Location
Literacy Education (Session 4 Breakouts)
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Traditional English Language Arts instruction relies on the study of classical or canonical texts to teach students critical reading skills. These texts are hailed for their complexity, universal/ timeless themes, and established literary value. Yet, contemporary authors have argued that these texts are often far removed from students’ realities and do not reflect the diversity present in the classroom. Studies have also demonstrated that students find school content boring and irrelevant. This lack of enthusiasm, or display of interest, engagement, and excitement, is concerning to educators, as enthusiasm has been linked to students’ academic success and increased levels of intrinsic motivation. Considering the benefits that developing reading enthusiasm could have for students’ academic performance and the ongoing debate surrounding classroom text selections, this study seeks to investigate if a relationship exists between text type, relatability, and students’ reading enthusiasm and comprehension when using a contemporary adolescent text and older classical text that share similar socio-cultural elements and themes.
Keywords
Relatability, Adolescent Literature, Classical Literature, Reading Enthusiasm, Reading Comprehension
Professional Bio
Ms. Madhavi Clark is a special education teacher for the English/ Language Arts Department at Hapeville Charter Career Academy. She has a MA in Teaching from Clayton State University and a BS in Psychology from Georgia State University. Dr. Winifred Nweke is an Associate Professor and the Assessment Director in the School of Education, Clayton State University. She has Ph.D. in Measurement and Experimentation from the University of Ottawa, Canada. She is a member of many professional organizations.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Clark, Madhavi T. and Nweke, Winifred C., "Relationships Among Text Type, Relatability, Students’ Reading Enthusiasm, and Comprehension" (2020). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 52.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2020/2020/52
Included in
Relationships Among Text Type, Relatability, Students’ Reading Enthusiasm, and Comprehension
Literacy Education (Session 4 Breakouts)
Traditional English Language Arts instruction relies on the study of classical or canonical texts to teach students critical reading skills. These texts are hailed for their complexity, universal/ timeless themes, and established literary value. Yet, contemporary authors have argued that these texts are often far removed from students’ realities and do not reflect the diversity present in the classroom. Studies have also demonstrated that students find school content boring and irrelevant. This lack of enthusiasm, or display of interest, engagement, and excitement, is concerning to educators, as enthusiasm has been linked to students’ academic success and increased levels of intrinsic motivation. Considering the benefits that developing reading enthusiasm could have for students’ academic performance and the ongoing debate surrounding classroom text selections, this study seeks to investigate if a relationship exists between text type, relatability, and students’ reading enthusiasm and comprehension when using a contemporary adolescent text and older classical text that share similar socio-cultural elements and themes.
