RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Complex World of Adolescent Literacy: Myths, Motivations, and Mysteries
JF Harvard Educational Review
JO herp
FD Harvard Educational Press
SP 107
OP 154
DO 10.17763/haer.78.1.54468j6204x24157
VO 78
IS 1
A1 BIRR MOJE, ELIZABETH
A1 OVERBY, MELANIE
A1 TYSVAER, NICOLE
A1 MORRIS, KAREN
YR 2008
UL http://harvardeducationalreview.org/content/78/1/107.abstract
AB In this article, Elizabeth Birr Moje, Melanie Overby, Nicole Tysvaer, and Karen Morris challenge some of the prevailing myths about adolescents and their choices related to reading. The reading practices of youth from one urban community are examined using mixed methods in an effort to define what, how often, and why adolescents choose to read. By focusing on what features of texts youth find motivating, the authors find that reading and writing frequently occur in a range of literacy contexts outside school. However, only reading novels on a regular basis outside of school is shown to have a positive relationship to academic achievement as measured by school grades. This article describes how adolescents read texts that are embedded in social networks, allowing them to build social capital. Conclusions are framed in terms of the mysteries that remain — namely, how to build on what motivates adolescents' literacy practices in order to both promote the building of their social selves and improve their academic outcomes.