This qualitative study focuses on the importance of reading picture books aloud to improve students' social skills capacity by utilizing literacy and social skills in a rural setting. It is designed to address a problem of practice: the need for striving third, fourth, and fifth-grade students to gain and maintain motivation and positive attitudes toward learning. An overarching research question guided this study: "How does teaching interpersonal skills affect literacy learning attitudes and motivation in a rural fringe school?" The goal was to investigate strategies through improvement science. A short Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle was used as the structure for the research process, data collection, analysis, and plan of improvement. Ten interpersonal skill-themed books were read aloud to a small literacy group and meaningful class discussions about the stories were held to build literacy learning. Teacher surveys, group analysis charts, and anecdotal field notes were used in data collection and analysis and showed students' general attitudes and feelings toward learning improved. The outcome of this study produced three themes: positive literacy learning attitudes, increased academic motivation, and strategies taught for social skills. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]