, 2014). The study aimed, inter alia, at a) analyzing initial teacher training [preparation] and reading instruction and b) examining stakeholders’ opinions and attitudes and the latter’s influence on their teaching practices. Perhaps the perceived dissatisfaction with reading proficiency warrants an examination of covert factors, including those associated with the teachers’ backgrounds and attitudes. Let’s first revisit a common dichotomy of good and bad readers, this time with an eye on teachers.

You can’t give what you don’t have [aka the Peter Effect]

Two common categories differentiate readers—the Transactional reader and the Reduced reader. Unlike reduced readers, who generally view reading as an exacting experience fraught with pain and devoid of meaning, transactional readers approach reading with purpose and can find meaning and pleasure in their reading experience. Most teachers rejoice when they encounter avid readers because such interaction with [Transactional] student readers can be contagious, resulting in “significant advantages in the academic lives of these young people” (Applegate et al., 2014, p. 189). Such an effect goes both ways; teachers must possess [or at least show] an affinity for reading, which their students will ultimately feel, notice, and emulate.

One of the concepts associated with teacher reading habits is the Peter Effect, which is founded on the premise that a person cannot be expected to give what they do not have. Applegate et al. (2014) surveyed 1,025 college sophomores to study whether the love of reading among preservice teachers had improved significantly and whether the lack of enthusiasm for reading is largely restricted to education majors or common among students of other majors. Unlike in their 2004 study, where only 48.5% of the preservice teacher participants were described as enthusiastic readers, the number rose by 2.6% (51.1%), and almost 40% of the gain “may be accounted for the inclusion of students preparing to [teach] in middle and secondary school” (Applegate et al., 2014, p. 196). Teachers with a passion for reading and those who read in their free time will most likely inspire students to engage with the text and enjoy reading. The same applies to teacher educators and teacher inspectors whose reading is transactional in their attempt to leave a positive impact on their target audiences.

Another piece of evidence of the Peter Effect among teachers (preservice- and in-service) is that their personal beliefs and daily practices affect their teaching and their success—or lack thereof—in instilling an affinity for reading in their students. Mckool and Gespass (2009) explored how elementary school teachers’ reading habits inform their instructional decisions and practices in the reading classroom. The researchers surveyed 65 elementary school teachers from New Jersey, Florida, and Texas. They specifically asked the participants to record the amount of time spent on each activity daily and list their instructional strategies most cherished and used in the reading classroom. McKool and Gespass concluded that teachers who are readers a) manifest their passion for reading; b) are more likely to leverage instructional strategies that reflect their enthusiasm for reading, c) use metacognitive strategies such as read-aloud, d) give students greater choice in reading materials, e) model specific strategies and allow students to read in class, and f) engage in deep conversations about reading with students. Aren’t these the behaviors and attitudes teachers hope to see in the classroom?

Influence of Teacher Attitudes and Practices on Reading Instruction

Pre-service and in-service teachers' attitudes and daily practices can greatly impact language teaching and learning. Adept teachers seize the opportunity to instill in students the enthusiasm and passion for reading, which less competent teachers might lack due to several factors. The latter include educators’ perceptions and attitudes toward reading, low frequency of interaction with the written text, and excessive exposure to television viewing and Internet browsing. While such a connection between these factors and the quality of instructional practices has yet to be confirmed empirically, I have learned from my experience as a former EFL teacher in Morocco [and from ongoing research] and current teacher educator that, before questioning student reading frequency, teachers’ reading habits must be examined. Overall, practice and research highlight pre-service and in-service teachers’ attitudes and reading habits as key factors that positively or negatively influence student engagement with reading.

Recommendations

Teachers’ reading practices and attitudes toward reading can affect students’ attitudes toward and ultimately overall performance in reading. With the appropriate modifiers, I propose the following recommendations for teachers in and beyond Morocco.

1) Regularly read academic articles (practitioner and research) on their teaching areas. Building this habit and discipline will help them keep abreast of both the innovations and discussions surrounding their respective fields (e.g., Sciences, Social Studies, and Math) and the academic vocabulary that they will need to use or teach in their classrooms.

2) Regardless of the subject taught—language or content—build a habit of reading with and to their students in the classroom. The reading text could be selected by the students. While this suggestion might seem unreasonable and impractical to some, let’s remember that a short 10-15 minute reading of the subject-related text can inculcate in students an affinity not only for the content/topic but also for the habit of reading.

3) Talk about reading and its importance as a crucial skill that benefits readers in various ways. For instance, they can give examples of what they read in their free time. Personalizing and opening up to students can change certain misconceptions about reading or its perceived difficulties. For instance, in my classroom, the students are often surprised to learn that their university professor still encounters unfamiliar vocabulary and resorts to guessing its meaning without looking up every new word. As a proud classroom teacher and a lifelong learner, I leverage any opportunity to demonstrate my vulnerabilities as a reader and successes in coping with reading because regardless of where students are, there is always room for improvement and excellence in reading.

4) Ensure reading is part of any speaking or writing assignments (See suggested activities in Bentahar and Cranker (2021)). Integrating skills can be powerful in terms of building students’ confidence and adding value and meaning to language and content activities.

Conclusion

As a reading practitioner, researcher, and teacher educator, I’ve always heard about the importance of promoting student-generated mechanisms to foster autonomy in reading; I am also reminded of how language development in L1 might shape readers’ learning experiences in L2 and L3 settings, e.g., through strategy transfer—see Bentahar & Biler’s (2025) study—from Arabic to French and English in the case of Morocco. But what about the influence [direct and indirect] exercised by the teachers that can nurture student buy-in and engagement with reading? I believe that the reading habits of pre-service and in-service teachers can a) inform a deeper understanding of the cognitive and learning processes in student reading and b) foster an affinity for reading and the motivation to read independently.

References

Applegate, A. J., Applegate, M. D., Mercantini, M. A., McGeehan, C. M., Cobb, J. B., DeBoy, J. R., Modla, V. B., & Lewinski, K. E. (2014). The Peter Effect revisited: Reading habits and attitudes of college students. Literacy Research and Instruction, 53(3), 188–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2014.898719

Bentahar, A. & Biler, A. (2025). Reading strategically: Comparing the use of metacognitive strategies in L1 university and L2 IEP students. EnglishUSA Journal, 11, 5–16. https://surface.syr.edu/englishusa_journal/vol11/iss1/6

Bentahar, A. & Cranker, K. (2021). Enhancing IEP reading and writing courses with activities that integrate skills. GATESOL in Action Journal, 31(1), 54–60. https://doi.org/10.52242/gatesol.113

McKool, S. S & Gespass, S. (2009). Does Johnny's reading teacher love to read? How teachers' personal reading habits affect instructional practices. Literacy Research and Instruction, 48(3), 264-276. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388070802443700

The Research Triangle Institute. (2014, October 20). Research on Reading in Morocco: Analysis of Initial Teacher Training Final Report: Component 2. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00m2wm.pdf

United States Agency for International Development [USAID]. (2022, January 19). Reading for Success - National program for reading. https://www.usaid.gov/morocco/fact-sheets/reading-success-national-program-reading

Adil Bentahar, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware's English Language Institute and School of Education. He teaches first-year English Composition and cultural diversity courses in the MA-TESL program. He is a Faculty Fellow for the ACHIEVE Program at the university. His research centers around ELT in Morocco and L2 reading instruction.