In today’s competitive educational landscape, extracurricular reading is crucial for enhancing students’ literacy, nurturing the soul, and shaping character. This study investigates the extracurricular reading habits of fifth-grade students in an urban primary school in Beijing and proposes evidence-based strategies to encourage balanced, sustained, and diverse reading behaviors. A quantitative descriptive survey using a researcher-designed questionnaire was administered to a simple random sample of 150 students at Shijicheng School, Haidian District. The tool measured reading frequency, duration, and material preferences, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.883. Results showed 52.7% read 3–5 times weekly, 18% daily, while 5.3% rarely read. Though 73% read at least 30 minutes daily, nearly 40% had fragmented sessions. Educational and storybooks were most preferred, while nonfiction and school library use were low. Home bookshelves were the main resource (54.7%). Thematic analysis of open-ended responses highlighted effective strategies such as family reading routines, reward systems, gamified activities, and interest-driven materials. Limitations include the single urban school setting and self-reported data. Future research should broaden the scope and apply mixed methods for deeper insights.

Gao Chenchen,  Rhoda C. Tique. Beyond the Classroom: Extracurricular Reading Habits of Fifth Graders in Primary Schools. Frontiers in Educational Research (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 3: 111-118. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2026.090317.

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