Journal of Research in Reading

Reading skills and social–emotional competencies are two important skills for both academic achievement and long‐term quality of life. The present study evaluated the effects of a school‐based intervention to promote reading skills and social–emotional competencies in young adolescents from urban, low socioeconomic status (SES) communities in their first year of secondary education. A small group intervention was conducted, using book clubs in which students read and discussed literature with the objective to enhance reading attitude, reading comprehension and social–emotional competencies. Participants were randomly allocated to either the book club intervention condition (n = 50) or a business‐as‐usual control condition (n = 40). Results revealed that the intervention group accrued significant greater gains than the control group in (recreational) reading attitude, reading comprehension and social emotional competences.

Highlights

What is already known about this topic

• The transition from primary to secondary education is accompanied by a sharp decline in reading attitude and a rise in demands on young adolescents' social–emotional competencies.
• Qualitative research suggests book clubs can be an educational tool to enhance both reading behaviour and social–emotional skills.

What this paper adds

• A bibliotherapeutic book club intervention can be an effective tool to improve reading attitudes, reading comprehension and to strengthen social–emotional competencies in young adolescents from low SES areas.

Implications for theory, policy or practice

• This study supports the inclusion of bibliotherapeutic book clubs in the secondary education curriculum as a mean to address both reading behaviour and social–emotional competencies, two skills that are important for adolescents' academic success.