Upper elementary‐aged children's reported perceptions about good readers: A self‐efficacy influenced update in transitional literacy contexts

This study sought to update the criteria by which fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children in transitional literacy contexts form reading ability judgments. A total of 56 students of varying reading abilities responded orally to interview questions structured around Bandura's (1977, 1982) model of self‐efficacy. Transcript analyses produced 15 separate criterial categories, 10 of which clustered into four major category groupings. In making “good reader” judgments, children most frequently referenced the public performance/fluency category grouping of reading (i.e., word recognition, word analysis, and reading rate). The three other major category groupings included selected teacher practices (verbal praise and call upon patterns) as well as indicators of affect (amount of reading, enjoyment, and recreational reading) and classroom achievement (task/test performance and grades). Comprehension, studying/practice, providing or receiving assistance, reading group membership, and effort represented remaining categories of note, although the comprehension aspect was mentioned by far fewer students than would be desirable at these grade levels.