Graduate Program

Elementary Education

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2007

Thesis Director

Linda Reven

Thesis Committee Member

Judy Barbour

Thesis Committee Member

Douglas Bower

Abstract

An experimental study was conducted to determine if the addition of comic books as self-selected reading material in the classroom improved students' attitudes toward recreational reading. Sixth grade students (n=62) completed the first ten items that address recreational reading from the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna & Kear, 1990) as a pre- and post-test. The students in the experimental group (n=35) had comic books available in their sixth grade language arts classroom libraries during free classroom reading periods. Comic books were not available in the language arts classroom libraries for the sixth grade students in the control group (n=27). Students also completed a reading log of recreational materials read in the classroom during the intervention to document use of comic books during free classroom reading by the experimental subjects. Scores of students with differing levels of reading ability as rated by their teachers were also compared, as well as gender differences. An analysis of the data from the study did not reveal any statistically significant differences in the groups.

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