Browsing by Author "Ylämäki, Laura"

For years there has been concern for children who are reading less in their spare time and whose reading skills are worsening. Earlier research has proven that reading groups can have positive effects for classroom climate, reading motivation and pupils to become a lifelong readers. Social interaction and pupils’ own choices support children’s reading motivation. The most common definition for reading group is that small group of students reads a book, plan timetable for their reading and discuss about the book together. In this study the aim was to find out how pupils define reading group, what they think about it and how reading group can support pupils’ reading motivation. Study gives the voice for pupils and provides valuable information about reading groups that have not been studied a lot before in Finland. This thesis is part of Lukuklaani research project which is funded by Suomen kulttuurirahasto and Kopiosto. Participants of this study included 37 pupils from fifth and sixth grade. They participated Lukuklaani’s ’Narrit’ reading group for three weeks in 2019. Data of this study was collected with online survey in the beginning and in the end of the reading group. The survey provided data about pupils’ reading habits and thoughts about different parts of reading group. Also 12 students were interviewed in groups of four. Data analysis method was qualitative content analysis. Earlier research supported results while they were analysed. The pupils in this study had positive thoughts about reading group and reading already in the beginning of the study. Students liked working with the group and choosing books by themselves. Group and book choices supported reading in the reading group. Pupils wanted to have reading group also the next time when they read a book at school because in reading group pupils got to discuss with others. They also thought that it was a nice learning method. This study shows that reading group can motivate pupils to read if the book choices are succesful and working in the group goes without problems.