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Doctoral Dissertation Defense
of
Emma M. Royan

For the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
Curriculum and Instruction - Literacy

The Reading Preferences and Experiences of Upper Elementary Boys

February 6, 2026
10:00 a.m.
403 White Hall

The Reading Preferences and Experiences of Upper Elementary Boys

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the reading preferences and experiences of upper elementary boys. Academic literature and mainstream media often frame boys and reading through a deficit lens rooted in gendered essentialism and stereotypes. This study sought to counter these narratives through an anti-essentialist framework, expanding dominant definitions of both literacy and masculinity.

Participants were boys in grades three through five attending an all-boys school in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected through a reading preferences survey, focus groups, and individual interviews. Findings indicate that participants expressed positive attitudes towards reading and demonstrated diverse reading interests that challenge common assumptions about boys and reading. Additional findings suggest that boys’ reading preferences are not always validated in the classroom, revealing tensions between their interests and the expectations of teachers and parents. Finally, participants’ reading experiences were deeply shaped by sociocultural influences, particularly family members.

Together, these findings complicate the deficit-based narratives about boys and reading and underscore the importance of attending to boys’ voices, contexts, and lived experiences when designing literacy instruction.