Effects of a Read-Aloud Program on Reading Attitudes of Elementary Children
Authors:   , Porter Sharon 
Published: February 2023

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate the attitudes toward reading of elementary students in 3rd and 6th grade at a small, rural western Kansas school before and after implementing a read-aloud program. The sample consisted of 58 students; 33 boys and 25 girls. Thirty pupils participated in the study group and a control group consisted of 28 pupils. The independent variables were participation status, gender, socio-economic status, English as a Second Language, family structure, self-esteem, and cognitive ability. The dependent variables were scores from the scales of the Elementary Reading Attitude survey. They were: Attitudes Toward Academic Reading, Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading, and Total. Pretest scores from the scales of the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey were employed as covariant measures. Also, scores from the Reading Total of the California Achievement Test-5 were employed as a covariant measure for one composite null hypothesis. Eight composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance employing a single-factor analysis of covariance. A total of 45 comparisons were made. Of the 45 comparisons, 7 comparisons were significant at the .05 level. The following were statistically significant: 1. participation status (30 weeks) for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading (6th grade students), 2. participation status (30 weeks) for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading (6th grade students), 3. participation status (30 weeks) for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading (3rd grade students who were read to but did not read aloud), 4. participation status (30 weeks) for the dependent variable Total (6th grade students), 5. participation status (30 weeks) for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading when employing Reading Total from the California Achievement Test- 5 as a covariant measure (6th grade students), 6. gender for 6th grade and the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading, and 7. gender for 6th grade and the dependent variable Total. The results of the present study indicated the following: 1. students in the 6th grade who participated for the 30 weeks had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than 6th grade students who did not participate for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading, 2. students in the 6th grade who participated for the 30 weeks had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than 6th grade students who did not participate for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading, 3. students in the 3rd grade who participated for the 30 weeks had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than 3rd grade students who did not participate for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading, 4. students in the 6th grade who participated for the 30 weeks had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than 6th grade students who did not participate for the dependent variable Total, 5. students in the 6th grade who participated for the 30 weeks had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than 6th grade students who did not participate for the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading when employing Reading Total on the California Achievement Test-5 as a covariant measure, 6. female students in the 6th grade who participated in the implemented read-aloud program had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than male students in the 6th grade f o r the dependent variable Attitudes Toward Academic Reading, and 7. female students in the 6th grade who participated in the implemented read- aloud program had a statistically larger adjusted post mean score than the male students in the 6th grade for the dependent variable Total. The results of the present study appear to support the following generalizations: 1. students in the 6th grade who participate in a read-aloud program acquire a more positive attitude toward reading than 6th grade students who did not participate, 2. students in the 3rd grade who are read-aloud to acquire a more positive attitude toward reading (Attitudes Toward Recreational Reading) than 3rd grade students who did not participate, 3. female students in the 6th grade who participate in a read-aloud program acquire a more positive attitude toward reading (Attitudes Toward Academic Reading and Total) than 6th grade male students who did participate, 4. no association between socioeconomic status for those who participated in this read-aloud program and reading attitude, 5. no association between English as a Second Language for those who participated in this read-aloud program and reading attitude, 6. no association between family structure for those who participated in this read- aloud program and reading attitude, 7. no association between self-esteem for those who participated in this read-aloud program and reading attitude, and 8. no association between cognitive ability for those who participated in this read-aloud program and reading attitude.