Drawing from self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and literature on reading motivation (see Guthrie & Wigfield, 2024), reading joy can be achieved through choice, access, and engagement. Here we measure joy through reading frequency, motivation, and engagement, and this study explores the connection between increases in reading joy and reading achievement.
Reading motivation refers to students’ goals, beliefs, and attitudes towards reading. This study examines two constructs of motivation: self-efficacy (perceptions of reading ability) and value of reading (beliefs that reading is important). The program model focuses on book choice and relevance, access, and engagement as mediators to increase students’ motivation and, resultantly, reading achievement.
Choice and Relevance
Research demonstrates that students increase their engagement towards tasks when they make learning choices (Schunk, et al., 2013). When students self-select reading materials, they are more likely to read voluntarily (Krashen, 2004), develop intrinsic motivation (Fisher & Frey, 2018), deepen their value of reading (Allred & Cena, 2020), and increase reading volume and achievement (Toste et al., 2020). Furthermore, students are more engaged readers when the books and characters are relevant and relatable (Sciurba, 2014).
Engagement
Engagement refers to adolescents’ reading behaviors to meet both internal and external expectations (Guthrie, et al., 2013) including diversity of reading, frequency of leisure reading, and attitude towards reading. Engagement is critical to reading success; a regression analysis by PISA revealed that engagement was the student factor with the third greatest impact on performance (Brozo et al., 2007). Yet, there is a well-documented decline in reading motivation and achievement beginning in upper elementary and middle school, particularly for students in urban communities (Unrau & Schlackman, 2006).
Middle school students are engaged and motivated when learning tasks provide discussion opportunities that are not teacher-centric or mediated by question-response style. One well-documented strategy to increase motivation and engagement is providing self-guided opportunities for students to talk about texts (Richardson, 2010; Strom, 2014) such as through book clubs and literature circles. Additionally, when peers and trusted adults make book recommendations, students increase their independent and voluntary reading (Fisher & Frey, 2018).
Increased access to text choice and relevance coupled with engagement strategies increases students’ motivation and frequency of reading. Reading motivation plays a significant role in reading comprehension (Cartwright et al., 2016) and independent reading volume impacts overall reading achievement (Mol & Bus, 2011). The program in this study is grounded in choice, access, and engagement to drive student confidence and motivation, and, ultimately, increase reading frequency and performance. This paper contributes to the literature on adolescent reading motivation and extends it into informal learning spaces outside of the structured academic day.
We designed a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study to evaluate the program's effects on reading motivation and reading achievement. The study uses qualitative and quantitative data from students’ to: (1) Track changes in students' perceptions of reading and their literacy skills over time, and (2) Compare the reading achievement of program participants with a matched comparison group of students (year three).
Research questions:
(1) How do students describe their engagement with the program?
(2) What does the survey data show about any changes in the value students place on reading and in their perceptions of themselves as readers?
(3) To what extent does more frequent reading as a result of increased access to books improve students’ literacy skills as measured by state or district assessments?
Data Sources
Qualitative data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students and focus groups with program coordinators with questions relating to students’ experiences with the program and attitudes toward reading via Zoom. Qualitative data was analyzed using Atlas.ti software to code focus groups on key themes including students’ enthusiasm about reading, their engagement in the program, and their reading preferences. Inter-rater reliability across three coders was over 90 percent accurate.
Quantitative data included the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP) pre- and post-surveys. The MRP measures the value students place on reading and their self-concept as a reader (Malloy et al., 2013). With the items identified by Pitcher, et al. (2007), we calculated scaled scores for students’ value of reading and self-concept as a reader from the fall 2022, spring 2023, fall 2023, spring 2024, fall 2024, and spring 2025 survey data. We used factor analysis with post-estimation regression predictions to generate scores for each scale for each student who completed the survey; we normalized these scores to have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 10. From year one, 6,201 students in 25 schools responded to the survey in fall 2022 and 1,598 students in 14 schools responded in spring 2023. From year two, 3,019 students in 15 schools responded to the survey in fall 2023 and 382 students in 15 schools responded to the survey in Spring 2024. In year three, 5,497 students in 15 schools responded to the survey in fall 2024 and 2,073 students responded in spring 2025.
In the third year of the study, we collected standardized reading assessment data from participating and a non-participating comparison group of students to evaluate the program’s impact on reading achievement as measured by state ELA assessments. We will have the data in fall 2025 and analysis complete before the ASCD/ISTE 2026 conference.
Quantitative Results
Analyses of data from focus groups with students and student surveys indicate that the program is associated with increases in students' perceptions and reports of their own reading. For example, on the spring 2025 MRP administration, students reported higher rates of confidence in reading (e.g., more confidence in reading aloud, increases in their ability to figure out words they don't know) and increases in their interest in reading (e.g., that they read when they have free time, that they appreciate receiving a book as a present, that they recommend books they enjoyed to a friend) compared with responses in fall 2024.
Student responses to items on the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP) also highlight a positive effect on their own reading behaviors and, to some extent, their friends’ attitudes towards reading. Between fall 2022 and spring 2025, the percentage of students responding that becoming a good reader is important or very important increased from 73 percent in fall 2022 to 81 percent in spring 2025. Across all questions, the proportion of students giving a positive response increased by between eight and 17 percentage points, and all differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Using data from the program years, we define three cohorts of students dependent upon the number of years they were exposed to the program. Cohort 1 includes students who were in sixth grade in fall 2022 (three program years), cohort 2 who were in sixth grade in fall 2023 (two program years), and cohort 3 who were in sixth grade in fall 2024 (one program year).
Across all cohorts, we saw an average increase in the self-concept as a reader index of 0.3 to 0.4 standard deviations. We also saw an average increase across cohorts of 0.2 to 0.3 standard deviations on the value of reading index. We observed an average increase of 0.4 to 0.5 standard deviations for both the value of reading as a social activity subscale and the value of reading as an individual activity subscale. These increases are significant (p < 0.05) and consistent with qualitative data. Students and educators reported that students increased their engagement with peers around books and reading in part because the program allowed them to select and read the same book collaboratively. Librarians and educators observed increased enthusiasm for reading among their students.
We also found an average increase of 0.4 to 0.5 standard deviations for the value of reading as a social activity subscale, slightly higher than the overall scale scores. This increase is notable and consistent with qualitative data; students and educators reported that students increased their engagement with peers around books and reading in part because the program allowed them to collaboratively select and read the same book.
Qualitative Results
In focus groups we also found that students self-initiated reading activities (e.g., in one school, students jointly selected a book with the specific intent of reading the book in a peer-lead book club). During the ASCD presentation, we will share photographs and videos collected to illustrate for audiences the myriads of ways that middle school students increased their reading engagement, highlighting self-initiated reading activities.
Finding 1) Students were enthusiastic about new books. One student shared, “I feel like people who don't have access to books other than in their school media center or their public library near them, it's kind of nice to have books in your house that you always have access to and you can constantly read over them…I think that's really awesome that people just get to take home books, that it's free.”
Finding 2) Students shared books with family members and took pride in reading. One student talked about the role books play in English language development, “Sometimes I give some of my books to my cousins in El Salvador so that they can improve their English and I think it's really helping them.” Another student explained, “I read the books because I have siblings that I can read to and I love to see their reactions to their books.”
Finding 3) Increases in self-concept and value of reading. Students spoke of the benefits of being able to re-read books when they owned them–improving their reading skills and aiding their comprehension and understanding. One student explained, “[My reading has improved] because they make you want to read at home and reading more helps you get better.” Consistent with quantitative results, across all grades, we found increases in students’ self-concept and value of reading between fall and spring.
Taken together, the results from focus groups and surveys indicate the program had a substantive and meaningful impact on students’ perceptions of themselves as readers. This will be further supported with student achievement data which will be finalized by January 2026 before the conference.
Drawing from the Transformational Learning Principles™ this study partners with communities that have historically had limited access to stories and resources reflecting their culturally and linguistically diverse experiences to encourage student agency. Framing historical literature through culturally and historically relevant texts activates joy by centering students’ identities and lived experiences in relation to issues that matter to them (Vlach et al., 2023).
Our findings contribute to the growing body of research on the influence of text choice, access, and relevance on adolescent reading motivation and achievement and extend this research into informal learning spaces. Students self-selected books through a school-based program and extended their learning through self-initiated book clubs and home reading opportunities. One unique finding of our study was that when provided with texts reflecting their own histories and current social issues, students self-initiated social opportunities to further engage with the texts including sharing these texts with their families. The “right” book choices and learning opportunities, those that reflect students’ interests and lived experiences, are crucial for increasing self-confidence and the value of reading, particularly the social value of reading. Audiences will leave this session with research background and actionable strategies to ignite literary agency for their students.
Ongoing partnerships with researchers, families, communities, and districts support program evaluation, co-design, and local ownership, creating structures that drive ongoing equitable access and long-term positive literacy outcomes. Furthering our understanding of the role of motivation in adolescent readers informs instruction and intervention for this critical group of students. This evidence supports that combining increased access to relevant texts, opportunities for engagement, and strong community partnerships is a practical pathway to sustaining adolescent reading motivation and closing gaps in literacy achievement.
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