Measuring Middle School Students’ Reading Choices Relative to Achievement Levels

• In Event: Roundtable Session 84
  In Roundtable Session: Professional Practice in Gifted Education: Examining the Work and Perspectives of Educators

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe the levels at which students of different reading achievement levels chose to read when given the opportunity to self-select their books as well as encouragement to read at challenging levels. In addition, the study sought to explore and document the possible phenomenon that students at the edges of the range of reading levels are more likely to choose books at levels distant from their measured reading levels, and that this seems to be an inverse relationship. Preliminary results showed a wide range of text levels across all groups and supported the hypothesis that more advanced readers tended to choose books well below their reading levels while struggling readers chose books well above.

Authors

• Joe Brandon Helbling, University of Connecticut

• Catherine A. Little, University of Connecticut