Motivation to continue: Enhancing literacy learning for struggling readers and writers

This article explores how the Cross-Aged Literacy Program supported the motivation and literacy learning of four low-achieving ninth-grade students. Grounded within a sociocultural theoretical framework, findings suggest that participation in the preparation seminar and cross-aged literary discussion groups contributed to three key aspects of intrinsic motivation: (1) perceived self-competence, (2) autonomy, and (3) relatedness. These three areas were interconnected through the social interactions of the study. Through critique and analysis of their experiences, students acknowledged when they fell short of conducting successful cross-aged discussion and expressed enthusiasm when they realized how the younger students enabled them to experience literature in new and meaningful ways.