ABSTRACT

International studies have established that reading for enjoyment is linked to higher reading outcomes however there are local variations of the relationship and nuances associated with gender and economic contours. The aim of this study was to examine 318 Australian Year 3 (7 to 8-year-olds) boys’ and girls’ self-reported enjoyment for reading, reading frequency, and achievement on national reading tests. Findings showed that students who indicated higher levels of enjoyment for fiction and non-fiction, and who read more frequently, indicated higher reading achievement. Students attending schools in higher demographic communities tended to attain higher reading scores. An unexpected and significant finding was that fiction was the most favoured reading genre for boys and that more girls had higher levels of enjoyment for non-fiction than boys. These findings challenge the long-standing myth that boy’s prefer non-fiction. The study demonstrates the importance of promoting reading enjoyment – particularly fiction – early in students’ schooling trajectory, with special consideration for boys and students from economically marginalised communities.

摘要

国际研究已经确定，以享受为目的的阅读与更高的阅读结果有关，但是与性别和经济状况相关的关系和细微差别存在当地差异。本研究的目的是调查 318 名澳大利亚 3 年级（7 至 8 岁）男孩和女孩在阅读方面的自我报告、阅读频率和全国阅读测试成绩。结果表明，对小说和非小说作品表现出更高水平的享受，以及阅读频率更高的学生，表现出更高的阅读成绩。在人口较多的社区上学的学生往往会获得更高的阅读分数。一个出人意料的重要发现是小说是男孩最喜欢的阅读类型，而且更多的女孩比男孩更喜欢非小说。这些发现挑战了长期存在的男孩偏爱非小说类的神话。该研究表明，在学生的教育轨迹早期促进阅读享受——尤其是小说——的重要性，并特别考虑到来自经济边缘化社区的男孩和学生。