There is a strong link between the notion of childhood prevalent in a society and presumptions about children as readers. Versions of "Little Red Riding Hood" written in different centuries illustrate how the character of texts for children have changed as society's views of children and of education have evolved. (PP)

Discusses a number of children's books that can be used in conjunction with basal readers to enhance students' reading skills. Presents ideas under the following categories: multiple meanings, skills reinforcement, repetition of sounds, patterned language, and interest in words. Includes an extensive bibliography. (FL)

Describes the educational philosophy of Nigeria and explores the role of libraries in the realization of these educational objectives. The discussion covers materials and services that libraries should offer to help promote recreational reading and encourage individual development. (21 references) (Author/CLB)

A study was conducted to verify and extend the limited research on children's home reading. Subjects, 26 third- and 40 fifth-grade students from two elementary schools were asked to respond to questions concerning their home reading habits and were also interviewed. Data analysis revealed a significant difference between high- and low-ability…

A review of the research concerning the relationship between children's reading achievement and television viewing reveals many contradictions. For example, the findings show that the amount of television viewing that affects reading achievement in one child may not affect another in the same way. What a child watches on television also seems to…

The 14 articles in this theme issue are divided into five categories: Youth and Literature--Issues and Opportunities; Portrayals of Children and Youth in Literature; Youth and Their Parents in Literature; Death and Bereavement in Young People's Literature; and Epilogue. The final section focuses on Literature and Youth Development--Implications…

A measure was developed to assess kindergarten children's interest in reading, and information about their home and school environments was collected. High-reading-interest children were read to more frequently, watched less television, and had more books at home. School factors are also discussed. (Author/PP)

Introduces reading research from Great Britain, Sweden, and Australia. Discusses three conclusions from this literature particularly relevant to college reading specialists. (SR)

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)

This paper reviews 5 articles published in 1995 on family literacy research. The articles reviewed are: (1) a study on literacy in Iceland by Ronald Taylor which examined how Icelandic families share language and reading related activities; (2) an article by Barbara Moss and Gay Fawcett which describes and comments on different home literacy…

The Victorian and Edwardian British cared deeply about what their children were reading. While some feared that unsuitable literature would ruin both the children of the nation and the nation itself, many viewed the power of reading as a key to boundless imaginative and intellectual opportunities. This book examines the role of child literacy in…

A review of the literature was conducted to summarize how characteristics of individual readers help to determine the nature and quality of their comprehension of specific texts and to discuss how this knowledge might be used by teachers to promote effective reading in their classes. Three dimensions of readers were identified as being causally…

There are several reasons why Japan has one of the world's highest literacy rates. One reason is the nature of the Japanese written language, which employs a dual code of ideographs representing specific objects and a syllabary, in which each symbol represents a separate syllable. The syllable symbols are read consistently the same way, and…

The research on the effect of attitudes on reading is reviewed in this paper to support the position that the affective part of learning is as important to learning to read well as are the cognitive skills. Suggestions for improving reading attitudes are given. Activities are suggested for five forms of creative reading: (1) model imitations, in…

For the most part, research into the reading activities of elderly readers has focused on three areas--amount of time spent reading, reading preferences, and psychological benefits of reading--and has yielded inconsistent results. The data from reading time research both supports and refutes the claim that reading is less prevalent among older…