Understanding children's reading activities: Reading motivation, skill and child characteristics as predictors
Abstract
This study examined the extent to which a range of child characteristics (sex, age, socioeconomic status, reading skill and intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation) predicted engagement (i.e., time spent) in different reading activities (fiction books, factual books, school textbooks, comics, magazines and digital texts). In total, 791 children (aged 8–11 years) participated. There was considerable variation in the factors predicting engagement in different reading activities. Although intrinsic reading motivation was a good predictor of recreational book reading, age was a stronger predictor of engagement with digital texts. Furthermore, specific dimensions of motivation predicted engagement in different reading activities; being motivated to read challenging texts predicted recreational book reading, whereas being motivated to achieve good grades predicted schoolbook reading. On the other hand, social reasons predicted engagement with magazines and comics. Implications for education and the relationship between child characteristics and choice of reading activities are discussed.
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The pattern of no significant type effect does not align with previous research showing larger effect sizes for linear-communicative digital reading habits than for social-communicative ones.
“a pattern that does not align with previous research showing larger effect sizes for linear-communicative digital reading habits than for social-communicative ones (Duncan et al., 2016; McGeown et al., 2016; Pfost et al., 2013).”
From Do New Forms of Reading Pay Off? A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Leisure Digital Reading Habits and Text Comprehension (2025) · cites this paper as McGeown et al., 2016
Both theory of mind ability and reading experience have been linked to individual differences in verbal ability, gender, and socioeconomic status.
“Both ToM ability and reading experience have for instance been linked to individual differences in verbal ability, gender, and socioeconomic status (e.g., Devine et al., 2023; Devine & Hughes, 2018; McGeown et al., 2016; Milligan et al., 2007; van der Kleij et al., 2022).”
From Longitudinal development of theory of mind in adolescence and its associations with fiction reading experience. (2025) · cites this paper as McGeown et al., 2016
Cites
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A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality.
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The environment of childhood poverty
Evans, G. W. (2004) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.59.2.77 · Cited by 2,396 · see citing works
To read or not to read: a meta-analysis of print exposure from infancy to early adulthood
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Why do children read more? The influence of reading ability on voluntary reading practices
van Bergen, E., Snowling, M. J., de Zeeuw, E. L., van Beijsterveldt, C. E. M., Dolan, C. V., & Boomsma, D. I. (2018) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.12910 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Altamura, L., Vargas, C., & Salmerón, L. (2025) · Review of Educational Research · doi:10.3102/00346543231216463 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Reading During Adolescence: Why Adolescents Choose (or Do Not Choose) Books
Wilkinson, K., Andries, V., Howarth, D., Bonsall, J., Sabeti, S., & McGeown, S. (2020) · Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy · doi:10.1002/jaal.1065 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Self-citationPeople Searching for Meaning in Their Lives Find Literature More Engaging
Carney, J., & Robertson, C. (2018) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/gpr0000134 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
van der Kleij, S. W., Devine, R. T., Shapiro, L. R., Ricketts, J., & Apperly, I. (2025) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0001965 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Nkomo, S., Ngoepe, M., Onwukanjo, S. A., Mwilongo, K. J., Kachota, B., Rupasinghe, T. P., Nsibirano, R., Nsibirano, K. A., Abu, A. A., Isah, A. Y., et al. (2023) · doi:10.36615/9781776460533
- Authors
- McGeown, S. P., Osborne, C., Warhurst, A., Norgate, R., & Duncan, L. G.
- Affiliations
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- Research and Evaluation Unit Hampshire Educational Psychology Service Clarendon House, Monarch Way Winchester UK
- University of Dundee (GB)
- Corresponding author
- McGeown, Sarah P.
- Venue
- Journal of Research in Reading
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-10-07
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 109-125
- ISSN
- 0141-0423 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9817
- OpenAlex
- W2180746509
- Cited by
- 139
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 28.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Research in Reading (publishedVersion)
- Discovery Research Portal (University of Dundee) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Literacy and Educational Practices
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Keywords
- children's reading habits, reading motivation, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, reading engagement, reading skills, socioeconomic status, age differences, digital texts, comics, magazines, school textbooks
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