Perceived reading enjoyment and frequency among Elementary and Middle School students through parental lenses

Abstract

The researchers studied parental perceived reading enjoyment and reading frequency among elementary and middle school students. 213 participants (NES=131, NMS=82) were recruited for the study. The researchers used the Classification and Regression trees to explore what predictors may affect reading with a child and its frequency. It was found that, among elementary school students, the mother’s level of education and parental ability to help were crucial. These students were more likely to enjoy reading if their parents knew how to support them. Conversely, the parents of middle school students were more likely to enjoy reading if their parents read to them at least once a week. Moreover, they were more likely to read more frequently if they enjoyed reading. In the future, it is recommended to measure self-perception among students as well as teacher’s perception.