Let’s Read into It: The Effect of Children’s Literature Integration on Student Engagement

Children’s literature can play a crucial role in the classroom environment, both as independent reading for students, as well as a tool for teaching content. In my study, I determined how the integration of children’s literature into the Social Emotional Learning unit of a third-grade classroom affects students’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement. Cognitive engagement can be defined as being invested in the learning process and going above-and-beyond in the classroom. A student who is behaviorally engaged follows the rules, is not disruptive, is an active participant in the learning process, and/or participates in extra-curricular activities. Emotional engagement includes any and all emotional reactions (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). I collected and analyzed data through field notes, class photos, lesson plans, and student work samples. The results of this study showed how the use of children’s literature allows students to become more engaged with the lessons being presented.