Strengthening the Reader Self-Efficacies of Reluctant and Struggling Readers Through Literature Circles

Abstract

Although a subskills approach to reading instruction is merited in improving the reading skills of struggling readers, struggling readers also benefit from balanced literacy instruction. An overemphasis on reading subskills arguably minimizes students’ enjoyment of reading and motivation to read and may inevitably result in the formation of reluctant or struggling readers. In turn, this may diminish the self-efficacies of reluctant or struggling readers. I designed an embedded multiple case study framed by social cognitive theory to explore the potential influence of literature circles, a balanced literacy instructional strategy, on the reader self-efficacies of reluctant and struggling readers in Grades 4–6. In terms of reader self-efficacy, reluctant and struggling readers appeared to benefit more from participating in literature circles than their classmates (i.e., students with initially higher reader self-efficacies). This study is significant in providing support for a more balanced approach to reading instruction, particularly for reluctant and struggling readers.