Date Approved
12-23-2015
Embargo Period
1-5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. Reading Education
Department
Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Education
College
College of Education
Advisor
Abraham, Stephanie
Committee Member 1
Browne, Susan
Keywords
culturally relevant text, discussion groups, literature circles, motivation, reading comprehension
Subject(s)
Group reading; Reading comprehension; Motivation in education
Disciplines
Elementary Education and Teaching
Abstract
Many educators arrange students in guided reading groups based on their reading lexile. Usually the books selected for guided reading are from a basal reading series and are used to teach different reading components and strategies. However, the books don’t always reflect student cultures, making it difficult for students to hold discussions and make connections. Oftentimes, students are unmotivated to read the assigned books and rarely engage in discussions. Based on research conducted by Daniels (2006), when kids are engaged in well-structured book clubs their comprehension and their attitude towards reading both improve. With ongoing changes in education, educators must provide opportunities for students to read culturally relevant text and discuss with peers who share similar interests. This can be accomplished by implementing literature circles as a daily reading activity.
This study was designed to determine how literature circles affect reading comprehension and student motivation towards reading. After collecting and analyzing the data over the course of three weeks, the researcher determined that the implementation of literature circles increased student motivation towards reading and deepened comprehension. The results indicated that students benefited from choosing their own books, roles, schedule, and discussion topics.
Recommended Citation
Jacobs, Michelle, "Using literature circles to increase reading comprehension and student motivation" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 568.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/568