Empowering Readers: Boosting Reading Engagement for Third Graders With Book Clubs in a Rural Title 1 School

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of Book Clubs on reading engagement among at‐risk third‐grade students in a rural Title 1 elementary school. Grounded in Engagement Theory, the research examines reading engagement's behavioral, cognitive, affective, and social dimensions. Over 6 weeks, 16 students participated in small‐group book clubs outside regular school hours, complementing Tier 2 interventions and a Structured Literacy curriculum. Using a quasi‐experimental design, pre‐ and post‐survey data were collected via the Reading Engagement Scale. Results showed positive gains across all engagement dimensions, with behavioral and affective engagement demonstrating the most growth, and cognitive engagement ranking highest overall. The study highlights the effectiveness of student‐centered, balanced literacy approaches in fostering deeper reading engagement, leveraging unused literacy resources to create meaningful learning experiences. All participants met state and classroom assessment goals, underscoring the potential of Book Clubs as a low‐cost intervention for Title 1 schools.