Date Approved
8-13-2024
Graduate Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Education-Literacy Studies: Reading (M.Ed.)
Degree Program
Literacy, Educational Foundations, & Technology
First Advisor
Elizabeth Petroelje Stolle
Academic Year
2023/2024
Abstract
According to recent data, American high school students read for pleasure infrequently, which causes them to miss out on the many literacy benefits of increased text exposure, including stronger reading skills, improved vocabulary, and better reading comprehension (NAEP National Report Card, 2023; van Bergen et al., 2020). Frequently, teachers are encouraged to utilize public libraries or library media centers, but these are not always easily available (US Department of Education, 2022). Developing a reading program that supplements classroom instruction using a limited amount of resources has the potential to help many underserved students read more frequently and develop a stronger reader identity. Literature circles are a research-based structure that has been shown to strengthen reader identity (Venegas, 2024). The goal of this project is to create orientation materials to help schools develop informal affinity spaces that could be used to increase the number of books read by students over the previous year and to encourage students to view themselves as strong readers, as both are associated with increasing student reading motivation (van Bergen et al., 2020). A successful program would show increases in student perceptions of themselves as readers using a reader self-perception survey, as well as an increase in self-reported books completed. Students with stronger reading identities as a result of the program will be more likely to become life-long readers
ScholarWorks Citation
Casarez, Taylor R., "Developing Reader Identities through School-based Affinity Spaces" (2024). Culminating Experience Projects. 505.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/505
