Recreational Reading Research Articles

Content-Based Recreational Book Reading and Taiwanese Adolescents’ Academic Achievement

The linkage between reading for pleasure and language ability has been well established, but the relationship between content-based recreational reading and academic achievement in various subject areas has rarely been explored. To investigate whether reading literature, social studies, and science trade books for pleasure is related to students’ growth in achievement for the subjects of Chinese, social studies, and science, respectively, this study used data from 4,730 students at a Taiwanese girls’ high school. Based on students’ high school entrance exam test scores in three subject areas as control variables, and their college entrance exam scores as the outcomes, the findings indicated that pleasure reading in a specific content area might lead to growth in achievement for that particular content area, and in some cases, reading in other content areas might help as well. A reading program that invites students to engage in self-sponsored reading can promote disciplinary literacy and academic achievement.

Differences in Reading Attitudes and Preferences between Gifted and Non-gifted Elementary Students

Understanding students’ abilities, attitudes, and preferences would provide educators with significant capability while designing programs and materials that are addressing participants’ needs and interests. A primary purpose of this study was to document the differences in reading attitudes and preferences between gifted and non-gifted children. In this study, a quantitative research method was employed and the numerical data were collected using a cross-sectional survey design. The summary of the MANOVA analysis indicated no significant differences in the academic and recreational reading attitudes between these gifted (n=112) and non-gifted students (n=390). Different from reading attitudes, the summary of the chi-square tests of independence indicated significant differences in reading preferences between them. There has been no prior research on Turkish gifted students’ reading attitudes and preferences. Therefore, the findings of this study remain crucial for Turkish education and literature. The authors recommend that future researchers should analyze reading attitudes and preferences of gifted and non-gifted students longitudinally so that they can observe changes in their attitudes.

Economic well-being and social justice through pleasure reading

PurposeLibrarians planning for the future and unsure about the place of books in an age dominated by technology and media need evidence to make sound decisions. Library and information science researchers have studied the impact of pleasure reading on individuals but not on society. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness about the benefits of recreational reading for societies and to consider the implications of these findings for libraries.Design/methodology/approachExamining a wide range of studies by government bodies, intergovernmental agencies and academics, this paper addresses a gap in the library literature by critically evaluating the combined implications of sources not hitherto viewed together.FindingsThe more leisure books people read, the more literate they become, and the more prosperous and equitable the society they inhabit.Practical implicationsLibrarians should create a more robust culture of reading and play a stronger advocacy role for books in libraries.Originality/valueNo one has yet examined government reports about literacy in relation to studies on the impact of pleasure reading. The implications of this combined research highlight the fact that pleasure reading benefits societies as well as individuals, a finding that has significant implications for the future direction of libraries. Decision-makers who need a robust mandate for book-focused resources and services will find supportive statistical evidence in this paper.

Patron Preferences: Recreational Reading in an Academic Library

In 2014, Sam Houston State University Library librarians distributed a survey to students, faculty and staff to better understand how the university community was using library materials for recreational reading. The survey found that patrons had preference for print materials with a growing interest in other formats. A significant number of respondents did not view the library as a source of recreational reading materials; those who did read across a broad swath of genres. Greater understanding of patron recreational reading preferences empower the library to expand the library collection to meet all patron demands.

“I don't know if she likes reading”: Are teachers perceived to be keen readers, and how is this determined?

The benefits of regular recreational reading for literacy development have been widely acknowledged, and as such, encouraging children to be life‐long readers is an educational imperative. Teachers who are models of keen recreational reading can play an important role in fostering a keen love of reading in children, so that they regularly engage in the practice. However, it is not known if all teachers have the time, inclination and awareness to actively model a love of reading in their classrooms. This article explores data from the 2016 Western Australian Study in Children's Book Reading to ascertain which teacher behaviours and attitudes children deem indicative of a love of reading. While many children did not know if their teachers liked reading or not, teachers who were perceived to be readers talked about books in the context of pleasure, were seen to read independently at school, and read aloud to the class with expression and emotional connection.

Inquiry Into the Independent Reading Development of First-Generation College Graduates With Advanced Degrees

Studies suggest that individuals with a parent who attended college or a university are more likely to attend themselves. Scholars have also argued that academic success at the highest levels requires the acquisition of a large vocabulary and fluency in multiple discourses, and that forming habits of reading various kinds of texts outside of school may be necessary. Using interviews with 40 individuals who completed advanced degrees and whose parents did not attend college, this study examined factors that may have influenced their independent reading habits. We found that each of our participants developed strong habits of recreational reading and was motivated at least in part due to relationships with various sponsors of literacy, including parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, neighbors, librarians, teachers, and church members. Social challenges to recreational reading were also noted by participants, including the challenge of learning to code switch with family members and others.

The Impact of Social Influences on High School Students’ Recreational Reading

Aliteracy, the state in which the skill to read has been acquired, but not the will, is a growing concern in research on adolescence internationally. The West Australian Study in Adolescent Book Reading (WASABR) aimed to discover current attitudes toward and levels of engagement in recreational book reading among 520 adolescent students from 20 Western Australian schools. It also explored the role of social agents in influencing recreational book reading in this cohort, examining the influences of parents, English teachers, the peer group and friends on adolescents’ recreational book reading in order to understand how adolescents’ engagement in recreational book reading is affected by social factors. These understandings were sought with a view to ultimately enhance the participation of high school students in recreational book reading. This paper outlines the current body of research findings from the WASABR, drawing together the broad areas covered within the study into a cohesive whole.

The Literacy Skills and Motivation to Read of Children Enrolled in Title I: A Comparison of Electronic and Print Nonfiction Books

This mixed method study, grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, examines if nonfiction e-books read independently by children enrolled in a summer reading program will increase vocabulary, improve comprehension, and enhance motivation to read as compared to children reading nonfiction trade books with adult support. Findings indicate improved vocabulary identification in all intervention groups (i.e., e-book, adult support, and independent) after reading. However, there was no significant difference in improvement regarding vocabulary or motivation to read when comparing the intervention groups. Although not significant, the results indicated the post-test mean was higher than the pre-test mean for the teacher group for motivation for recreational reading. Conversely, in all other areas of motivation for reading, the pre-test mean was higher than the post-test mean, indicating lower motivation for reading at the end of the summer program. The study also found that children with adult support gave the most accurate retellings, followed by the e-book group, and finally the independent group. Overall, the interview data across all groups included positive attitudes regarding the use of e-books and a preference for reading e-books rather than regular trade books.

Access to books in the home and adolescent engagement in recreational book reading: Considerations for secondary school educators

The emphasis on schools' providing reading materials for students at home is very much on the primary school years, when the skill of reading is being acquired. Little consideration has been given to the impact of curtailing school‐mediated access to books beyond this point. Regular recreational reading offers a wide range of benefit, and is essential for supporting ongoing literacy development. Without easy access to books, it can be readily surmised that capacity for regular engagement in reading can be limited. This article adds to the body of research supporting the benefit of student access to books in the home, linking access to books in the home with improved attitudes toward and frequency of engagement in recreational book reading, particularly in boys. It also provides analysis of data on students' access to books in the home, as well as discussing alternative avenues of access to books, such as the library and devices. The implications of the findings are explored, with educators ultimately urged to support increased access to self‐selected home reading materials through the secondary school.

Influence of siblings on out‐of‐school reading practices

This study draws on interviews with 26 individuals who attained an advanced degree and whose parents did not attend university and who reported having at least one older sibling. Participants were asked about independent reading practices in their youth and the reading practices of their older siblings. Participants reported many memories of their own independent reading development and ways in which their older sibling(s) mediated or influenced their out‐of‐school reading practices. From an analysis of these interviews and related research literature, this study draws on Gee's theory of Discourses to suggest that family interactions around reading may have not only improved participants' reading abilities but also allowed participants to form dispositions or identities that included habits of recreational reading. Authors suggest ways educators and parents might encourage shared family and sibling out‐of‐school literacy practices as well as new directions for literacy research.What is already known about this topic Independent or recreational reading habits can affect academic longevity. Census data reports that 77.9% of U.S. children have at least one sibling. Research on the influence of siblings on literacy development, and especially on at‐home reading, is scarce. Extant studies on literacy development and sibling relationships suggest that siblings can greatly affect the literacy development of one another. Reading is often misunderstood as a solitary practice, rather than a practice that often includes social interactions around reading materials and the mobilisation of identities (Discourses), which may affect the motivation for individuals to read. What this paper adds Interview participants, all of whom were first‐generation university graduates with at least one older sibling, were asked about independent reading practices in their youth and the reading practices of their older siblings. Interview participants reported that they formed strong habits of at‐home reading in their youth. 96% of interview participants reported that their older siblings played a role in their literacy development. Analysis of these data, which draws on Gee's theory of Discourses, suggests that family interactions around reading may not only have improved participants' reading abilities, but may have also encouraged participants to form dispositions and identities that included viewing themselves as readers. Implications for practice/policy As a result of the lack of attention to sibling relationships and their potential influence on literacy development, educators and parents may be missing opportunities to educate young people by neglecting to offer guidance and resources to older siblings, for example, who could use reading resources both for their own literacy development, as well as for that of their siblings. As recreational reading involves mobilising identities (Discourses) and is a highly social process, educators can and should create opportunities for students with siblings to choose from a wide range of reading materials, and students should be encouraged to talk with friends, siblings and others about what they read in a variety of settings, both at home and at school.

The Perceived Impact of E-books on Student Reading Practices: A Local Study

This study investigates the perceived impact of future e-book collections on student research and recreational reading habits at our institution through three questions: how students currently use library print collections, how students use e-books, and how these factors impact student perception of the effects of future library e-books on their research and recreational reading behavior. Students express a fairly high interest in e-books, although not without raising significant concerns. While students appreciate the ease of access provided by e-books, many imagine that research would be more difficult using e-books. Results will help the library better evaluate e-book options and navigate possible issues related to implementation.

Editorial

It is our pleasure to be contributing to this editorial for The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature:My name is Lynne Wiltse and I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary Education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). I teach courses in language and literacy and children’s literature, and have eagerly read each issue of The Deakin since its inception in 2011. I have made sure to introduce my students to this valuable resource. For example, I have the undergraduate students in my children’s literature course undertake an assignment which requires them to explore the site in detail and compare it to its predecessor, the Deakin Newsletter. I was intrigued when I came across the special issue that featured Joanne de Groot’s teacher-librarian students recommending “great new books.” At the time, I was teaching a graduate course, Children's Literature in the Elementary School (EDEL 510). I thought how I would love to have my students involved in such an initiative. The next time I was due to teach the course, I contacted the editorial team to discuss the possibility. As it happened, Joanne had done the same. The editorial team kindly offered for us to share a special double issue; my students would review books that are geared primarily for an elementary audience, while Joanne's class would review books that are intended for a secondary audience.I made space in the course so that my students, all of whom are practicing teachers, could have the invaluable opportunity to review contemporary books for children. I was delighted with the diverse range of books my students selected for review. In our course, we discussed the importance of authentic writing opportunities for children; this certainly proved to be an authentic writing experience for my students, one that they embraced with enthusiasm! We are very excited to see their published reviews in The Deakin, and we are looking forward to reading the reviews of the students in EDEL 546 as well. I thank Kim Frail and the rest of the editorial team of The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature for their support of this special issue.Lynne WiltseAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Elementary EducationUniversity of Albertaemail: lynne.wiltse@ualberta.caMy name is Joanne de Groot and I am an instructor in the Teacher-Librarianship by Distance Learning (TLDL) program at the University of Alberta. Students in this class are teachers and teacher-librarians from across Canada, particularly British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nunavut. We even had a student in EDEL 546 who is currently teaching in Kathmandu!EDEL 546 is an Introduction to Resources for Children and Young Adults and provides students with an introduction to literature and other print and digital media for young people in schools and libraries. Throughout this course, students are given opportunities to learn how to select and use resources in their classrooms and school libraries. The major assignment asks small groups of students to develop proposals to build a focused collection of resources for a school library. This group project required students to select an area or topic and then create a selection list of resources they would purchase to build their collection, identify selection criteria, and provide links to professional reviews. Students were also asked to write professional reviews of two titles published in 2013 or 2014 that would be suitable for a high school audience. This term’s groups focused on topics such as high interest/low vocabulary titles, graphic novels, pleasure or recreational reading, and Immigrant Voices. Many of the reviews submitted for this project are now included in this issue of The Deakin. The task of writing reviews that might be published in a reviewing journal made this assignment more relevant and interesting for the students and I am very pleased to be able to share their work with you now.Joanne de GrootAdjunct Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Elementary EducationUniversity of Albertaemail: degroot@ualberta.ca

Exploring family reading practices in non-Kuwaiti nannies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how home reading practices can impact what teachers assume to be the optimum practice in preparing students for school may not be supported by the local culture. In Kuwait, I have heard teachers repeatedly complain that students do not read at home or seem to value reading. Kuwaiti adults relate that they rarely engage in reading for pleasure. Students here are challenged with learning English, but also seem to take a greater amount of time to understand the use of reading in their lives and learning. These factors led me to consider that what teachers assume to be the optimum practice in preparing students for school may not be supported by the local culture. Design/methodology/approach – In this case study, five nannies were interviewed focusing on participants’ reading practices in their homes of origin and those practiced with Kuwaiti children. Observational notes were taken to record nonverbal communication. Data were analyzed to uncover references to home reading practices such as storytelling, recreational reading and verbal interaction based on the reading. References were color coded and a database was constructed of references the nannies made to reading practices both in their homes of origin and in the Kuwaiti homes in which they work. The references to reading practices were then categorized according to activities reported. Findings – As a result, it was found that the nannies perceived the purpose of reading to be for education only, storytelling is used for different purposes in different cultures, print material were rarely found in the homes of the nannies due to lack of economic means, and the fathers of most of the nannies were critical in their reading development. Research limitations/implications – Further exploration of the home reading practices of the Kuwaitis is needed to fully support the effective inclusion of their cultural reading traditions into school practice. Parent and student surveys, parent interviews and possibly home visits would assist researchers in more fully defining home reading practices. Partnering with Arabic-speaking or Kuwaiti teachers would benefit researchers in being able to efficiently translate for the interviews and then discuss their observations, giving the researchers a more nuanced perspective of the findings. Originality/value – This paper offers an original view on a particular aspect of international education, namely, reading habits, and discusses the promotion of multicultural reading instruction in a more culturally responsive manner.

“She knows what I like”: Student-generated best-practice statements for encouraging recreational book reading in adolescents

The benefit of recreational book reading is well recognized, however the role of teachers in encouraging recreational reading beyond the primary school years of skill acquisition is not clearly defined. In 2012, the West Australian Study in Adolescent Book Reading was undertaken in 20 schools in Western Australia. As part of the study, students from selected classes in Year 8 and Year 10 reflected on the encouragement of recreational book reading given by their primary school and high school teachers in the past and at present. This provided a direct end-user perspective on perceived teacher attitudes and practices that supported adolescent recreational book reading. The information was analyzed to identify specific mechanisms of encouragement that students deemed effective. Findings indicated that best practice included exhibiting personal enjoyment of recreational book reading; demonstrating willingness to instigate and support student-centered discussion around books; possessing broad knowledge of both young adult texts and youth popular culture; effectively communicating expectations that students will read at school and at home; learning about the interests and aspirations of the students; and using in-class practices that encourage reading for pleasure, such as reading aloud to students and silent reading.

Adopting E-Readers with a Purpose: Surveying Users to Develop a Recreational Reading Kindle Lending Program

Studies have shown that students and faculty have reservations about the performance and usability of e-readers in an academic setting. However, incorporating e-readers on college campuses for recreational reading purposes has proven to be quite popular. These trends held true in a study conducted by librarians at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Students, faculty, and staff were surveyed on their use of and familiarity with e-books, e-readers, and tablet devices with e-reader functionality. Information gathered from this survey resulted in the launch of a pilot Kindle lending program focused exclusively on promoting recreational reading.

Finding Informational Books for Beginning Readers: An Ecological Study of a Median-Household-Income Neighbourhood / À la recherche de littérature non romanesque à l’usage des lecteurs débutants : Étude écologique d’un quartier composé de ménages à revenu médian

Day cares, preschools, out-of-school care centres, school classrooms and libraries, a public library, and stores in a median-household-income neighbourhood were visited to determine the number of stories and informational books for children ages four to eight in the collections. Almost all collections were mostly stories, and the total selection was 80% stories. Educational curricula often determined the informational titles offered, while informational books for recreational reading were more difficult to find. Stories were likely further promoted through venue connections. School and public libraries have opportunities to promote informational books and to provide wide and accessible collections for the neighbourhood’s beginning readers.

Does Recreational Reading in Native Language Influence Foreign Language Learning Process?

Limited studies have been conducted on the effects on recreational reading in native language on foreign language learning, whereas no findings exist on the effects of recreational reading in Turkish as a native language (L1) on English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effects of recreational reading in L1 on the process of learning EFL. The sample group consists of 70 learners and a background questionnaire, interviews, oral presentations, classroom discussions, essay papers, and responses to examination questions were used for data collection. The results indicated that recreational reading in L1 has some significant contributions to EFL learning although it has some negative effects.

English recreational reading habits of Arab Jordanian EFL tertiary students

Purpose – This study aims to investigate English recreational reading habits of Arab Jordanian EFL university students when classes are in session and during vacation, and the types of recreational reading they engage in. In addition, the study explores other relationships such as the relationship between reading habits and students ' cumulative grade point average (CGPA); and the effect of parents ' educational level and their time spent on reading. Design/methodology/approach – The respondents, comprising 225 third- and fourth-year English majors, completed an English recreational reading habits questionnaire. The study utilised a non-probability sampling method, namely, purposive sampling. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS software v. 20. Findings – The findings indicated that students read more when they were on vacation compared to their readings while classes are in session. The students ' average time spent on reading when classes are in session and during vacation is 2.15 hours and 2.82 hours per week, respectively. Slightly more than half (57 percent) the students always read emails/chat rooms/Facebook, which are their most preferred type of recreational reading. Non-fiction books were the least favourite among students with 47 percent of students indicating that they never or rarely read this type of genre. Among all the reading interests, only novels had a significant correlation with the students ' CGPA. The findings showed that the respondents with higher levels of fathers ' education were significantly reading more. Originality/value – The reading habits of EFL students have received little attention and there is limited research that surveyed Arab EFL students ' recreational reading habits at the tertiary level. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature and set out to be a point of reference and comparison for future investigations about English recreational reading habits of Arab EFL tertiary students.

Peer Group and Friend Influences on the Social Acceptability of Adolescent Book Reading

Increasing recreational reading is a priority in a climate of growing adolescent aliteracy. Raising the social appeal of books has been identified as one potential avenue for arresting this trend. An understanding of the current social acceptability of book reading amongst contemporary adolescents is important in informing an effective approach to raise the status of book reading, as is insight into how this status impacts upon attitudes toward, and engagement in, recreational book reading. Friend and peer group attitudes may impact upon the palatability of recreational book reading, and this impact may differ for gender. Findings from the 2012 West Australian Study in Adolescent Book Reading (WASABR) are analyzed to provide insight into these key areas, with implications for educators considered.

A “Novel” Approach to Recreational Reading

The implementation of readers' advisory services in academic libraries continues to expand. Libraries have developed a variety of innovative projects that support students' recreational reading interests and promote academic libraries to their user communities. Here, Sarah Dahlen and Steve Watkins discuss the creation of an online portal to an academic library's recreational reading collection, enhancing user access, improving circulation, and offering a model for reaching their library community in new ways.--Editor Providing recreational reading materials for patrons, while squarely within the purview of public libraries, has not been a goal equally embraced by academic libraries. Despite its connections to academic achievement and lifelong learning, many academic libraries either do not consider recreational reading as vital to their mission or, more likely, do not have the funds to pursue its promotion. An affordable option (costing only minimal staff time) is to create a virtual collection of print recreational reading materials that, through an online interface, allows patrons to browse for titles by genre or book cover. This virtual solution complements catalog searching by attempting to simulate a browsing experience similar to what one would find in a bookstore or physical library collection. We recently implemented this solution at our institution, a small, public university in California, with some success. By dynamically compiling records of titles previously purchased by the library to support the humanities and education curricula, we are able to highlight books belonging to genres that are often of interest to recreational readers. This article addresses the justification for investing staff time in promoting recreational reading, discuses the technology employed to create and maintain this virtual collection, and shares the impacts of this effort on circulation of the items included in the collection. THE VALUE OF RECREATIONAL READING The benefits of reading are undeniable. There are well documented links between recreational reading and improved writing skills, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and reading comprehension as noted by Krashen and others. (1) Dewan, among others, has noted that academic libraries are the clear candidates to provide and promote this service, especially given that college students are unlikely to take advantage of public libraries for their recreational reading needs. (2) Not surprisingly, given the benefits of recreational reading, many academic libraries provide a recreational collection for their users. While views on academic libraries' role in promoting leisure reading have varied through the decades, recent surveys suggest that a clear majority of academic libraries see this as being within their purview. (3) In a national survey executed by Julie Elliott, 71 percent of academic libraries reported maintaining separate recreational browsing collections; 64 percent reported the same in a survey of three southeastern states conducted by Mark Sanders. (4) A number of creative approaches to providing recreational reading collections have been documented, including book leasing programs, donations from public libraries, and book exchanges. (5) High circulation rates have been associated with some of these efforts. (6) Short of providing a separate collection, other methods of promoting recreational reading are also noted in the literature, including displays, cozy reading areas, extended circulation periods, and book lists. (7) The advantages of a separate collection are notable, however, considering the shortcomings of the Library of Congress Classification system for browsing fiction and the greater likelihood of discovery by students when collections are placed in a prominent location. (8) PROJECT DESCRIPTION Background Established in 1994, California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is a public university located on California's central coast. …