A balanced approach to reading instruction favors cultivating reading as a strategic activity that requires intentionality, interest, and motivation on the part of the learner. Includes references. (MD)

Discusses research on home literacy environments, the values of reading aloud, independent reading, literature and writing, and literature in the language arts curriculum. (RS)

Maintains that one of the most important contributions a principal can make to remedial and at-risk students is to support independent reading. Discusses curricular congruence and the use of sustained silent reading, paired repeated reading, maintenance of reading levels, reading recovery, and paired reading for prevention as well as remediation.…

Reviews research on students' attitudes toward reading. Argues that, given more free reading time and more choice about what to read, students are more likely to form the habit of lifelong reading. (SR)

Briefly reports on five out-of-school-studies and three in-school studies showing the value of free voluntary reading (FVR). The failure of direct reading instruction and its implications for developing reading skills, the components of a free reading program, and the role of writing are discussed. (34 references) (KRN)

An examination of how well the Canadian public library is meeting the needs of the serious reader interested in self education, as compared to new and secondhand book stores and academic libraries, found that the public library is the most important and effective agency in providing materials for this group. (CLB)

With more than 100,000 computers in public schools across the United States, the impact of computer assisted instruction (CAI) on students' reading behavior needs to be evaluated. In reading laboratories, CAI has been found to provide an efficient and highly motivating means of teaching specific educational objectives. Yet, while computer…