The Influence of Text Topic Interest on Reading Performance

Abstract

The current study examined the effects of text topic interest on children's reading performance, particularly within the context of a reading intervention program. Participants included four late elementary school children who were enrolled in a summer reading program at a Midwestern regional state university. At the beginning of the study, various text topics were presented visually and participants were asked to rate their interest in each text topic using a visual scale. Using a multiple baseline design, participants were then presented with low-interest reading text before they switched to high-interest text. Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and reading comprehension performance were examined as functions of text topic interest. Results revealed no effect of text topic interest on reading performance.