The impact of reading and discussing culturally relevant texts with adolescents who struggle with reading

The number of students who classify as non-readers or students who struggle with reading is dramatically increasing every year. Many of the struggling readers are reading well below their grade level and are struggling to obtain academic success in school. Educators are having problems getting students involved in reading. This matter of students’ involvement in reading is of concern to the nation. Students who are competent in reading have more opportunities to succeed academically, and students who read well are better able to contribute to the country’s well-being. Educators and parents are interested in ways to get non-readers involved in reading. This research seeks to discover the role culturally relevant texts have on African American reluctant readers in high school. The study strengthens our understanding of how book clubs/literature discussion groups can be used to support students’ learning. The project expands current research on the implementation of book clubs in a high school setting. Additionally, it produces a deeper understanding of the impact culturally relevant texts have on students who previously have had limited access to such texts (based on participants’ prior experiences). What is the role of reading and discussing culturally relevant texts with students who struggle with reading? To answer the question, I conducted a qualitative study. I worked with two literature discussion groups (six participants in each group). We read and discussed three culturally relevant texts. In addition, I conducted three interviews with the participants (pre-, post-, and one-year-later interviews). The data show that the books and literature discussion groups supported personal meaning-making by offering avenues for students to connect their own experiences to family members’ and larger community experiences, supported students’ willingness to engage in practices to improve comprehension, and enhanced students’ desire to engage in oral and silent reading, to request help from instructor or peers, and to offer and accept unrequested peer support