Route to reading: Promoting reading through a school library: effects for non-Western migrant students

The present research aimed at providing insight into the effects of an integrated library facility in a Dutch primary school’s curriculum on the reading attitude, reading behavior, and reading and language skills in students with a non-Western migrant background. The project consisted of a literature review and three empirical studies. For the empirical part, we conducted a longitudinal study with a quasi-experimental design, involving 143 students with a non-Western background (grades 2 to 6) of two Dutch primary schools: one with an integrated library facility (i.e., the experimental school, n = 72) and one without such a school library (i.e., the control school, n = 71). Data were gathered over three successive school years (2011/2012, 2012/2013, and 2013/2014), using questionnaires and standardized tests. We first investigated whether the school library had an effect on the reading attitude and reading behavior of the students. Secondly, we analyzed whether the school library led to better reading and language skills. Thirdly, we focused on the relationships between the students’ reading attitude, reading behavior, and reading and language skills. This research project has provided implications for future research and practice, which can be used to implement more effective reading promotion efforts.