A Closer Look at How Children's Choice Book Award Programs Motivate Upper Elementary Students to Read

Abstract

The purpose of my thesis was to learn more about children's choice book award programs such as the Massachusetts Children's Book Award Program (sponsored by SSU). Specifically, I wanted to know what prior research tells us about the impact of children's choice award programs and children's motivation to read, children's reasons for participating in such a program, and children's strategies for selecting books and deciding on a favorite. I completed a review of literature to see what past research has found about the effectiveness of children's choice award programs and their motivation to read. Through a survey completed by seventeen 4th and 5th graders who participated in the 2013-2014 MCBA program, I was able to find answers to support prior research done on the effectiveness of children's choice award programs as well as raise questions for further research.