Children's Choices for Recreational Reading: A Three-Part Investigation of Selection Preferences, Rationales, and Processes

Journal of Literacy Research, 2006 by Mohr, Kathleen A J

This report delineates a three-part investigation into first graders' preferences, selection rationales, and processes when choosing a picture book to own. One-hundred ninety first graders were invited to select their favorite book from among nine high-quality, well-illustrated picture books representing a variety of topics, media, and genres. In addition, 122 students were also interviewed about their selections and how they made their choices. An overwhelming majority of first graders preferred informational books, especially animal books. The finding contradicts much previous research indicating that young readers, particularly girls, favor narrative text. The selection rationales of these students focused on topic or perceived content but were not particularly sophisticated. The selection processes data indicate gender differences, especially related to social aspects of recreational reading and perceived reading ability. The study extends the ongoing professional dialogue related to text preferences for independent, recreational reading and challenges educators to better understand how even very young readers may develop as readers in the postmodern information age.

Examining children's choices of texts for recreational reading is not a new topic. For decades, educators have investigated students' selection of leisure reading materials (Burgess, 1985; Lawson, 1972; Reutzel & Gali, 1998). Indeed, Weintraub (1977) cites the assessment of children's reading interests as one of the few trends documented throughout this century. Although the foci have varied, the premise is well established. The more students read independently, the bettertheirreading becomes. When students read books of their own choosing, they are likely to be more motivated, independent readers. The ultimate goal is to encourage motivated, skilled readers who choose to read widely and who develop lifelong reading habits.

The field of children's book reading behaviors is a complex arena. Key research topics related to self-selected reading include analysis of text features, genre awareness and preferences, selection processes, gender differences, developmental aspects, ability issues, and motivational factors. This study sought to explore first graders' preferences among various picture books and to update our understanding of their selection processes. It was designed to challenge previous notions about why and how contemporary and diverse young readers choose their books.

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Text Features

Much earlier text-selection research analyzed students' awareness and use of text features in their book choices (Greenlaw & Wielan, 1979; Lawson, 1972; Peterson, 1971 ; Stewig, 1972). The physical characteristics of books-including the title, cover page, illustrations, length, and size-influence readers, serving to attract or dissuade them. Not so long ago, most books were drab in their appearance, and the use of illustration was quite limited; students were forced to select books largely on content or recommendation. As full-page color illustrations became more affordable, educators became even more interested in the role of high-quality picture books and their effect on classroom instruction and readers. Recently, children's picture books have become even more dramatic because of technological advancements in printing processes. Thus, front covers and illustrations are now critical components in text development. Fonts are easy to vary, text is placed in multiple configurations on the page, and illustrations exemplify a larger variety of media, including three-dimensional possibilities (Goldstone, 1999). The explosion in the children's book industry warrants renewed interest in students' understanding and preferences for texts of varying physical features (Goldstone, 2001-2002; Serafmi, 2005).

Genre Preferences

In many studies over the years and in various countries, different readers have evidenced preferences for particular genres. Research has shown that younger readers prefer stories, especially folk tales and fantasy (Hall & Cole, 1999; Moss & McDonald, 2004), with genre preference broadening through the intermediate grades. These patterns reflect what teachers have typically promoted in elementary classrooms. There is research indicating that beyond adolescence, however, students' genre preferences for recreational reading again narrow along gender lines.

Researchers have recently recommended providing sufficient exposure to a variety of texts to help learners develop and apply varied literacy skills and strategies that will transfer to real-world reading (Caswell & Duke, 1998; Duke & Kays, 1998; Pappas, 1993; Yopp & Yopp, 2000). There is now an increased emphasis on the use of expository texts in earlier grades (Duke, 2000). School reading and literacy assessments have become increasingly demanding in this information age, and much of the focus is on informational reading across subjects. Even very young students are exposed to and expected to comprehend complex, informational text and postmodern fiction (Goldstone, 2001-2002). Teachers can no longer privilege narratives at the expense of expository formats in their classrooms, even if storybooks dominate basal readers and classroom anthologies. Given more exposure to informational texts, young readers may develop a preference for this genre.