Understanding children’s reading activities: reading motivation, skill and child characteristics as predictors

TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding children’s reading activities

T2 - reading motivation, skill and child characteristics as predictors

AU - McGeown, Sarah P.

AU - Osborne, Cara

AU - Warhurst, Amy

AU - Norgate, Roger

AU - Duncan, Lynne G.

PY - 2016/1/19

Y1 - 2016/1/19

N2 - This study examined the extent to which a range of child characteristics (sex, age, socioeconomic status, reading skill and intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation) predicted engagement (i.e., time spent) in different reading activities (fiction books, factual books, school textbooks, comics, magazines and digital texts). In total, 791 children (aged 8 – 11) participated. There was considerable variation in the factors predicting engagement in different reading activities. Although intrinsic reading motivation was a good predictor of recreational book reading, age was a stronger predictor of engagement with digital texts. Furthermore, specific dimensions of motivation predicted engagement in different reading activities; being motivated to read challenging texts predicted recreational book reading, whereas being motivated to achieve good grades predicted school book reading. On the other hand, social reasons predicted engagement with magazines and comics. Implications for education and the relationship between child characteristics and choice of reading activities are discussed.

AB - This study examined the extent to which a range of child characteristics (sex, age, socioeconomic status, reading skill and intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation) predicted engagement (i.e., time spent) in different reading activities (fiction books, factual books, school textbooks, comics, magazines and digital texts). In total, 791 children (aged 8 – 11) participated. There was considerable variation in the factors predicting engagement in different reading activities. Although intrinsic reading motivation was a good predictor of recreational book reading, age was a stronger predictor of engagement with digital texts. Furthermore, specific dimensions of motivation predicted engagement in different reading activities; being motivated to read challenging texts predicted recreational book reading, whereas being motivated to achieve good grades predicted school book reading. On the other hand, social reasons predicted engagement with magazines and comics. Implications for education and the relationship between child characteristics and choice of reading activities are discussed.

KW - Reading motivation

KW - Attitudes to reading

KW - Literacy practices

U2 - 10.1111/1467-9817.12060

DO - 10.1111/1467-9817.12060

M3 - Article

SN - 0141-0423

VL - 39

SP - 109

EP - 125

JO - Journal of Research in Reading

JF - Journal of Research in Reading

IS - 1

ER -