Abstract:

The study presents research results solved by project VEGA No. 1/0455/18 named "Research and Development of Reading Enthusiasm with Younger Learners". We examined the social context of the young readers from Slovak schools. The research sample consisted of 693 younger and 534 older elementary school students. We created specific subgroups of reading level based on the sequential theory resulting from respondents´ answers in focused interviews: reader enthusiast “A” , reader with interest “I”, non-reader without problems “G”, non-reader with problems “N”. We took into account the respondents' relationship to reading and the level of their reading. Our research instrument (47 items questionnaire) revealed the reader's characters, the social context of their reading, and his/her reading preferences. In this paper we focus on the social context of reading in the comparison of younger and older pupils classified into specific groups. The results of the research show statistical differences in the responses of younger and older pupils. Fewer older than younger pupils say that parents enjoy when he/she is reading. Younger pupils read more than older, and most pupils in both groups do not like to read aloud to classmates. Mothers most often advise what to read in the case of younger children, older students respect more friend when need some advices about reading. Parental authority and sharing of reading interests with parents decreases dependently on the age. Respondents´ friends replace parents. Teachers in both age groups are advisors for only about 6% of pupils, which is deplorably low. The paper focuses on comparing the social context of reading in the subgroups A I G N.

Based on the results of the research, we have formulated our recommendations for developing the reading of students at school and children in the families.

Keywords:

Social context of reading, comparison, young readers.