The C.R.I.B. Project
Choosing and Responding to Information Books

A three-year research project funded by
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Research Summary
The objectives of this three-year study as stated in the original proposal were:

• to identify differences in elementary children's choices of trade books for independent reading by grade level, sex and book type.
   
• to identify the literary qualities and book characteristics that influence elementary children's choice of trade books for independent reading.
   
• to identify differences in elementary teachers' choices of trade books for literacy instruction by grade level, sex and book type.
   
• to identify the literary qualities and book characteristics that influence elementary teachers’ choice of trade books used for literacy instruction.
   
• to compare differences in elementary children's trade book choices for independent reading with elementary teachers' use of fiction and nonfiction trade books for literacy instruction.

These objectives were generally achieved although the data collection from teachers proved more difficult than anticipated. The teachers were able to tell orally what texts and book types they were using and the research tools proved to more of a nuisance to them and not necessary for getting the information. In addition, after the first year of the study, the instruments for collecting data on book choices and written responses to reading the information books proved so effective, they were broadened and made more inclusive.

Gender differences in book choices became very evident in the first year, so that too was heightened as an objective. Students were choosing a great number of information books and they talked a great deal with the researcher and the research assistants about their book choices, preferences and reasons for choosing certain books. This data became part of the anecdotal data collection process that was not really anticipated in the original research objectives.

After the first year of data-collection, it was obvious that many more students were taking information books out of the school library than originally expected. As well, the classroom teachers who were involved found this to be an exciting phenomenon for their own literacy work. They made many comments and observations about how the information books were taking on new meaning for them in the texts they chose for teaching literacy. This was particularly evident as data was collected for the final objective on the list above. Teachers became more aware of what texts they were using and started to change their practice which meant the original plan for collecting this data had to be changed. So, more classes were invited to get involved in the written response aspect of the data collection which made that data base larger and filled with rich written responses. This meant that in the data analysis I was able to develop a set of categories for the written responses and to compare them to typical responses made while reading fiction books.

Results of the C.R.I.B. Project
I have made several major presentations to share the results of the C.R.I.B. Project and the following Slideshow and published article give you some idea of the findings from the study.

Slideshow
Elementary Children’s Efferent and Aesthetic Responses to reading Information Books. ( A presentation at the International Reading Association World Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland. July 2002.)

Published Article (pdf format)
Boy Books and Girl Books: Should we Re-organize our School Library Shelves
(An article published in Teacher-Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals, February 2003, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 14-16.