Why and What They Read When They Don't Have to: Factors Influencing the Recreational Reading Habits of Gifted Students in Singapore

This study examined the recreational reading habits of 10- to 12-year-old students enrolled in one of the nine Gifted Education Program (GEP) schools in Singapore. A total of 125 students were surveyed regarding the time they spent on recreational reading, and the top and bottom 10% were labeled Highly Avid Readers (HAR) and Less Avid Readers (LAR), respectively. The 24 readers from the HAR and LAR groups subsequently participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), which revealed that the two groups differ considerably in terms of their ideations about reading, perception of themselves as readers, and the time they devote to reading, as well as parental influences in reading. Results, which are interpreted using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory framework, indicate more can be done in both home and school settings to encourage recreational reading. Insights and recommendations are offered in light of this.