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SIG-READING CULTURE

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WENDY TRENTHEM

MELISSA RAMON

TRISH CISLAK

BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

MEMPHIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL, USA

MARCELLIN COLLEGE, BELMONT HILL

BOSTON, UNITED STATE

THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL

SAINT ANDREW’S COLLEGE

AURORA, CANADA

CRESCENT SCHOOL

Toronto, Canada

PAIGE WALLACE

KATHERINE PITKIN

SAINT PETER’S COLLEGE

Adelaide, Australia

Reader identity

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Reader Identity: The different pieces that complete the puzzle

Individual

Role Modeling

Societal Influences on masculinity

Social-Emotional infusion

Photo credit: Unsplash

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Societal Influences on Masculinity

Andrew Reiner - IBSC 2017

men need to be tough
can’t show any vulnerability
emotional spectrum limited
spill over in how they present themselves in school
SAC/St Anne’s collaborative

Photo credit: Unsplash

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Individual

boys identify as wanting to be strong academic students but don’t attribute the importance of reading

Belmont Hill pre/post reflections craft a new narrative

reading is boring
choice - even in English class makes a difference
boys struggle to find books to read
too many other priorities/tech pull them away from reading
many will not reveal they are a reader

Photo credit: Unsplash

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Male Role Modeling

relational pedagogy

Crescent Reading Cooperative

fathers/male figure

Guys Read at Crescent

Photo credit: Unsplash

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Social Emotional Infusion

discrepancy between reading and ‘talking’ about reading

avoidance ties back to definition of masculinity

raising literacy expectations and standards creates opportunity

SAC Literacy Coach model

boys need the social emotional vocabulary and space to discuss

“Compassion - I think reading stories of others really gives you a better understanding of the world, and therefore better ability for you to connect with other human beings.”

book clubs to create connection and build sense of belonging, which in turn could help diffuse the epidemic of loneliness facing our boys

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MURIELLE LOUIS

POOJA MATHUR

PHOEBE B. WARMACK

Library Department Chair

mlouis@browning.edu

The Browning School

New York, NY, USA

Upper School Head Librarian and Publications Advisor

rogersmo@stcva.org

St. Christopher’s School

Richmond, Virginia, USA

Teacher Librarian

pmathur@kings.edu.au

The King’s school

North Parramatta, NSW, Australia

Director of Library Services and Instructional Technology

phoebe_warmack@woodberry.org

Woodberry Forest School

Virginia, USA

Social aspects of reading

MONTANA ROGERS

PHINDILE SIBAMBO

Librarian

sibambop@stalbanscollege.com

St. Alban's College

Pretoria, South Africa

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In the Library:

Social Aspects of Reading:

Where and when in our schools can this take place?

In the Classroom:

Book Clubs
“Spheres of Influence” book displays
Summer reading/lit circle programs

Student choice
Reduced textbook reading
Built-in reading time

“SOCIAL INTERACTION ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO THINK, READ, CONCLUDE, SUMMARIZE, AND QUESTION.”

The social aspects of reading are engaged when people share what they have read with others and receive feedback about their related thoughts and ideas.

In an educationally supported environment, a social reading approach can enhance the effectiveness of cooperative learning.

Ways in which the classroom teacher can support this engagement is to allow student voice into the selection of titles and to create a time that is clearly allotted for reading. This could be done by incorporating recreational reading into various subjects or activities and reducing the amount of reading for homework to allow for more wide area reading.

In the library, you could offer book clubs across peer groups or grade levels. Additionally, creating a display that was recommended by the student’s “spheres of influence,” which could include coaches, teachers, friends, or family members, can increase engagement. Summer reading programs are also a great way to offer a variety of selections and book-specific engagement; lit circles could even be used upon returning to school in the fall to allow students to share their summer reading with peers.

‹#›

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Implications for Educators

Create Positive Reading Memories

Encourage Autonomy

Build a Literacy Environment

Positive Memories & Reading Habits

Matthew Effect

Self-Determination Theory

Influence of Classroom Practices

Key Findings

Literature Review

The study, The Roots of Reading for Pleasure: Recollections of Reading and Current Habits, explores the connection between early literacy experiences and present-day reading habits in adults. The researchers investigated how recollections of reading experiences from childhood to high school are associated with current reading habits. The study involved university students responding to open ended prompts and completing questionnaires about reading enjoyment and frequency during different school levels.

Here are some of their key findings:

Good memories of reading in childhood positively impact adult reading habits.

A strong start in literacy leads to a lifelong love of reading; this is known as the Matthew Effect

Home and school literacy environments significantly affect reading skills and motivation.

Autonomy, competence, and relatedness play key roles in fostering intrinsic reading motivation.

Some Implications for Educators:

Focus on cultivating enjoyable reading experiences.

Offer choices in reading materials to boost motivation.

Share your passion for reading to inspire students.

These findings stress the importance of early literacy experiences and educator influence on developing lifelong reading habits.

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Survey Results

INFLUENCES ON BOOK CHOICES
1.	FAMILY
2.	TEACHERS
3.	FRIENDS AND COACHES
4.	SOCIAL MEDIA

From November to December 2023, we conducted surveys on school reading culture as part of an IBSC action research project in our various schools. Our research realm focuses on the social aspects of reading among students in the two-year project, this year is a crucial 'gathering' phase for our research. We are collecting detailed information on existing reading and book clubs, their activities, and their impact on the reading culture at each school. If such clubs do not exist, we aim to understand the barriers and challenges in establishing them. The results will guide school library staff to formulate the most effective ways to combat this issue in their region

A survey about reading for pleasure & the social aspect of reading was administered to students from grades 8 – 12 in our schools. The idea was for each of us to survey as many students as possible, some survey questions and response options were altered to suit each member’s school’s scenario.

Key findings on our focus areas:

Regardings Connection to Reading:

Analysis of student responses revealed a moderately strong reading culture, with 47% of respondents indicating they read at least occasionally, while 43% read for school only. However, a minority (10%) reported not reading at all. This indicates a moderate to strong connection to reading among the student populations, though there's room to increase regular reading habits

Regarding Barriers to Reading:

The most prevalent barrier identified was lack of time (56%), followed by difficulty finding interesting reading material (35%). Social factors such as friends not reading (8%) and negative perceptions of reading as "cool" (4%) appeared to be less significant barriers.

Regarding Motivations for Reading:

Responses indicated that rewards and incentives (64%) emerged as the strongest motivators for increased reading, followed by book clubs (13%) and guest author visits (23%). Social media recommendations had minimal influence.

Regarding Influences on Book Choices:

Family recommendations were identified as the most influential factor in book selection, followed by teacher recommendations. Friends and coaches had a moderate influence, while social media recommendations were the least influential

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Middle School Reading Discussion

Summer Reading Programs

Upper House Cup Reading Challenge

Faculty Book Club

Blind Date with a Book and “Speed Dating”

“Spheres of Influence” Book Displays

9th Grade Book Club

Reading Clubs and Programs

Senior Reading Club (aka “The Page Turners”

Recreational readings and book reviews

Reading clubs and special programming engage students in the social aspect of reading. At our schools, we’ve either implemented or continued offering various clubs and programs to make reading fun and to foster a stronger reading culture on our campuses. We understand that modeling reading and reading habits is important for our students and give them time throughout the year to read.

The Middle School Reading Discussion program engaged students and family members in discussion about books. Displays in one library held recommendations from family members, teachers, coaches, and senior students to help illustrate how the larger community reads and how widely they read.

Two student book clubs were facilitated during the year - one for 9th graders at one school and one for seniors at another school. Also, a Faculty Book Club was started to provide a space for teachers to interact over a shared reading experience and set an example for students, to help them see that their teachers are readers. One upper school division conducted a month-long student/faculty Reading Challenge that turned reading into a competition between houses for points (what boy doesn’t like a little competition?). Librarians also helped lead various summer reading programs that culminated in school-wide discussions.

Moving forward, we plan to continue with these clubs and programs, and would like to try additional strategies, such as signage on doors to show what teachers are reading, which we hope would prompt discussions between students and teachers, encourage more student input on book selection for the summer reading programs and reading club selections, and build on the success of the clubs and programs implemented this year.

Now we know where and when we can promote reading, who is leading this in our schools?

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AUDREY ONSDORFF

JASON SAIKALY

CARA WILLIAMS

BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

Greenwich, Connecticut, USA

MARCELLIN COLLEGE

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL

Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

ST CHRISTOPHER’S SCHOOL

Richmond, Virginia, USA

Leaders as Readers

REBECCA PREEDY

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Who are our Reader Leaders?

School Leaders

Classroom Teachers

Teacher Librarians

Students

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Teachers as Reader Leaders

Cara ran BookTalk in her library in T1, 2024.

She reported that 67.3% of the books presented were borrowed at least once by her students.

Student Participation

6th Grade - 72%

7th Grade - 84%

8th Grade - 58%

“Has a teacher suggested a book to you that you ended up reading this year?” 63.5%

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Teacher Librarians as Reader Leaders

How Many Books Did You Read?	Student Responses	% of total books read
0	14	17%
1	28	33%
2	17	20%
3	8	9.5%
4	8	9.5%
5	9	11%

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Students as Reader Leaders

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Students as Reader Leaders

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Students as Reader Leaders

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Reflection and Recommendations

Try anything to promote reading for pleasure	You might be surprised by what works
Use anyone	You never know who will be most effective
Involve your students	It’s their library. Students trust their peers. Students know what students like!
Get your teachers involved	Students do look up to them. They do have ETHOS. Leverage it.
Gather Data	This will show you what is working and who it’s working with.
Involve School Leaders	Make sure they know what you’re trying to achieve and why. Help them understand the benefits of reading. Commit them to get involved.

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AMARYLLIS BARTON

CAROLYN FRIEDLANDER

EVA WHITE

NICOLA FARMER

MODES OF READING

KING EDWARD VI SCHOOL, UK

WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL, USA

SHORE SCHOOL, AUSTRALIA

ST MARGARAET’S BERWICK GRAMMAR,AUSTRALIA

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Modes of reading

GRAPHIC NOVELS

EBOOKS

AUDIOBOOKS

READING ALOUD

TRADITIONAL PAPER BOOKS

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The academic research

Reading modes are experienced differently by boys and girls

Changing mode changes how students engage

Each mode can bring unique benefits to boys

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Modes of reading

GRAPHIC NOVELS

EBOOKS

AUDIOBOOKS

READING ALOUD

TRADITIONAL PAPER BOOKS

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Research in IBSC schools

Students read different books depending on the mode

Students can’t always match the mode to the book

Students find their own way to audio and ebooks, but need help to find the best formats

Graphic novels are potent, but underread

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Student voice

"AUDIOBOOKS AND EBOOKS ARE COMPLETELY SUPER COOL AND SICK. THEY ALSO HELP ME RELAX SO NOBODY CAN KNOW WHAT BOOK I'M READING. "

“EBOOKS ARE A LOT MORE ACCESSIBLE, SO WHEN I REALLY WANT TO READ A BOOK, IT’S MOSTLY AN EBOOK.”

?“I ENJOY FICTIONAL FANTASY AND OTHER INTERESTING STORIES AS AUDIOBOOKS, AS I READ THEM IN MY FREE TIME WHILE I DO OTHER PRODUCTIVE THINGS SO I MULTITASK”

?"I READ MORE TOUCHING OR INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS AS AUDIOBOOKS"

I LIKE IT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE READS TO ME SO THAT I CAN GET INFORMATION MORE EASILY

I USUALLY READ IN NORMAL BOOKS THRILLERS BECAUSE IT IS MY MONEY BUYING THEM, AND I WANT TO BE SURE THAT I WILL LIKE THEM - BUT ON MY KINDLE, I WOULD MOSTLY READ WHATEVER BOOKS ARE FREE THAT I LIKE THE SOUND OF.

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Our next steps

How can we match the right student with the right book and the right mode of reading?
How can we promote books you can’t see?
How can we promote mindful digital reading to students and parents?

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How can we create this holistic reading culture in our schools?

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Trish Trchala

Head of Learning Resources

Xavier College

Melbourne

Mel Webb

Librarian

St Andrew’s

College

South Africa

Gabrielle Mace

Head of Library

St Augustine’s

College

Sydney

John Byrne

Director of Library Services

Brisbane Grammar School

Cathy Oxley

Teacher Librarian

Brisbane Grammar

School

Reading culture and leadership

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“The success of your journey towards implementation of a whole school reading culture will be heavily influenced by your ability to secure strong stakeholder engagement and adequate resources to sustain the process.” (Merga 2023)

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‘Who do you consider to be influential in building a whole school reading culture?’

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‘How can a school foster a love of reading?’

“Every teacher should be a teacher of reading”

(Merga & Mason 2019)

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“...literacy is an essential competency…fostered across the curriculum, by all teachers…not all teachers will have equal confidence to do so…” (Merga 2023)

“Literacy is foundational, and a love of reading unlocks engagement in literature.”

Director of Learning and Growth, Xavier College

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“Expired expectations and orphaned responsibility are contributing factors to reading culture.” (Merga 2023)

“Schools need to keep a close eye on attaining the perhaps more hard-fought long-term goals and sustain their momentum” (Merga 2023)

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“Schools need to keep a close eye on attaining the perhaps more hard-fought long-term goals and sustain their momentum.” (Merga 2023)

“Our students must be continually socialized as readers.” (Merga 2023)

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“Young readers need adult role models to show them how it is done, to normalize reading as a popular everyday pastime.” (Merga 2023)

“Encouraging parents to commit to supporting their child’s reading engagement by showing how parental attitudes and practices can influence students’ performance.” (Merga 2023)

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Let us continue to work together, sharing our successes and learning from our challenges, to build a thriving reading culture that will benefit our students for years to come.