A Study Of The Effects Of An Open And Prescriptive Home Reading Program On The Students Parents And Teacher In A Second Grade Classroom PDF Download

Reading is an essential skill that students need to use and develop. Within curriculum, students are expected to engage with texts and learn reading, comprehension, and so on. Engagement within academic texts within my classroom is lacking, and I believe it is due to lack of choice in texts. Independent reading opportunities within my classroom could lead to positive reading attitudes and reading engagement. This study used home reading logs, parent/student surveys, pre- and post-reading interest surveys, and classroom observations to understand student reading attitudes, reading engagement, and preferred independent reading opportunities. Specifically, this study addressed the following research question: How do opportunities for independent reading within my curriculum and instruction affect student reading attitudes? The subquestions for my research are the following: (1) What are my students' current reading attitudes when it comes to reading? (2) What independent reading opportunities encourage my students' engagement with reading? And (3) To what extent do opportunities for independent reading impact my students' positive reading attitudes? The findings suggest that more than half of my students have a positive reading attitude, and others have a conditional reading attitude. Modeling a positive reading attitude and expressing reading interests as an educator can have an impact on students' reading attitudes and interests. Variety and freedom of reading choice and mediums is important for student reading engagement. Lastly, book illustrations are an important factor for reading engagement or disengagement. This has implications for getting to know your students' reading interests, considering their preferences when providing opportunities for independent reading, and modeling a positive attitude towards reading.