Date

4-2020

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)

Chair

Constance Pearson

Keywords

Aliteracy, Reading Motivation, Early Literacy Motivation, Upper Elementary Reading

Disciplines

Education | Elementary Education

Abstract

The purpose of this applied research study was to solve the problem of aliteracy for upper elementary readers at an after-school program, Smith Academy (a pseudonym), and to design a reading program to address the problem. Offering high-interest books to children who are reading below grade level could stimulate their enjoyment of reading and increase the amount of reading that they do. The more a person practices any skill, the better he or she becomes at it. The benefits of reading are well-documented, yet many children become either non-readers or reluctant readers by the end of elementary school. By addressing the areas of choice, time, access to books, self-efficacy, and reading motivation, educators can improve their students’ reading attitudes and increase their reading volume. This applied research study involved elementary grade readers from approximately six different elementary schools in discovering their reading attitudes and improving their reading attitudes. Interviews with the students, as well as a focus group with their teachers, and a survey taken by the students indicated the children’s’ attitudes toward reading. Overall, the results demonstrated that there are multiple ways to improve elementary readers’ attitudes toward reading, which may help solve the problem of aliteracy.

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