Adolescents’ attitudes toward talking about books: implications for educators

Abstract

Young people's frequency of engagement in reading books for pleasure markedly decreases as they move through the schooling years, reducing their exposure to this beneficial literacy practice. Young people's perceptions of the value of reading can be socially mediated, and positive perception of the value of reading is associated with frequency of engagement in reading. As such, considering how to generate positive social interactions around reading is an important concern when seeking to increase young people's reading frequency. We sought to investigate adolescents' attitudes toward talking about books in order to identify reasons for engagement in discussion about books, as well as factors that constrained engagement in such discussions, with a view to informing best practice for educators seeking to engage adolescents in reading. The findings suggest that adolescents' enjoyment of discussion about books may be related to common interests, enjoyment of discussion to facilitate critical exploration and comprehension, and the possibilities provided for recommendations and access. Adolescents' interests in and ability to engage in book discussions was shaped by mutual text exposure, opportunity, personal preference, disinterested peers and social status maintenance. Findings are considered in relation to classroom practice; the formation of Special Interest Reading Groups within the classroom is considered.

How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?

“…Teacher librarians can employ numerous strategies to foster the positive social positioning of books and reading. For instance, sharing discussion about reading books for pleasure can improve the social status of books and reading, and they may also facilitate the development of reading comprehension in struggling readers, though recent findings suggest that this practice is not often used in contemporary classrooms (Merga, McRae, and Rutherford 2018;Merga 2018). Paloma described her strategy of facilitating peer recommendations through discussion.…”

“I'd Still Prefer to Read the Hard Copy”: Adolescents’ Print and Digital Reading Habits

“…Adolescents are motivated to read when they have good reasons to, which includes reading to interact with others in their social networks (Moje et al, 2008). Adolescents are also more likely to talk about books when they have been frequently exposed to books and have peers who are similarly interested in reading (Merga, McRae, & Rutherford, 2018). Moreover, students with reading peers find it easier to locate reading materials because they are more likely to receive recommendations from their friends (Ivey, 2014).…”

Exploration of Behavior and Needs in Reproductive Health Assistance Activities for Street Children in Semarang City

“…Street children face unfavourable psychological and social situations. This situation causes street children's interest reading to be not the same as children's in general (Merga et al, 2018).…”