The Effect of Mandatory Reading Logs on Children’s Motivation to Read

Reading logs have become a practice in many elementary schools. Although lack of autonomy undermines intrinsic motivation, no study has examined the effect of logs. In this study, second and third-grade students were assigned either a mandatory or voluntary log and surveyed about their motivation to read at baseline and after two months. Students with mandatory logs expressed declines in both interest and attitudes towards recreational reading in comparison to peers with voluntary logs, and attitudes towards academic reading decreased significantly from pre- to post-test across conditions. Future research should explore alternate ways to promote reading.