A longitudinal study in 10 rural Wisconsin communities examined the development of reading attitude in subjects from early childhood to middle adulthood. Subjects, 84 white adults ranging in age from 35 to 44 years, represented a wide range of educational attainment levels, a wide range of occupations, and had participated in studies of reading attitude when they were school children. The subjects were given a 40-item questionnaire assessing reading attitude along with several other questionnaires assessing reading habits and perceptions of reading. Results indicated that the subjects had generally positive attitudes toward reading, as they had when they were in school. Results also indicated that continued education and occupational choice have a significant impact on reading attitude and behavior. (Four tables of data, 26 references, and excerpts from assessment instruments are attached.) (RS)