Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Ted Kalmus

Second Advisor

Ana Margarita Rivero Arias

Abstract

Noting the decline in students’ access to school library spaces, along with growing educator discourse surrounding declining youth reading enjoyment, the critical question emerged: What classroom strategies increase students’ motivation and enjoyment of reading? This classroom inquiry took place in a sixth-grade Humanities classroom of 21 students at a small Catholic school in North Seattle. Drawing from research surrounding aesthetic reading, reader identity, student agency, and reading community, the study investigated how an independent reading routine, student choice in text selection, and peer interactions around reading influenced students’ motivation and enjoyment of reading. Data was collected over a three-week period through student surveys, observational field notes, reader journals, quick-check responses, and a digital book recommendation platform. Findings suggested that experiential reading practices, student agency, and reading community positively influenced many students’ reading engagement, enjoyment, sustained attention during reading time, and connections to texts. The study also revealed tensions between aesthetic reading experiences and the efferent structures often embedded within classroom environments.

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