Understanding Text Genre Preferences

Gallo, G., & Ness, M. (2013). Understanding the Text Genre Preferences of Third-Grade Readers, Journal of Language and Literacy Education [Online], 9(2), 110-130.

Background

The authors highlighted that, although much attention had been given to the role of informational text in U.S. elementary classrooms, researchers’ appeals for an integration of nonfiction reading experiences into the primary grades appeared to go unheeded.

Aims

The study aimed to find out the frequency the students read informational texts, which they preferred, fictional or informational texts, and whether there was a difference between their stated preferences and what they actually read. The study explored third-grade students’ attitudes toward and perceptions of informational text.

Sample

The participants were 46 third-grade students.

Method

The qualitative study used three data sources: a student survey of their reading preferences, individual interviews, and teacher observation logs during student independent reading time

Findings

The data revealed the following themes:

• Frequency of Nonfiction Reading – students read fictional text more frequently than nonfiction text;

• Students' Self-Reported Text Genre Preferences – students preferred reading fictional text to informational text;

• The Match between Students' Self-Reported Text Preferences and Their Reading Habits – twenty students showed a relationship between their preference and their reading habits; and

• How Informational Text Topics Attract Students – it appeared that students' text selection was highly influenced by the topic of the informational books, as demonstrated in their survey responses.

Implications

The researchers stated that:

• students are still largely underexposed to informational texts but express a curiosity in the genre;

• it is not enough to increase the quantity of informational text – teachers and librarians must focus on the quality of these texts and select books with much thought and care; and

• teachers should use informational text as a teaching and learning tool.

Original article retrieved from ERIC.