Out of School But in a Book: Leveraging the Socio-Cultural Aspects of Reading

So often, when we talk about reading, we focus on the technical or cognitive side of it – learning how students decode words and understand their meaning. While this makes sense because schools tend to prioritize the technical aspects of reading for beginning learners, the socio-cultural aspect of reading must not be forgotten. 

The socio-cultural aspect of reading refers to how our community, environment, and cultural background influence reading. The way that people learn to read, what they decide to read, and how they interpret what they read is largely influenced by their larger socio-cultural environment (Cartin, 2023). 

When you reflect on your experience learning to read, did just learning how to sound out words make you a strong reader? Or, did your environment play a role? Did learning how to sound out words in collaboration with your peers or the pride and joy from finishing your first book inspire you to keep reading? 

Only recently have some states – such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Florida – begun to include initiatives incorporating the community and environmental dimension of reading into their legislation. For example, Minnesota’s HF 2497 bill established a grant to support eligible after-school organizations in providing culturally affirming and enriching​ after-school programming that promotes positive learning activities, specifically including community engagement and literacy. Similarly, Michigan’s HB 4411 bill established an innovative community library fund to aid in furthering reading skills and address early childhood literacy gaps through the engagement and connection of students. Another example is Florida’s SB 2524 bill, which established a partnership with Just Read, Florida! to help distribute books at no cost to families to help instill a love of reading in students. Such initiatives can play a significant role in promoting childhood literacy and encourage young readers to view reading as a leisure and social activity. However, we need more states to adopt similar efforts to truly meet the needs of all students.

We argue that after-school programs are the perfect place to help students build a positive association with reading, as after-school programs can pay more attention to the social dimensions of learning.  

Previous research by Afterschool Alliance (2015) has found that after-school programs, even ones not focused on literacy development, have been associated with improved reading scores. For some students, after-school programs can be more effective than traditional homework or literacy assistance programs because students find them empowering. Unlike traditional homework programs that focus on a child's deficits, high-quality after-school programs embrace the child holistically by tending to students’ academic, emotional, and physical needs. The difference in focus allows after-school programs to help students maintain and enhance positive associations with school and learning (Cosden et al., 2004). 

Whether the after-school program is on a school campus or not, after-school programs do not have to adhere to state curriculum standards. After-school programs are purely focused on fostering community and student enrichment, allowing them to offer something unique from schools: the freedom to explore literacy in engaging and creative ways without the pressure of standards or evaluations.

With our socio-cultural perspective of reading being formed subconsciously and through interactions, the best way for after-school programs to promote positive reading perspectives and environments is by using broad literacy strategies (Wheeler et al., 2022) that work to create an environment that prioritizes and elevates reading and writing.

Broad literacy strategies use tactics known to promote strong literacy skills without providing direct literacy instruction (Wheeler et al., 2022). This can look like intentionally leveraging the impact peers have on each other, making reading a fun, interactive bonding activity, making intentional language choices, and setting up a routine and environment for success. Below, we share some strategies gathered from research:

Intentionally leveraging the impact peers have on each other:

• Consider making small literature circles for students. Most importantly, in these circles, have students share what they have been reading. This will help them develop their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills in a fun and engaging way (Boudreau, 2021).
• Get students hooked on a series of books and have them do a book club. The idea here is similar to literature circles, but for this activity, all students should be reading the same book.
• Have students work together to come up with and write their own story (Wheeler et al., 2022). You can give them a prompt to start off with, or they can come up with something on their own.
• Have silly book review activities that students share out with the group. Encourage students to do anything other than a traditional written report. This can look like making memes or Lego dioramas to depict a book’s story. The goal here is to get students to reflect on what they have been reading and connect it to a medium that they are interested in. By sharing with the group, students are also exposed to literature they might not have previously considered (Wheeler et al., 2022).

Making reading a fun, interactive bonding activity:

• Have read alouds with your students and encourage them to participate (United Through Reading, 2023). Make sure to engage in dialogic reading with students by using open-ended questions to create conversation about what you’re reading (Gohl & Thorson, 2019). For more information on how to practice dialogic reading, you can refer here.
• For books with multiple characters, encourage students to each pick a character and have fun reading them in different voices and tones. Acting out stories helps students learn how to express themselves and encourages them to take risks with reading (Wheeler et al., 2022).
• Have reading challenges with reward incentives. This can look like sticker charts, watching the movie for a book after students finish reading it, and more. Some companies (like  Panda Express) and most libraries have reading reward programs as well. Participating in challenges helps beginning readers want to read and offers benefits such as broadening their horizons (The Reading Roundup, n.d.).
• Invite service dogs to your program so that students can practice reading to them. Reading to service dogs has been shown to encourage reluctant readers, improve attitudes about reading, and enhance literacy skills and attitudes (Wheeler et al., 2022).

Making intentional language choices:

• Make sure that conversations around reading are positive and empowering. How we talk about reading to students and how they talk about it to each other is critical in forming their opinions on reading. For example, correct negative self-talk about reading and remind students of how fun reading can be. 
• Encourage students to read all types of books. A common misconception is that some books, like graphic novels, are not as “good” as traditional chapter books. The type of books students read is not nearly as important as developing their love for reading. Regardless of what students read, the more they do it, the better they will get. The better they get, the more they will like it and continue to do it (Boudreau, 2021).

Setting up a routine and environment for success:

• Get students in the habit of reading a little bit every day. Reading for 15-30 minutes can make a big impact on student vocabulary, imagination, empathy, and concentration (Lafond, 2023).
• Make sure books are accessible at your program. You can do this by hosting book drives or signing students up for library cards. These books should cover a wide range of topics, genres, and subjects. The goal is to have all students be able to see themselves reflected somewhere in them. The presentation and selection of books you make available send messages to students, so make sure they are positive.

After-school programs have the potential to not only help students read but transform literacy rates by embracing the socio-cultural aspects of reading. When we create spaces where children are excited to engage with literature, we foster not just better readers but lifelong readers.

Whether you're a parent, policymaker, or after-school program director, consider the role you can play in making reading a culturally and socially relevant activity. Together, we can turn after-school programs into hubs for literacy. The importance of the socio-cultural aspect of reading cannot be understated -– it’s half the battle in promoting literacy.