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Reading enjoyment and reading skills: Lessons from an experiment with first grade children

Author

Listed:
  • Dominique Goux

    (CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Marc Gurgand

    (UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain)

  • Eric Maurin

    (PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

We consider a very intensive program targeted at low performing first graders identified by teachers as lacking appropriate parental support at home. The ambition of the program is to convey these children the daily contact with books that they may lack at home in order to develop their taste for reading and, eventually, their reading skills. Based on a controlled experiment in 109 French schools from deprived areas, we do find that taste for reading is significantly improved. However, there is no indication that this translates into higher reading skills, neither during the program year, nor during the next year.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique Goux & Marc Gurgand & Eric Maurin, 2017. "Reading enjoyment and reading skills: Lessons from an experiment with first grade children," Post-Print halshs-01630299, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01630299
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2016.09.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Peter Fredriksson & Björn Öckert & Hessel Oosterbeek, 2016. "Parental Responses to Public Investments in Children: Evidence from a Maximum Class Size Rule," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 51(4), pages 832-868.
    2. Bénabou, Roland & Kramarz, Francis & Prost, Corinne, 2009. "The French zones d'éducation prioritaire: Much ado about nothing?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 345-356, June.
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    4. Kalb, Guyonne & van Ours, Jan C., 2014. "Reading to young children: A head-start in life?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-24.
    5. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-00942662 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Francesco Avvisati & Marc Gurgand & Nina Guyon & Eric Maurin, 2014. "Getting Parents Involved: A Field Experiment in Deprived Schools," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(1), pages 57-83.
    7. repec:adr:anecst:y:2013:i:111-112:p:11 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Anna Laura Mancini & Chiara Monfardini & Silvia Pasqua, 2017. "Is a good example the best sermon? Children’s imitation of parental reading," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 965-993, September.
    9. James Heckman & Rodrigo Pinto & Peter Savelyev, 2013. "Understanding the Mechanisms through Which an Influential Early Childhood Program Boosted Adult Outcomes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(6), pages 2052-2086, October.
    10. Gelber, Alexander & Isen, Adam, 2013. "Children's schooling and parents' behavior: Evidence from the Head Start Impact Study," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 25-38.
    11. repec:mpr:mprres:5039 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Ama Baafra Abeberese & Todd J. Kumler & Leigh L. Linden, 2014. "Improving Reading Skills by Encouraging Children to Read in School:: A Randomized Evaluation of the Sa Aklat Sisikat Reading Program in the Philippines," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(3), pages 611-633.
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    Cited by:

    1. Huillery, Elise & Bouguen, Adrien & Charpentier, Axelle & Algan, Yann & Chevallier, Coralie, 2021. "The Role of Mindset in Education : A Large-Scale Field Experiment in Disadvantaged Schools," SocArXiv zs9aq, Center for Open Science.
    2. Adrien Bouguen & Julien Grenet & Marc Gurgand, 2017. "Does class size influence student achievement?," Post-Print halshs-02522747, HAL.
    3. Adrien Bouguen & Julien Grenet & Marc Gurgand, 2017. "Does class size influence student achievement?," Post-Print halshs-02522747, HAL.
    4. Sara Suárez-Fernández & David Boto-García, 2019. "Unraveling the effect of extrinsic reading on reading with intrinsic motivation," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 43(4), pages 579-605, December.
    5. Adrien Bouguen & Julien Grenet & Marc Gurgand, 2017. "La taille des classes influence-t-elle la réussite scolaire ?," Institut des Politiques Publiques hal-02453596, HAL.
    6. Adrien Bouguen & Julien Grenet & Marc Gurgand, 2017. "La taille des classes influence-t-elle la réussite scolaire ?," Post-Print hal-02453596, HAL.
    7. Anger, Silke & Christoph, Bernhard & Galkiewicz, Agata & Margaryan, Shushanik & Peter, Frauke & Sandner, Malte & Siedler, Thomas, 2024. "A Library in the Palm of Your Hand? A Randomized Reading Intervention with Low-Income Children," IZA Discussion Papers 17322, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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